DuPre Jones & Edward Gorey: The Adventures of Gremlin

In this far-fetched fairy tale, a plucky little girl named Gremlin and her brother, Zeppelin, leave their childhood home—a woodsman’s cottage, of course—in the kingdom of Etaoin and set out to see the world. Clambering through an enchanted forest and navigating pirate-infested seas en route to the Royal Palace (where a drastic change of circumstance awaits), they encounter a host of quirky characters beyond anything the Brothers Grimm ever imagined. Yes, there are knights (good and evil), a giant, and the requisite fairy godmother. But there’s also an inn full of doom-and-gloom beatniks, a peevish wombat, a poet whose limericks probe the meaning of life, and a flightless parrot who spouts Latin. Anything but a fainthearted waif, Gremlin takes surprises and setbacks in stride, retaining her innocence and good humor all the while. DuPre Jones’s witty, clever, and decidedly grown-up text full of puns, double entendres, literary references, and sly characterizations of human foibles—coupled with pen-and-ink illustrations by renowned artist Edward Gorey—makes The Adventures of Gremlin a devilishly fun read for adults, as well as a welcome update to the Gorey illustration canon.

Edward Gorey

Artist and author Edward Gorey (American, 1925–2000) is beloved for the boundless imagination and sharp humor exhibited in his more than 100 published works. Gorey was also a set and costume designer for innumerable theater productions, including a staging of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, for which he won a Tony. He had a profound affection for literature, film, ballet, and animals. Cats and other odd creatures appear in many of his crosshatched illustrations. His humorously unsettling drawings of vaguely Victorian innocents facing unfortunate ends became familiar to a wide audience after appearing in the opening credits of the PBS television series Mystery! Gorey’s Cape Cod home, a veritable cabinet of curiosities, is now a museum celebrating his life and work.