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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
Have I actually read them all? Doubtful but I can’t think of a bad one
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The sheer amount of material inspired by these stories and poems is staggering. Almost every story has been drawn on somewhat in something else I've read - perhaps not that surprising given the genres I tend to read, but still quite mind-boggling. I'd read a lot of these stories about a decade ago, but it was nice revisiting them as I've read a lot more widely now and appreciate the historical context more.
Complete collections are always a bit fraught, because there are very few people whose life's output is of very high quality - in other words, there's often a lot of fluff. This was true of Poe's collection and I felt bogged down in some of the longer pieces, particularly the satirical pieces as they were so profuse (made worse by most of them being clumped together in the book). I found the first couple very funny, however, after a while I decided that Poe's the kind of joker who never lets it go and just pushes and pushes a joke until it's really quite dead.
Poe's life was tragic and you can see it in his stories. In particular, his stories where alcohol is the catalyst for series of events that ruin the life of a central character were powerful considering Poe's personal history. But I also hate the narrative of the tortured artist, and the idea that it is in some measure good (or worse, necessary) for someone to suffer so that they produce deep and meaningful art. I disagree. I'm not glad Poe had awful things in his life, was an alcoholic, had his wife die horribly, and all sorts of other loss. I respect and appreciate Poe's stories and the reach of his legacy, but in no way think that his misfortune were a net gain for the world.
Complete collections are always a bit fraught, because there are very few people whose life's output is of very high quality - in other words, there's often a lot of fluff. This was true of Poe's collection and I felt bogged down in some of the longer pieces, particularly the satirical pieces as they were so profuse (made worse by most of them being clumped together in the book). I found the first couple very funny, however, after a while I decided that Poe's the kind of joker who never lets it go and just pushes and pushes a joke until it's really quite dead.
Poe's life was tragic and you can see it in his stories. In particular, his stories where alcohol is the catalyst for series of events that ruin the life of a central character were powerful considering Poe's personal history. But I also hate the narrative of the tortured artist, and the idea that it is in some measure good (or worse, necessary) for someone to suffer so that they produce deep and meaningful art. I disagree. I'm not glad Poe had awful things in his life, was an alcoholic, had his wife die horribly, and all sorts of other loss. I respect and appreciate Poe's stories and the reach of his legacy, but in no way think that his misfortune were a net gain for the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Torture, Cannibalism
Minor: Infidelity, Racism, Blood
I’ve had this collection for a few years and finally decided that for this years spooky season, I would set myself the challenge of reading this whole book from cover to cover. I’m glad I did. Poe is definitely an imaginative writer. I rated each poem and tale of Poe’s separately and achieved an average of 3.82, rounding up to 4. I’ve always loved The Raven but I’ve discovered new favourites like The Pit And The Pendulum and The Devil In The Belfry.
I've had this for two or three years now. It's an old used copy and I love it! It's lovely to have so much Poe in one volume.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
All of Poe's work in one easy to grab (but not so to lift) place, how can you not love this book. Poe's poems are haunting and unquestionably genius while his suspense and horror writing is still as poignant today as when they were first written. His lesser known works are just as captivating as his more popular writing. Poe is simply an amazing writer who can capture both the darker side of humanity as well as the more inventive and dynamic side
dark
mysterious
tense
I actually liked the short stories a lot more than the poetry, but it was still a solid book
I will confess, I only read all of the short stories that I had never read before, and in such fashion, I plan on rating which of them are worth everyone's time. That being said, I will admit my bias lies in my love of Poe's poetic language.
5 Stars:
The Imp of the Perverse
Shadow: A Parable
Silence: A Fable
Berenice
The Island of the Fay
How to Write a Blackwood Article (Poe's BEST literary parody, seriously! English nerds, take note)
Morella
The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether (Seriously, this one genuinely surprised me!)
The Spectacles (Dude... I mean...)
4 Stars:
Mesmeric Revelation
Some Words with a Mummy
The Mystery of Marie Roget
The Power of Words
The Angel of the Odd
Metzengerstein (This one spiritually felt like it existed in the same universe as Hound of the Baskervilles. Just me?)
The Oblong Box
The Duc de L'Omlette
Mystification
The Collquoy of Monos and Una
The Assignation
Mellona Tauta (I never thought I would say I was bursting out laughing at a Poe short story. This was absolutely perfect!)
King Pest (Definitely one of the most vivid short stories Poe ever wrote)
I don't think I can say 100 % that I'm a big Poe essayist fan anymore. I was genuinely surprised by a few of these short stories that so many people overlook, but his "greatest hits" are greatest hits are hits for a reason. Thanks, Griswold, really. Thanks.
5 Stars:
The Imp of the Perverse
Shadow: A Parable
Silence: A Fable
Berenice
The Island of the Fay
How to Write a Blackwood Article (Poe's BEST literary parody, seriously! English nerds, take note)
Morella
The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether (Seriously, this one genuinely surprised me!)
The Spectacles (Dude... I mean...)
4 Stars:
Mesmeric Revelation
Some Words with a Mummy
The Mystery of Marie Roget
The Power of Words
The Angel of the Odd
Metzengerstein (This one spiritually felt like it existed in the same universe as Hound of the Baskervilles. Just me?)
The Oblong Box
The Duc de L'Omlette
Mystification
The Collquoy of Monos and Una
The Assignation
Mellona Tauta (I never thought I would say I was bursting out laughing at a Poe short story. This was absolutely perfect!)
King Pest (Definitely one of the most vivid short stories Poe ever wrote)
I don't think I can say 100 % that I'm a big Poe essayist fan anymore. I was genuinely surprised by a few of these short stories that so many people overlook, but his "greatest hits" are greatest hits are hits for a reason. Thanks, Griswold, really. Thanks.