It's difficult to say what The Iron Tonic is about, although it is "known the skating pond conceals a family of enormous eels," and that "the light is fading from the day. The rest is darkness and dismay." Finally, though, The Iron Tonic could be seen as Edward Gorey's version of a winter afternoon in one of the great Russian novels of the nineteenth century.

Edward Gorey (1925-2000) wrote and illustrated such popular books as The Doubtful Guest, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, and The Headless Bust. He was also a very successful set and costume designer, earning a Tony Award for his Broadway production of Edward Gorey's Dracula. Animated sequences of his work have introduced the PBS series Mystery! since 1980.