Oblong 12mo. 22ff. Gorey illustrated Alphonse Allais's translation of Cros's Le Hareng Saur, a suspenseful, nonsensical tale intended “to make all serious men mad, mad, mad, and to amuse children little, little, little.” In addition to almost inventing color photography and the phonograph, Cros was a satirical writer, whose work appeared in Chat Noir, which Allais edited; and, like Allais, was a hydropath. Although not indicated, this copy is from the library of Alison Lurie, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Gorey's longtime friend. Shallow wrinkling to a sliver of the upper front cover, affecting the first two leaves, otherwise fine in original printed wrappers.