The World of Edward Gorey introduces readers to Gorey himself by way of an interview with artist Clifford Ross. Here we learn about Gorey's unusually agile mind, his immense and diverse interests, and his deep knowledge of art. From there, art critic Karen Wilken takes us on a voyage through Gorey's world, analyzing the evolution and sources of the artist's style and situating it within a tradition of narrative art, of high and popular culture. Both important and lesser-known works are discussed, amplified by 200 illustrations made by Gorey.As followers of Gorey know, the time is circa the Edwardian era, usually somewhere in England. It's a world of stylized, mysterious comings and goings, of young ladies, monocled men, and elderly matrons, of frolicksome cats and kohl-eyed ballerinas, of make-believe monsters and children on the abysss of disaster. Wilkin describes Gorey's world to us in phrases such as "cheerful silliness" and Victorian tales gone awry." "Sheer pleasure" describes our own delight in the publication of this splendid, profusely illustrated monograph.