Skip to main content

The Gorey.

In June I bought a collection of Edward Gorey books via an auction, but lets go back a minute.

In the Summer of 2014 an Edward Gorey site I frequent mentioned an auction of a significant Gorey Collection. A majority of the the books on offer were limited numbered editions, and at the time most were out of my league. I did have my eye on a few things, but the day of the auction all but one spiraled out of responsible financial reach. The one book I did get, The Silent Film, I was the sole bidder.

There was a companion auction that fall. I scanned and passed on all of the Gorey titles. A few books, a lot of paper. None of the books sparked with me. Of course it turns out that a book, The Dripping Faucet was picked up for $250 plus buyer's premium. Flash forward to February of this year. I went to a book show in Pasadena. I chatted with a book seller about his Gorey's for sale. Now I don't think he had a copy of  The Dripping Faucet, but he did explained the uniqueness and rarity of the book to the degree that made me want it immediately. Doing later research I discover how expensive the book is and how cheaply the book went for at the previous auction.

Now, I could let myself off the hook safe in the knowledge that the work of Edward Gorey is vast, and knowing everything is impossible. Because in point of fact I didn't know of the books rare existence until after the auction. Of course this is the point.

The difference between being a buyer of Edward Gorey books and a collector of Edward Gorey books... the collector knows.

More on this soon....


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Very Best of Mr. Dennis Lehane

I thought this post would appear in October. Ya, know when SHUTTER ISLAND: THE MOVIE was supposed to be released. And then it wasn't. Something about Leo not being able to do 'press' for the movie. Doesn't really matter the reason, a February release date has one of those fancy Hollywood meanings: Not Good. Look I'll be honest, I didn't connect with SHUTTER ISLAND. I loved the fifties setting, the haunted house atmosphere, and impending doom of the Hurricane. Even the set-up of the story was intriguing but how it played out just didn't work for me. Some interesting characters, a bunch of great set pieces, but the ending announces itself with an expected, thud that went nowhere. Am I still going to the movie? Its Lehane, Scorsese, Leo, and Ruffalo of course I am. Anyway the list. 8. Prayers for Rain - 1999 The last Kenzie-Gennaro book follows our heroes as they investigate a guy who is terrorizing women into committing suicide. The book played like an episo...
4 comments
Read more

Small Mercies - The Return of Dennis Lehane

 A time honored tradition at The Hungry Detective HQ is to perform the twice annual, and largely ceremonial, 'Dennis Lehane New book 20XX" Google search. Nothing comes up on his long abandoned Website, except notification of the script work for his television and film projects.  Grousing aside, 2022 was a big year for Mr. Lehane. BLACK BIRD, a show he created, played on Apple+ to solid acclaim. The show's star, Paul Walter Hauser, won a Golden Globe. But despite that I have yet to watch it. Not for any other reason than I am a movie person more than a TV person. The TV I do watch is watched in an arcane order that is difficult to decipher and even more baffling to explain. Short story, I need to watch ANDOR [Editor's Note: Slow going on ANDOR despite everyone telling me it is amazing.] And then BLACK BIRD, or maybe SLOW HORSES. I'll get there...  Anyway at the dead end of 2022, I did the search. Found out he wrote a book. SMALL MERCIES . I was excited to hear it. I...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Fogotten Post: A Remembrance

[Editor's Note: Started this missive, never came back to it. Still relevant, I suppose.] I am reading MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY by Nev Marsh. This was... technically still is... on my to buy pile. In the before time... the overwhelming to be read pile time... I would have bought this and thrown it on the shelf to read in the near or more likely distant future. I hope I like it enough to buy the second in the series. Buying a book is fun, buying a book that is good is better. [Editor's Note: Abandoned this book, unfinished.] BLACKTOP WASTELAND - S.A. COSBY So glad I didn't buy this last summer. Good decision to put off buying and reading what would have certainly been one of the best books of the year. New goal for the remaining 2021 calendar. Don't be dumb. Buy Mr. Cosby's follow up and read day one! [Editor's Note: I did buy a signed copy of RAZORBLADE  TEARS, meanwhile B.W. won every award, except the Edgar where it wasn't even nominated!? Also Signed firsts of...
Post a Comment
Read more