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book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
I read a variety of Poe’s works when I was in middle school and high school, but this collection had a number of stories I don’t recall ever reading before - The Facts of the Case of M Valdemar (couldn’t help but think of Valdemort), The Black Cat, A Tale of the Ragged Mountains, The Sphinx, The System of Dr Tarr and Prof Fether, The Man That was Used Up, The Balloon Hoax, and A Descent Into the Maelstrom.
Not all of his tales are horror stories, and several - especially The Murders in the Rue Morgue - evoke Sherlock Holmes (who made his first appearance in 1887, some 46 years after Poe’s short story was published). Still it’s his horror tales that stay with me – The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell Tale Heart, and The Mask of the Red Death.
I’m glad I revisited these classic tales.
concierge, library, short-stories, 19th-century
circularcubes's review against another edition
4.0
The detective stories are very fun, the sci-fi adventures stories pretty meh, and the horror stories are where Poe really shines.
marta_s05's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
looneysoysauce's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Violence, Torture, Racism, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Racial slurs, Murder, Mental illness, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, and Body horror
veganecurrywurst's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
victorianstockings's review
idk i got bored rereading as i enjoy the stories, but the whole book is quite slow to read
urwa's review against another edition
3.0
i knew going in that i wouldn't love poe b/c he's horror and horror not my thing.. but also poe's writing... just a product of his time i guess :-( took me waaaaay too long to slog through this