Title: Selected Tales
Author: Edgar Allan Poe
First published January 1, 1849
406 pages, Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 9780140621167 (ISBN10: 0140621164)
Rating: 4.19
Overview
Selected Tales by Edgar Allan Poe is a collection of some of the author’s most renowned works, including “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.” This Kindle edition also features some of Poe’s lesser-known works as a contributor to other short stories, alongside renowned authors like Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson. Along with these chilling tales, readers will find an extensive biography of Edgar Allan Poe, complete with photographs of the places that shaped his life.
Whether you’re a long-time fan of Poe or a newcomer to his world of mystery and suspense, this collection is sure to captivate and entertain.
About the Author
When one thinks of the name Poe, it conjures up images of dark tales of murderers, premature burials, and supernatural women who return from the dead. His literary works have been in print since 1827 and include such classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher.
Poe was a versatile writer, producing short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and hundreds of essays and book reviews. He is considered the pioneer of the modern detective story and a leading innovator in science fiction.
However, he primarily made a living as America’s first great literary critic and theoretician. Today, Poe is widely recognized for his tales of terror and haunting lyric poetry.
Poe’s strange characters and stories have captured the public imagination. He is often portrayed as a morbid, enigmatic figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles.
This is the Poe of legend. However, much of what we think we know about Poe is incorrect.
It comes from a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to tarnish the author’s reputation.
The real Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, to traveling actors. He was the second of three children, with his other brother also becoming a poet before his early death, and his sister growing up to be a penmanship teacher at a Richmond girls’ school.
By the time Poe was three years old, both of his parents had died. He was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia, while his siblings went to live with other families.
Mr. Allan raised Poe to become a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe dreamed of becoming a writer like his childhood hero, the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in young Poe’s handwriting on the backs of Allan’s ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business.
Editoral Review
Selected Tales by Edgar Allan Poe transports readers to a world of mystery and suspense, drawing them in with the author’s signature dark style and foreboding themes. First published on January 1, 1849, this collection of stories continues to captivate readers today, exploring macabre topics such as death, madness, and the supernatural.
Poe, a master of the horror genre, creates an eerie atmosphere in each of the tales included in this collection. From the haunted world of “The Fall of the House of Usher” to the psychological torment of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the author’s vivid descriptions and haunting prose keep readers on the edge of their seats.
The themes explored in Selected Tales are timeless, and connect with readers on a deep level. Through each story, readers are invited to explore the darker, more unsettling aspects of the human psyche.
Poe’s characters struggle with inner demons and existential questions that remain just as relevant today as they were in the 19th century, making this collection as significant today as it was at its publication. Poe’s writing style is both complex and engaging, with richly drawn characters and intricate plotlines that keep readers guessing until the very end.
From the brooding narrator of “The Raven” to the enigmatic protagonist of “The Cask of Amontillado,” each character is unique and brings something new to the table. One weakness of Selected Tales is that the stories can be somewhat formulaic in structure, with a consistent focus on characters grappling with personal demons or uncovering dark family secrets.
However, this is a small criticism in the face of the overall quality of the collection, which is both engaging and thought-provoking. Overall, Selected Tales is a must-read for anyone interested in Gothic literature, horror or suspense novels, and psychological thrillers.
Poe’s writing is of the highest caliber, and his ability to create an atmosphere of fear and unease is unparalleled. The book receives our highest rating of 5 stars, and we would recommend it to any reader looking for a haunting literary experience that is sure to linger long after the final page is turned.