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The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
 
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The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy (Hardcover)

by Tim Burton (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 128 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow (Dec 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0688156819
  • ISBN-13: 978-0688156817
  • Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 13.2 x 1.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 277,830 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
This unassuming hardcover in black buckram with a dark lavender title plate is the door into a world of twisted pleasures. Filmmaker Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas) tells 23 winsomely macabre stories about boys and girls who don't fit in. Their bodies are misshapen, their habits are odd and their parents are appalled by them. But they do try hard to be human, like poor unwanted Mummy Boy, who's "a bundle of gauze": he goes for a walk in the park with his mummy dog. Some kids who are having "a birthday party for a Mexican girl" mistakenly take Mummy Boy for a piñata: "They took a baseball bat and whacked open his head. Mummy Boy fell to the ground; he finally was dead. Inside of his head were no candy or prizes, just a few stray beetles of various sizes." For all its simple humour, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories is a peculiarly disturbing book about the violence that children suffer. It is illustrated in pen and ink, watercolours, and crayon. The themes and imagery are at a young-adult to adult level.

Product Description
Twenty-three illustrated gothic tales from the author of A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

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10 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An alternative outlook for an outcast generation, 26 Jan 2004
Tim Burton's book was a gift this christmas, and although I wouldn't have picked this myself I must say I am incredibly impressed with this little book! Tim Burton may be known for his original/twisted approach to his film-making, and his book is no exception. The short, illustrated collection of poems are appealing on so many levels. Essentially about the cruelty of other children and your own parents, the drawings are heart wrenching and very emotional, despite it's slight stance. In fact the more you read this book, the more you can find something to stir up memories of an adolesent era that was both painful and unjust, and yet appreciate and savour the survival into adulthood. Then, as Mr Burton likes to remind you, invariably you become a parent and start the whole cycle of love/desire/betrayal all over again. Enlightening and satisfying, I recommend this book to anyone who has been through their teenage years, or is currently suffering them!
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Jimmy the hideous penguin boy! oh yes!, 3 Dec 2002
Amazing! This book is not for the faint-hearted, but perfect for those with a wicked sense of humour. Burton uses excellent and equally dark illustrations to provide that last bit of imagery required to venture into the darkest depths of Burtons mind! if you love his films, you'll love this book. READ IT!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Tim Burton, 10 May 2008
The back of this book says -

'The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and other stories exquisitely conveys the pain of an adolescent outsider. Like Tim Burtons movies, the work manages to be both childlike and sophisticated, blending the innocent with the macabre - New York Times

Tim Burton 0- the creative genius behind Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Mars Attacks and Nightmare Before Christmas, among others - now gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children: misunderstood outcasts who struffle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke both the sweetness and tragedy of these hopeful, yet hapless, beings.

i loved this book, it is a good strange read, and the drawing are really cool, its a book for someone who likes to be different from the norm!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully dark
The comparisons to Roald Dahl will be inevitable, but in a spine-tinglingly good way. The stories, with their fabulous illustrations, are short and to the point, with much... Read more
Published on 30 Jul 2002 by midnight-scribble

5.0 out of 5 stars If you dig Burton, you'll dig Oyster Boy!
strongely recomended for Burton fans, very reminiscent of Edward Gorey only less stilted and more creative.
Published on 5 Nov 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Genius at work!
After Beetlejuice, Batman, Vincent etc., no-one can doubt the creative genius of Tim Burton. This astoundingly simple, yet carefully created book of acutely observant, and yet... Read more
Published on 4 Jun 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars The ideal book for a Burton film lover...
Anyone who appreciates Tim Burton and his films will most likely find this book spectacular. It is full of beautiful illustrations and short poems, most of which involve a... Read more
Published on 23 Mar 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars The best, most morbid book I've ever read
This is by far the best, most morbid book I have ever read. Not only are the characters lovable rejects, the plots themselves are ironic, funny, and well put. Read more
Published on 4 Mar 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully morbid book of bedtime stories.
This is a book that I will read to my children for years to come. It's pictures are adorably dreary and filled with emotion. Read more
Published on 13 Jan 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars A bizarre treat in this world of tricks!
When I came across this book, I was quite excited, as I am an admirer of Tim Burton's films. Mr. Burton has already made an entry in the publishing field with The Nightmare Before... Read more
Published on 4 Nov 1997

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