Edward Gorey: The Hapless Child

This mournful tale of petite Charlotte Sophia’s catastrophic short life is classic Edward Gorey. Orphaned, the poor child is bullied by schoolmates and ruffians alike, surviving only by the skin of her baby teeth. Even her doll suffers a gruesome end. The Hapless Child is widely regarded as one of Gorey’s best books: you will enjoy weeping for Charlotte Sophia again, and again, and again.

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.