EDWARD Gorey's art and writing is without doubt, really funny. Every aspect of his work is connected to the humorous. His miniature tales or drawings elicit at the very least a satisfied smile, because it’s both touching and funny. And somehow, because of this poignancy, we are able to quickly empathize and sympathize with his character's plight; for we know what has past, and will now follow them to their fate. Gorey even sneaks in the story’s turning point - a dropped calling card, and the story marches on to its unexpected and inevitable conclusion. People now refer to this style as a 'Gorey ending’.

Gorey is most successful when his Victorian-era composition and seemingly engraved illustrations are paired with the harsher or darker subject matter of late-Victorian or early-Edwardian storytelling. Gorey was so good at it, people often assumed he was schooled in Britain,