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| Original Title: | The Unstrung Harp, or, Mr. Earbrass Writes a Novel |
| ISBN: | 0747550344 (ISBN13: 9780747550341) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Edward Gorey
Hardcover | Pages: 64 pages Rating: 4.23 | 1467 Users | 126 Reviews
Details Regarding Books The Unstrung Harp
| Title | : | The Unstrung Harp |
| Author | : | Edward Gorey |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 64 pages |
| Published | : | 2000 by Bloomsbury (first published 1953) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Humor. Art. Sequential Art. Graphic Novels. Comics. Childrens. Picture Books |
Narrative To Books The Unstrung Harp
On November 18th of alternate years Mr. Earbrass begins writing his new novel. Weeks ago he chose its title at random from a list of them he keeps in a little green note-book. It being tea-time of the 17th, he is alarmed not to have thought of a plot to which The Unstrung Harp might apply, but his mind will keep reverting to the last biscuit on the plate. So begins what the Times Literary Supplement called "a small masterpiece." TUH is a look at the literary life and its "attendant woes: isolation, writer's block, professional jealousy, and plain boredom." But, as with all of Edward Gorey's books, TUH is also about life in general, with its anguish, turnips, conjunctions, illness, defeat, string, parties, no parties, urns, desuetude, disaffection, claws, loss, trebizond, napkins, shame, stones, distance, fever, antipodes, mush, glaciers, incoherence, labels, miasma, amputation, tides, deceit, mourning, elsewards. You get the point. Finally, TUH is about Edward Gorey the writer, about Edward Gorey writing The Unstrung Harp. It's a cracked mirror of a book, and it's dedicated to RDP or Real Dear Person.Rating Regarding Books The Unstrung Harp
Ratings: 4.23 From 1467 Users | 126 ReviewsWrite-Up Regarding Books The Unstrung Harp
My personal favorite of Edward Gorey's books. I couldn't get into it the first time I read it - but it grew on me after a few more readings. It became an "acquired taste". As a writer AND publisher, I can certainly relate to Mr. Earbrass and his tribulations in writing his novel. In fact, I'm probably more like Mr. Earbrass than I realize; his challenges and stumbling as he goes along is something that many writers out there can resonate with.From a technical standpoint, Edward Gorey'sI read that this was Gorey's first independent work, so it's probably rather fitting that it should deal with an author's struggles with the Muse. Not being a writer, or generally very creative, I did not feel much empathy, but I did find it amusing.Gorey's trademark strange creatures were already there in several of the illustrations, and I enjoyed Mr Earbrass's visiting such illustrious places as Collapsed Pudding, Something Awful, and especially Lying-in-the-Way. Very English-countryside.
Edward Gorey's first published book, and one of the finest. I think it may also have more text than any of the others that followed, a full paragraph for each illustration. Not that the illustrations don't stand alone in all his work, but his sharp, amusing commentary on the creative process would be difficult to convey in image alone.
"Mr Earbrass stands on the terrace at twilight. It is bleak; it is cold; and the virtue has gone out of everything. Words drift through his mind: anguish turnips conjunctions illness defeat string parties no parties urns desuetude disaffection claws loss Trebizond napkins shame stones distance fever Antipodes mush glaciers incoherence labels miasma amputation tides deceit mourning else wards" God I love this fucking book. The Unstrung Harp has the subtitle "or, Mr Earbrass writes a novel" and
Mr. Clavius Frederick Earbrass, writer, goes to a literary party.The talk deals with disappointing sales, inadequate publicity, worse than inadequate royalties, idiotic or criminal reviews, others declining talent, and the unspeakable horror of the literary life. This party of dissatisfied writers may be like holding a mirror up to his own face, but it is still a diversion away from the manuscript which hangs around his neck like a soiled napkin. Not only is it repulsive to the eye and hand,
So as part of my ongoing Gorey-related nonfiction I am also going back and reading the books in the order they come up for discussion in Born to Be Posthumous, every time Dery talks about the influences on Gorey I fall down yet another rabbit hole. There are authors I wasn't familiar with, such as Firbank, I've requested something of his by ILL. Then there's authors I only had a passing familiarity with such as Ivy Compton-Burnett (the name was familiar, but that's all) and Alison Lurie (a
For the names alone this book gets three stars. Scuffle and Dustcough. The West Mortshire Impassioned Amateurs of Melpomene. Col. Knout, M.F.H. of the Blathering Hunt. The fourth star is for Gorey's illustrations, the classic pen & ink scratchings which never fail to capture the absurd pathos of poor Mr. C(lavius) F(rederick) Earbrass, the well-known novelist, struggling with his latest literary effort. The story itself is sketchy, but by no means negligible, and amply augmented by the
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