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A review by thecolourblue
Great Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Poe, Poe, Poe. There are some gems in here, but I’ve yet to be convinced into becoming a Poe fan.
My favourites are the macabre horror stories like The Tell-tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher - the first I think actually does a really good job with its themes of guilt and madness (favourites of Poe), and Usher I just have a soft spot for. I also like the trippy fuck-the-rich morality tale of the Masque of Red Death.
However, many of Poe's other stories don't really grip me and I'm not the biggest fan of his poetry. The Raven is a classic and all, but for me it's honestly the best of a meh bunch. I appreciate that he did some interesting things with rhyme and structure, but it doesn't do it for me. He also has a weird, borderline creepy way of writing about women. Which is not improved upon reading any details of his real-life personal relationships.
An extra star for Poe's historic contribution to the genres of gothic horror and mystery, but I think a lot stronger work has come out of those genres since him.
Also - just as a note on this specific collection; wtf would you put The Purloined Letter before Murders in the Rue Morgue and Marie Rogêt when those stories are chronologically written about the same character?
My favourites are the macabre horror stories like The Tell-tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher - the first I think actually does a really good job with its themes of guilt and madness (favourites of Poe), and Usher I just have a soft spot for. I also like the trippy fuck-the-rich morality tale of the Masque of Red Death.
However, many of Poe's other stories don't really grip me and I'm not the biggest fan of his poetry. The Raven is a classic and all, but for me it's honestly the best of a meh bunch. I appreciate that he did some interesting things with rhyme and structure, but it doesn't do it for me. He also has a weird, borderline creepy way of writing about women. Which is not improved upon reading any details of his real-life personal relationships.
An extra star for Poe's historic contribution to the genres of gothic horror and mystery, but I think a lot stronger work has come out of those genres since him.
Also - just as a note on this specific collection; wtf would you put The Purloined Letter before Murders in the Rue Morgue and Marie Rogêt when those stories are chronologically written about the same character?