Saturday Review Press, 1974
Edward Gorey used to be a cult, now he's an industry. His work is best in small doses, so I can live without the calendars, mugs and stuffies. In fact, I don't want anything published after, say, 1975, which marks the halfway point in his career. I covet the jackets he designed in the 1950s and early '60s, and the first, and best, books he did on his own. This book, a collection of literary sketches by Moss, would probably have disappeared entirely without the fame of the illustrator. Which isn't to say that Moss' work is not clever. "Penelope left a mark on St. Gaudin's that might more accurately be described as a scar," he writes in the piece on Aldous Huxley. But many of the jokes are so recherche that only a few will get them. I certainly didn't.
"instant Lives" was published by a mainstream press, which means a few thousand copies were done, which makes it only minimally collectable. What attracted Allan was the review slip, which gives the date of publication of May 15, 1974. Interestingly, the slip says there was a limited edition available for about twice the price of the trade -- $12.95. That was the edition to buy. The limited was 350 copies signed by both in a special binding, and it goes for about $200 now. This review copy is unpriced by Allan, but I would guess $25 max.