Product Description

Since their first publication in the 1830s and 1840s, Edgar Allan Poe's extraordinary Gothic tales have established themselves as classics of horror fiction and have also created many of the conventions which still dominate the genre of detective fiction. As well as being highly enjoyable, Poe's tales are works of very real intellectual exploration. Attentive to the historical and political dimensions of these very American tales, this new selection places the most popular -- `The Fall of the House of Usher', `The Masque of the Red Death', `The Murders in the Rue Morgue; and `The Purloined Letter' -- alongside less well-known travel narratives, metaphysical essays and political satires.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4071 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

About the Author
Edgar Allan Poe (1809 – 49), was born in Boston, USA. He was a short-story writer, editor and literary critic, and is considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor the detective-fiction genre.

Customer Reviews

Poe's Tales
In terms of this anthology in particular, all of Poe's well-known stories seem to be there, including 'The Pit & The Pendulum' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart.' However, Poe's frequent use of foreign languages in his stories can spoil enjoyment, and on at least two occasions I could not fully grasp the ending of a story because no translation to these languages was given in this edition. This is a particular concern for the opening story, 'Duc de L'Omelette'.

In terms of Poe's writing, my opinion is divided. His stories (those in this book, at least), seem to be either his famous tales of terror or more essay-type pieces. The tales of terror, especially 'The Pit & the Pendulum' and 'The Cask of Amontillado', are very well-written and I enjoyed them a lot. However, a number of his stories are more like essays and these can be hard to follow in the old-fashioned language Poe used and, if you are unaccustomed to Poe, can leave you waiting forever for the story to begin. Overall, I enjoyed Poe's writings supplied here and they grew on me as I became more used to his style, but they are not as scary nor as easy to follow as more modern tales.

Poe-fect
Poe's Gothic horror stories can seem dated - well they are all over a hundred years old! However, classics such as 'The Cask of Amontillado', 'The Pit and the Pendulum' and 'The Black Cat' still have the power to shock and appall readers, and this is consequently an engaging collection. I agree with a previous reviewer that there are several less accessible essays in here, but there are enough great stories to make up for it. Highly recommended for lovers of Gothic horror and not of a sensitive disposition - you may have nightmares!