The Sopping Thursday

An umbrella is missing. A man is distressed. A thief scampers over rooftops. A child is in danger. A harangued salesclerk weeps. A dog save the day. The intriguing story of The Sopping Thursday is unlike any other Edward Gorey book both because of its unique gray-and-black illustrations and because it has a happy ending (if one is to dismiss any worry about the child featured in the last frame). In just thirty images and thirty short lines of text Gorey manages to create a complex tableau of characters and a plot worthy of film noir. Long out of print this new edition is faithful to the size of Goreys original drawings and wisely refrains from offering any editorial commentary...except to say this Gorey jewel is--to quote the eminent literary critic Edmund Wilson--"a brilliant discovery."