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kaceyjoy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
yuniesan's review
3.0
Honestly, the stories were okay, I get that they’re retellings, but they didn’t feel like they connected with what Poe wrote. Even in modern settings the original stories would still work with some changes. I really just don’t know how to feel about this anthology, but it could be that I bias because I’m a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe.
ralphiereads76's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the audiobook readers! I already enjoy Poe and his gothic darkness, and this collection of modern writers choosing a Poe classic to be inspired by was brilliant! Each voice was something fresh and interesting. After many of the stories (and one poem) I had to stop and absorb/process before moving on to the next. Sometimes for many days. Beautiful, funny, surprising, affecting. I think Poe would read many of these and see himself.
roxiefox4's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
el_wheel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
She Rode a Horse of Fire: ⭐️⭐️ 1/2
I wish she'd done more to make the story her own. It really just felt like reading the original again in a different font.
It's Carnival!: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was good writing, I enjoyed it as a retelling, but I really wanted more of their relationship, so I really understood why she did what she did. Like, don't get me wrong, female rage can be great story material, but I felt like there had to be more to it than just teasing and name calling.
Night-Tide: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beautiful and haunting, there's not much else to say.
The Glittering Death: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a true crime lover, this one really got under my skin. The detail was there, the writing was really good and it gave me some really nice thriller vibes that I enjoyed a lot.
A Drop of Stolen Ink: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really wanted this in longer form, I enjoyed it a lot and just want a whole series based on these ideas, honestly.
Happy Days, Sweetheart: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one started off a little slow and unengaging, but I really like where it ended up going, and the ending really felt like the proper one for this story. I enjoyed the descriptions, and I enjoyed the complexity of the narrator and the relationship.
The Raven (Remix): ⭐️
It was just lacking. It wasn't a real retelling, and honestly, it feels like a cop-out. Especially after how well "Annabel Lee" was handled and changed into a whole, beautiful story.
Changeling: ⭐️⭐️
Honestly, I just feel like there wasn't a lot of characterization or substance to it.
The Oval Filter: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good writing, I loved the twist, and I couldn't stop reading it. It's just a good story and good use of the inspiration.
Red: ⭐️ 1/2
The writing is nice. The descriptions are beautiful, but the story itself doesn't have much to say. I wanted more everything. More characterization, more plot, more substance. It just felt like nothing much happened except descriptions. I got the idea of the story, sure, but I just wanted more to hold on to than flowery language. There's just so much I feel like could've been added here to give the story more meat.
Lygia: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was good. The writing was good. It was compelling. I was just a little confused by the ending. My assumption initially was that Roberta changed her own appearance, but the last paragraph makes me think the narrator was simply hallucinating? I'm not entirely sure. I wish I knew where the "here" she was brought to was, so I had a better idea of how this story is meant to be interpreted, especially considering it's never actually mentioned that she's brought anywhere before that very last paragraph. I suppose it just felt like a last-minute twist that didn't fit into the rest of the story. Besides that, it was a good retelling, and I enjoyed reading it. I liked the lesbian lovers twist, and I felt bad for Roberta.
The Fall of the Bank of Usher: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly, I enjoyed this a lot. It was well written, I enjoyed the characters, and I liked the twist on the original story. It was a good retelling. I enjoyed the scify elements the story brought, and the ending was satisfying. It didn't go how I imagined it would when I started the story, but in a very good way.
The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so good. It was incredibly well written and very engaging. Once I started it, I was hooked, and I couldn't stop reading. The ending was incredibly satisfying, but I was still disappointed to be done with it already. I enjoyed the characters, and I also really enjoyed the style in which it was written. It was a wonderful take on the original work as well.
The total score is an (averaged) 3.7, rounded/bumped up to a 4.25 to give some extra credit to the fact that I really enjoyed at least half of the stories in this collection. My favorite is hard to pin but I think really has to go to either The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay or Night-Tide
I wish she'd done more to make the story her own. It really just felt like reading the original again in a different font.
It's Carnival!: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was good writing, I enjoyed it as a retelling, but I really wanted more of their relationship, so I really understood why she did what she did. Like, don't get me wrong, female rage can be great story material, but I felt like there had to be more to it than just teasing and name calling.
Night-Tide: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beautiful and haunting, there's not much else to say.
The Glittering Death: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a true crime lover, this one really got under my skin. The detail was there, the writing was really good and it gave me some really nice thriller vibes that I enjoyed a lot.
A Drop of Stolen Ink: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really wanted this in longer form, I enjoyed it a lot and just want a whole series based on these ideas, honestly.
Happy Days, Sweetheart: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one started off a little slow and unengaging, but I really like where it ended up going, and the ending really felt like the proper one for this story. I enjoyed the descriptions, and I enjoyed the complexity of the narrator and the relationship.
The Raven (Remix): ⭐️
It was just lacking. It wasn't a real retelling, and honestly, it feels like a cop-out. Especially after how well "Annabel Lee" was handled and changed into a whole, beautiful story.
Changeling: ⭐️⭐️
Honestly, I just feel like there wasn't a lot of characterization or substance to it.
The Oval Filter: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good writing, I loved the twist, and I couldn't stop reading it. It's just a good story and good use of the inspiration.
Red: ⭐️ 1/2
The writing is nice. The descriptions are beautiful, but the story itself doesn't have much to say. I wanted more everything. More characterization, more plot, more substance. It just felt like nothing much happened except descriptions. I got the idea of the story, sure, but I just wanted more to hold on to than flowery language. There's just so much I feel like could've been added here to give the story more meat.
Lygia: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was good. The writing was good. It was compelling. I was just a little confused by the ending. My assumption initially was that Roberta changed her own appearance, but the last paragraph makes me think the narrator was simply hallucinating? I'm not entirely sure. I wish I knew where the "here" she was brought to was, so I had a better idea of how this story is meant to be interpreted, especially considering it's never actually mentioned that she's brought anywhere before that very last paragraph. I suppose it just felt like a last-minute twist that didn't fit into the rest of the story. Besides that, it was a good retelling, and I enjoyed reading it. I liked the lesbian lovers twist, and I felt bad for Roberta.
The Fall of the Bank of Usher: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly, I enjoyed this a lot. It was well written, I enjoyed the characters, and I liked the twist on the original story. It was a good retelling. I enjoyed the scify elements the story brought, and the ending was satisfying. It didn't go how I imagined it would when I started the story, but in a very good way.
The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so good. It was incredibly well written and very engaging. Once I started it, I was hooked, and I couldn't stop reading. The ending was incredibly satisfying, but I was still disappointed to be done with it already. I enjoyed the characters, and I also really enjoyed the style in which it was written. It was a wonderful take on the original work as well.
The total score is an (averaged) 3.7, rounded/bumped up to a 4.25 to give some extra credit to the fact that I really enjoyed at least half of the stories in this collection. My favorite is hard to pin but I think really has to go to either The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay or Night-Tide
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Torture, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, Racism, and Transphobia
Minor: Cancer, Bullying, Drug use, and Gore
smallbutfiery's review against another edition
2.0
I used this book to first read the original tales in the back portion of the book. Then I planned to read the retellings. I got through the whole first tale. And then I skimmed a few of the other ones.
Just read the originals! The reimagined tales are watered down ideas without the depth or lyrical genius of Poe.
I appreciate the idea of this book! I just don’t think it turned out well. My favorite part of this book beside the original tales and poems is the introduction! Adler described perfectly how I feel about Poe’s writing.
“He turned my skin cold and damp while I read about the catacombs in “The Cask of Amontillado” and slowly crumbled my heart with “Annabel Lee.” He set my entire body on edge through “The Tell-Tale Heart” and stole my breath with “The Pit and the Pendulum.” He made me mourn for women I’d never met and cheer for retribution I didn’t even completely understand, and all I knew was that he was the first person I’d been assigned to read who made me marvel at what an author could do, where an author could place you, what he could make you physically feel.”
Just read the originals! The reimagined tales are watered down ideas without the depth or lyrical genius of Poe.
I appreciate the idea of this book! I just don’t think it turned out well. My favorite part of this book beside the original tales and poems is the introduction! Adler described perfectly how I feel about Poe’s writing.
“He turned my skin cold and damp while I read about the catacombs in “The Cask of Amontillado” and slowly crumbled my heart with “Annabel Lee.” He set my entire body on edge through “The Tell-Tale Heart” and stole my breath with “The Pit and the Pendulum.” He made me mourn for women I’d never met and cheer for retribution I didn’t even completely understand, and all I knew was that he was the first person I’d been assigned to read who made me marvel at what an author could do, where an author could place you, what he could make you physically feel.”
wolters_rachal's review against another edition
1.0
Oh well what do you know. Scary books give me nightmares.
DNF maybe I’ll try again next year, when I’m older.
DNF maybe I’ll try again next year, when I’m older.
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
These stories were a lot of fun to listen to. Creepy but satisfying.
Kind of wish I listened to His Hideous Heart back in October.. but eh, details. Why not start off November with a horror bang - right? In this book, you will hear 13 different short stories about Edgar Allen Poe's classic tales.
Luckily for me, I haven't really listened to or read any of this work. Unless it was for school.. which has been a while for me. So it was really interesting to get these unique stories a try. Then on top of that, we also get to hear the originals as well. Still creepy but I definitely like the first ones instead. Maybe it's because I spent countless hours listening to them that the originals were just meh to me?
Like my soul was already too dark that they seemed a bit fluffy? Who knows - but I still enjoyed listening to both of them. I, low-key, do not have a favorite. Which is a bit weird for me because after listening to 26 short stories you'd think I would've have one - or five. Yet, I didn't because they were all so freaking good.
Some really creeped me out and others kind of felt like child's play. In the end, definitely happy that I dove into it and can't wait to dive into more short stories written by these authors!
Kind of wish I listened to His Hideous Heart back in October.. but eh, details. Why not start off November with a horror bang - right? In this book, you will hear 13 different short stories about Edgar Allen Poe's classic tales.
Luckily for me, I haven't really listened to or read any of this work. Unless it was for school.. which has been a while for me. So it was really interesting to get these unique stories a try. Then on top of that, we also get to hear the originals as well. Still creepy but I definitely like the first ones instead. Maybe it's because I spent countless hours listening to them that the originals were just meh to me?
Like my soul was already too dark that they seemed a bit fluffy? Who knows - but I still enjoyed listening to both of them. I, low-key, do not have a favorite. Which is a bit weird for me because after listening to 26 short stories you'd think I would've have one - or five. Yet, I didn't because they were all so freaking good.
Some really creeped me out and others kind of felt like child's play. In the end, definitely happy that I dove into it and can't wait to dive into more short stories written by these authors!
magpiewithpebbles's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0