The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is a 1984 picture book by the American author Chris Van Allsburg. It consists of a series of images, ostensibly created by Harris Burdick, a man who has mysteriously disappeared. Each image is accompanied by a title and a single line of text, which encourage readers to create their own stories. Many famous writers have tried to put their own twists on the pictures.[1]

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Cover
AuthorChris Van Allsburg
IllustratorChris Van Allsburg
CountryUnited States
GenreChildren's literature
Publication date
1984
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Preceded byThe Wreck of the Zephyr 
Followed byThe Polar Express 

The book is available in a Portfolio Edition which includes another image/caption pair from the story "Missing in Venice".

In 2011 a book titled The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales was published, featuring stories by high-profile writers including Stephen King and Louis Sachar, inspired by the illustrations in the original The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.[2]

Premise

An encounter between a children's book editor named Peter Wenders and an author and illustrator named Harris Burdick, who says he has 14 stories that he has written; he has brought one picture from each story with a caption. He leaves with a promise to deliver the complete manuscripts if the editor chooses to buy the books. The next day, Burdick did not show up. Burdick had mysteriously disappeared. Over the years, Wenders tried to find out who Harris Burdick was, but he never found out. Burdick was never seen again, and the samples are all that remain of his supposed books. Readers are challenged to imagine their own stories based on the images for the books.

In 1984, Chris Van Allsburg visited Wenders' office, and Wenders showed him Burdick's drawings. Van Allsburg decided that if he were to publish the drawings, they might find out who Harris Burdick was.

Both Wenders and Van Allsburg were sure that someone would come forward with information about Burdick. Then, in 1993, a dealer in antique books told them that he had purchased an entire library that had previously belonged to a recently deceased woman, including an antique mirror with portraits of characters from Through the Looking-Glass. The mirror fell from the wall and cracked open. Neatly concealed between the wooden frame and the mirror was an image similar to Burdick's other works; its caption identified it as being from the Burdick story "Missing in Venice".[3]

As stated on the Burdick website, Peter Wenders died in 2000 at the age of 91.

Pictures
  • Archie Smith, Boy Wonder
  • Uninvited Guests
  • The House on Maple Street
  • Missing in Venice
  • Under the Rug
  • The Harp
  • A Strange Day in July
  • Another Place, Another Time
  • Mr Linden's Library
  • Oscar and Alphonse
  • Just Desert
  • The Seven Chairs
  • The Third Floor Bedroom
  • Captain Tory
  • Missing in Venice (second picture)

Influence

The short story "The House On Maple Street" which appears in Stephen King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes is inspired by the last image/caption in The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

Film adaptation

On July 2, 2019, Disney and 20th Century Fox announced that they have acquired the film rights to "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" with Rafe Judkins as screenwriter and Mike Weber, Bill Teitler, Ted Field, Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen producing. This announcement came after Disney and Fox acquired the film rights to another Van Allsburg book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, but unlike that adaptation, Van Allsburg is not an executive producer for this film.[4]

References
  1. Byrne, Terry (June 22, 2008). "They are hoping for a storybook ending". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  2. Marcus, Leonard S. (November 10, 2011). "{:PLOKIJUHYGTFRGTHJKL:LKJHGFDSDFGHJKLOKIJUHYGTFRDEFRGTYHUIOI*UY&^T%REWSDEFRGTYHUIO)P(*U&Y^T%R$ERTY&U*I(OI*U&Y^T%RDEFRGTYHUIOParris-burdick-14-amazing-authors-tell-the-tales-by-chris-van-allsburg-and-othersillustrated-by-chris-van-alls.html "The Chronicles of Harris Burdick – 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales – By Chris Van Allsburg and others. Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg – book review". The New York Times.
  3. Van Allsburg, Chris (1996). The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.
  4. "Disney/Fox Acquires 'The Mysteries Of Harris Burdick' By 'Jumanji' Author Chris Van Allsurg". Deadline. July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
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