Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)

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We continued our route in search of the Amontillado. We passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame.

So with Poe, we have tone being so central to his stories. The Masque of the Red Death drives almost on tone alone, details compounding upon details until the big reveal at the end with the falling action literally being everyone falling down super dead. Half the enjoyment is just in the atmosphere though, especially in stories like The Tell-Tale Heart where most of the narrative is insisting that he is not ‘ a madman’ and listing all the ways he meticulously plots and executes his murder as a sure sign he is in full control of his faculties. It isn’t convincing, of course, and the irony of it is practically the original “could a depressed person make this?!” meme. Here, let’s revise it: There is a growing suspicion on the part of the reader that this other William is a doppelganger, especially since he seems to follow the storyteller around the world dogging his footsteps. Despite the cogent rational descriptions, the narrator seems almost to be haunted by his namesake, and is losing his sanity. It is interesting too that the other William seems to be a better version of himself, as if he is acting the part of his conscience. The Tell-Tale Heart is the scariest of Poe's horror stories in my opinion. Poe effectively showcases the classic symptoms and behaviors of paranoia-induced insanity, a symptom that many violent serial killers display. Poe also shows an impressive knowledge and understanding of a deranged criminal's mind in a time when not too much was known about human psychology.The macabre and gruesome gothic style of Edgar Allen Poe is timeless and the author holds his place as one of the greatest horror authors. Ever! There are various collections of Edgar Allen Poe available, providing complete coverage of his short stories, poems, essays and his novel. This latest collection, The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe, provides an introduction from Daniel Stashower who gives a very interesting overview of Poe’s life and his bizarre and unsettling death. His death followed a strange set of events where he was found collapsed outside a tavern in Baltimore and then treated in the Washington College Hospital for drunkenness where he remained delirious and agitated suggesting something untoward happened him. He passed away muttering the words “Lord help my poor soul.” I knew that I had now fully recovered the use of my visual faculties - and yet it was dark - all dark - the intense and utter raylessness of the Night that endureth for evermore.” In “The Oval Portrait”, the narrator recounts a story about a painter who fell in love with a painting of his own wife, who perishes from his subsequent neglect. I was introduced to Edgar Allen Poe when I was around 11 or 12 years old by a teacher at a small school in Tennessee (thank you Ms. Arnold) and have read him often ever since. If you haven't met Mr. Poe and his characters you have a great treat ahead. Speaking of Poe’s death, he was found in poor condition wearing clothes that were not his own and taken to a hospital where he would die a few days later (Oct 7, 1849). In the end, he repeatedly called out the name Reynolds—nobody is certain who that was—and his dying words were ‘Lord help my poor soul.’ All the medical records and his death certificate have been lost, so even in dying Poe has left us one last mystery to keep him in our memories.

The stolen letter has been concealed, but all logicał attempts to locate it have failed. Dupin comes to the conclusion that, “to conceal the letter, the Minister had resorted to the comprehensive and sagacious expedient of not attempting to conceal it at all.” Berenice” is another tale in which the narrator finds that he has killed a friend (his cousin) and been found out (this time without needing to confess). have not survived, but most of these revisions were printed in the Broadway Journal by which means such a The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in themselves, but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate them only in their effects. We know of them, among other things, that they are always to their possessor, when inordinately possessed, a source of the liveliest enjoyment. As the strong man exults in his physical ability, delighting in such exercises as call his muscles into action, so glories the analyst in that moral activity which disentangles. He derives pleasure from even the most trivial occupations bringing his talent into play. He is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, of hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his solutions of each a degree of acumen which appears to the ordinary apprehension preternatural. His results, brought about by the very soul and essence of method, have, in truth, the whole air of intuition.” The samples here are of stories which we would now class as "horror" or "suspense", but which Poe submitted to the public mainly as essays.Legacy: Despite his relatively short career, Poe's literary contributions had a significant impact on American and world literature. He is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential writers in the horror and detective genres. His works continue to be celebrated and adapted in various forms, from films to TV series to theatrical productions. The Bells" - A poem that describes the different sounds of bells and the emotions they evoke, from the joyous pealing of wedding bells to the mournful tolling of funeral bells. For all Poe’s Gothic Romanticism, horror and humour, his metafictional objectives make his tales that much more interesting, entertaining and relevant to our time. Three Sundays in a Week": 2.5 - read 12/26/2021. Eh, it was fine. Not creepy, not even really weird. Mostly chalked up to people coming from different time zones, making it 3 Sundays. The Tell-Tale Heart": 4 - read 9/18/2021. Love the Spongebob adaptation of this with the squeaky boots. Poe's original is good too.

My rating for this collection may seem harsh, but let me explain... When Poe is good, he is GREAT. But when he is not... it is torture and absolutely unbearable at times. I have zero intention of revisiting about 75% of this collection. In comparison, I'm pretty sure I would be happy to revisit the majority of Lovecraft tales at some point in the future. A lot of readers will compare the two, but for me, when comparing their complete bodies of work, there is no competition.Most of the works collected here were short stories, which he is credited with having pioneered/popularized. He is best known for his psychological horror tales, which are by far his most outstanding works. I was let down by a lot of the short stories included, and didn't find very many new favorites. The Portable Edgar Allan Poe" - A selection of Poe's most famous works, including poems, short stories, and critical essays. Essays in Honor of Joel Myerson, ed. Wesley T. Mott, Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 1997, pp.