The name might not be immediately recognizable, but Edward Gorey’s not-quite-children’s books have a way of drilling themselves into the subconscious.
His best-known book, the Ghastlycrumb Tinies (“A is for Amy who fell down the stairs; B is for Basil, assaulted by bears”) serves as inspiration for the delightfully macabre Edward Gorey House (8 Strawberry Ln., Yarmouth Port, 508/362-3909, www.edwardgoreyhouse.org [1], 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. and 12–4 p.m. Sun. mid-Apr.–June; 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Wed.–Sat. and 12–4 p.m. Sun. June–early Oct., $5 adults, $3 students and seniors, $2 children 6–12, free children under 6) where the author lived for 25 years.
Many of the docents are the late Gorey’s friends, who are if anything just as eccentric as he was, and regale even casual visitors with tales of the bearded author.
Links:
[1] http://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org