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The Pale Blue Eye

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 2,203 ratings · 362 reviews

From the critically acclaimed author of Mr. Timothy comes an ingenious tale of murder and revenge, featuring a retired New York City detective and a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe.

At West Point Academy in 1830, the calm of an October evening is shattered by the discovery of a young cadet's body swinging from a rope just off the parade grounds. An apparent suicide is not...more

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published May 23rd 2006 by Harper (first published May 23rd 2003)

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Apr 01, 2013 Dave Freas rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Retired detective Gus Landor is brought to West Point to investigate the hanging death of a cadet and the theft of his heart. To assist in his investigation, he drafts a cadet by the name of Edgar Allen Poe.

Bayard writes using language and sentence structure appropriate for the time setting of this novel (1830), so his prose is more ‘flowery’ than the norm today and loaded with metaphors (“to find the snowflakes still spilling like hoarded coins from the sky’s cloud-purses” as example of both)....more Retired detective Gus Landor is brought to West Point to investigate the hanging death of a cadet and the theft of his heart. To assist in his investigation, he drafts a cadet by the name of Edgar Allen Poe.

Bayard writes using language and sentence structure appropriate for the time setting of this novel (1830), so his prose is more ‘flowery’ than the norm today and loaded with metaphors (“to find the snowflakes still spilling like hoarded coins from the sky’s cloud-purses” as example of both). He must have picked up a 2-for-1 special on italics before he wrote it because there is at least one italicized word on every page and often several. As with the language and sentence structure he uses, this may have been common in novels written at that time.

He starts many sentences early in novel with, “Oh!” Thankfully, he dropped the habit after a short time, as it quickly became tiring.

Bayard’s ‘voice’ takes the feeling of Gus telling the story to the reader to a higher level, as if the reader is sitting across from him, listening to him recount his adventure. He often addresses the reader directly with Reader inserted in sentences the way one would mention a friend’s name in a conversation.

However, he sometimes breaks this flow with shifts to letters from the main character to a friend, from Poe to the main character, and newspaper article then back to narrative then to reports from Poe. And many of these 'reports' have no direct bearing on the outcome of the story, but are rambling discourses on Poe's fascination with another character in the story.

This novel started off more interesting and engaging than I expected, but got tedious after a while. And the more I read, the more tedious it got. Partly it was the ‘flowery’ language, but mostly it was the slow pace. This story (to emulate Bayard’s style) plodded on like a tired mule dragging a plow through ground of the hardest and most rock-laden composition. And I think Bayard dug out every arcane word and antiquated definition he could find to include in this novel.

The ending was an unsurprising surprise. I expected it to end that way yet was caught off-guard by it because Bayard didn't drop so much as a hint to what might be coming until he sprang it on us at the end. One of the 'play fair' rules of mystery writing is that all clues to solving the mystery must be made available to the reader, and Bayard didn't do that.

Bayard also stretched this book definitely one and possibly two chapters too long. These chapters, while providing an absolute closure to this novel (especially the last one), really added nothing to it.

And once again, the cover blurbs touting this novel would have you believe it is the greatest book every published. Sorry . . . no!

Sorry, Mr. Bayard, I won’t be reading anything else of yours.
(less)

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Nov 12, 2008 Jenifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Audio. There are many well-written reviews of this book on Goodreads. I loved reading the reviews and seeing why people liked this book. I just didn't like it that well. I haven't read a lot of Edgar Allen Poe and although I understand that the language in this book was supposed to be indicative of his style, it was just too wordy and flowery for me. It dragged in too many places and the fun parts were few and far between. It would have been better for me had it all been more like this;

"Oh, Leah...more

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Aug 25, 2008 Gary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kudos to Louis Bayard for this unique and cleverly crafted murder mystery set in the early days of The US Military Academy at West Point, an unlikely setting, but not as unusual as the casting of Cadet Fourth Class Edgar Allan Poe in a lead role. Poe indeed attended West Point - albeit briefly - a historical fact which the talented Bayard uses to full advantage in spinning a tale that apes Poe's macabre, eerie, surrealist style, while at the same time capturing intrigue and enigma that could pas...more Kudos to Louis Bayard for this unique and cleverly crafted murder mystery set in the early days of The US Military Academy at West Point, an unlikely setting, but not as unusual as the casting of Cadet Fourth Class Edgar Allan Poe in a lead role. Poe indeed attended West Point - albeit briefly - a historical fact which the talented Bayard uses to full advantage in spinning a tale that apes Poe's macabre, eerie, surrealist style, while at the same time capturing intrigue and enigma that could pass for Arthur Conan Doyle.

When a cadet is found hanged - an apparent suicide. But as if that is not enough, the corpse is posthumously desecrated with the removal of the young man's heart. West Point Superintendent Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, fearing political fallout for the fledging institution, calls in Augustus Landor, local resident and former New York City police detective of some renown, to investigate, hoping to keep the situation under control before Army bureaucrats descend. The wily Landor meets and is impressed with an intellectual and keenly observant young cadet - Poe of course - and reluctantly is granted permission to have Poe clandestinely assist in the investigation. It is a task Poe relishes and rises to with aplomb, setting for the stage for a Gothic tale of uncommon depth, where the opposing images of the New York's Hudson Valley's majestic splendor and unrelenting desolation provide the perfect backdrop to Bayard's chameleon prose.

But there is so much more to "The Pale Blue Eye" than the author's clever spins on Poe, Doyle, and Washington Irving. This is an extensively researched labor of love with well-drawn characters, an atmosphere as moody as the reclusive Poe, and an illuminating slice of American culture in 1830. But most of all, it is simply a terrific story - one that takes twists and turns along the way, and just when you think you've got it figured out, turns around and jars you out of any self-congratulating complacency like West Point's reveille on those cold and damp winter mornings of the Hudson heights. Unlike Matthew Pearl's excellent but wordy "The Poe Shadow", "The Pale Blue Eye" moves quickly, dodging and weaving through deepening depravity to a climax as shocking and unexpected as anything Hitchcock has rendered. If I had a complaint, it is Bayard's subtle but condescending view of the cadets and administration of West Point - an unnecessary and unfair slight to the fine men (and women) of this venerable institution - but only a minor distraction not sufficient to curb my enthusiasm for this refreshingly original yarn.

In short, one of those rare books that will keep you turning the pages way past the time you know you should be asleep - a true triumph of fiction in a historical setting. Well done, Mr. Bayard! (less)

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Aug 21, 2008 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not an avid reader of mystery novels in their pure "detective" form. I've read most of Sherlock Holmes. I've also read numerous "juvenile" mysteries over time (Hardy Boys and the like). I've also read numerous short stories including the "first" detective story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" by E.A.Poe.

That said, I'm a big fan of a good mystery that really puzzles and gets you pondering. I've also always been a good fan of Poe and the themes and tones in...more

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Sep 10, 2007 Punk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mystery. This was going to get four stars, right up until twenty pages from the end, at which point it seriously pissed me off.

Augustus Landor, retired New York constable, recounts his involvement in a murder investigation that takes place at West Point in 1830. Guest starring Edgar Allan Poe. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 387 pages of this novel. It's a nice little mystery with a hint of the supernatural and lots of cold West Point atmosphere. Bayard is an engaging writer. His prose is clear a...more

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Feb 12, 2009 Doug rated it 4 of 5 stars

I find myself on a Louis Bayard binge. I quite enjoyed The Black Tower, and just finished this one and was impressed as well. In the historical fiction crime mystery genre (which I often find myself gravitating towards a la Matthew Pearl and Caleb Carr), these are excellent. The Pale Blue Eye includes a young Edgar Allen Poe during his short time at West Point. Always read to the very last page with Bayard.

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Mar 02, 2009 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some historical figures are so eccentric they seem as if they've stepped out of the pages of fiction; Edgar Allan Poe, creator of some of literature's most fantastical characters, is certainly one of them. Born to impoverished actors, addicted to alcohol and gambling, and dead at 40 of still disputed causes, it was just a matter of time before another writer plucked the man who is credited with inventing the detective story (The Murder in the Rue Morgue) from the dryness of historical fact, and...more Some historical figures are so eccentric they seem as if they've stepped out of the pages of fiction; Edgar Allan Poe, creator of some of literature's most fantastical characters, is certainly one of them. Born to impoverished actors, addicted to alcohol and gambling, and dead at 40 of still disputed causes, it was just a matter of time before another writer plucked the man who is credited with inventing the detective story (The Murder in the Rue Morgue) from the dryness of historical fact, and placed him in the more befitting environs of a dark murder mystery.

In The Pale Blue Eye, American writer Louis Bayard, who shot to fame with his depiction of a grown-up Tiny Tim (from Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol) in his debut novel, Mr Timothy, sets the scene during an unlikely episode in Poe's life -- the time the irresponsible and dreamy Poe did a stint at the famous West Point military academy in upstate New York in 1830.

The narrator is Gus Landor, a retired New York City police detective who is nursing his health and a broken heart in the country. He is asked by academy officials to investigate a gruseome death at West Point. In a manner worthy of a Poe story, a cadet is found hanging from a tree in the dead of a winter's night. After being retrieved, the body disappears from the hospital, only to turn up behind the ice house with its chest hacked open and the heart cut out.

After receiving a comment from 20-year-old cadet Poe that the man behind the murders must be a poet -- "To remove a man's heart is to traffic in symbol. Who better equipped for such labour than a poet?" -- Landor signs him on to be his spy within the academy.

He takes on more than he bargains for, as he is soon assailed with poetry Poe wrote that he claims is being dictated to him by his dead mother, and which he believes holds clues to the murder mystery, as well as a series of floridly-written letters detailing his undercover work.

By turns arrogant and insecure, ridiculous and noble, Bayard's depiction of Poe, though intensely novelistic, never delves into caricature. Similarly, his depiction of Poe's prose is an affectionate parody that stops shy of mockery, and allows for some of the most humorous passages in the book.

At one point, Poe writes about how he asked out the sister of a murder suspect, partly for investigative purposes but mostly, we suspect, for pleasure: "That a mere Plebe...could presume to stake even the smallest claim upon a Woman of such ineffable grace -- how could this be viewed as any but the barest effrontery? And yet I felt you, Mr Landor -- you foremost of all -- urging me onward."

Landor and Poe are soon plunged into a miasma of satanic cults, stealthy assailiants and lost love -- again, prime material for a Poe story. In fact, literature geeks will delight in how Bayard peppers the story with names, phrases and situations that reference Poe's yet-to-written works, slyly creating the fictional inspiration for Poe's macabre stories.

As a detective story, the plot seems a tad predicatable at points, and the twist at the end does not quite satisfy intellectually, since the supernatural plays a huge role in determining how everything pans out. But if you put such cynicism aside, and allow yourself to buy into the gothic mood of the book, you'll find a finely-wrought psychological study -- a fitting tribute to Poe himself.(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Miguel Tejada-Flores rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book may not be for everyone. But if you are a lover of words - and in particular, the rich complex 19th Century literary (and often poetic) style of Edgar Allan Poe, this book is a treat. Yes, it's a mystery - with multiple gruesome and bloody deaths and murders at its heart - but more than that, it's an exploration of complex and dark characters, human beings....and exploration of the darkside of the psyche. The book has a slow pace - almost measured - and it takes its time developing the...more

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Oct 30, 2010 Tim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You can't swing a dead cat these days without hitting a book with historical characters in a fictional setting. And I swing a lot of dead cats, believe me.

When it's done well, though, who cares how many of them there are? And Louis Bayard does it well. Fresh off his fine "Mr. Timothy," his look at Dickens' Tiny Tim as an adult (OK, so Tiny Tim wasn’t historical, but you get the idea), Bayard threw Edgar Allan Poe into a novel. No, he’s not the first (or last) to do this, but "The Pale Blue Eye,"...more You can't swing a dead cat these days without hitting a book with historical characters in a fictional setting. And I swing a lot of dead cats, believe me.

When it's done well, though, who cares how many of them there are? And Louis Bayard does it well. Fresh off his fine "Mr. Timothy," his look at Dickens' Tiny Tim as an adult (OK, so Tiny Tim wasn’t historical, but you get the idea), Bayard threw Edgar Allan Poe into a novel. No, he’s not the first (or last) to do this, but "The Pale Blue Eye," which, of course, takes its name from a Poe poem, also is a success.
Whereas "Mr. Timothy" was only superficially connected to "A Christmas Carol," (really, it could have been any down-on-his-luck Englishman of the time) "The Pale Blue Eye" is full-on Poe circa 1830, when he was a cadet at West Point. Former cop Gus Landor is called in to solve the death (a hanging; suicide? murder?) and subsequent de-hearting (disheartening? OK, he had his heart torn out) of a West Pointer. Before long, Landor meets the then-unknown Poe, is intrigued, and enlists his aid in solving the crime.

More people die, Poe falls for the daughter of the West Point doctor, the relationship between Landor and the not-always-truthful Poe takes some twists and turns, and the crime doesn’t get much closer to being solved.

We get flashes of EAP's poetry. And about 10 percent of the novel is told from Poe’s point of view via his written dispatches to Landor, who’s otherwise the first-person voice here. Bayard handles these sections well; they sound authentic.

"Mr. Timothy" sure was fun; Bayard has a knack for grimly humorous protagonists. "The Pale Blue Eye" starts out in a similar vein until you almost get tired of Landor's whimsy. But the tone changes, gets serious, and we're smack in the middle of strange goings-on. Yeah, the West Point powers that be do seem awfully patient as Landor's investigation plods on more than a month; oh, well.

Bayard's "Poe book" (3.5 stars) isn't quite as fun or as good as his "Tiny Tim" book, but it is strong, and I hope he keeps stories like these coming. He's a good one. (less)

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May 05, 2010 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

Bayard is building a niche little brand for himself as a concocter of literary thrillers, of which, this is the second. It's built around the seven months Edgar Allen Poe spent at the West Point military academy in 1830-31, and a series of crimes that occur while he is there. August Landor, A former New York policeman who's retired to the countryside for his health, is asked by the academy commandant to investigate a gruesome murder. As he is burdened by the recent death of his wife and elopemen...more Bayard is building a niche little brand for himself as a concocter of literary thrillers, of which, this is the second. It's built around the seven months Edgar Allen Poe spent at the West Point military academy in 1830-31, and a series of crimes that occur while he is there. August Landor, A former New York policeman who's retired to the countryside for his health, is asked by the academy commandant to investigate a gruesome murder. As he is burdened by the recent death of his wife and elopement of his daughter, he has no demands on his time and accepts the assignment. Landor throws himself into the investigation, eventually enlisting cadet Poe as his eyes and ears on the ground.

The story moves at a rather measured pace, as Landor and Poe are laboriously discover clues, and more crimes are committed on the academy grounds. However, it's very thick with atmosphere, as Bayard strives to channel the heavy, oppressive tone of Poe's darkest work. Having Poe act as a sidekick is a nifty gimmick, as his highly mannered speech and writing make for colorful breaks from the gloom and doom that otherwise pervade the story. Poe comes alive off the page as a larger than life oddball outsider, and without him, the story would be dull indeed.

The drama builds slowly, as Poe falls in love with the daughter of the academy's doctor, and her brother becomes the prime suspect in what are now several murders. And for much of the last act of the book, I was getting steadily irritated with the pace at which things were unfolding and the motives that were being revealed. I can't say much more without spoiling things, but there is a twist ending that yanks the rug out from under the reader and suddenly reveals Poe's presence in the book as not just a fun gimmick, but a critical element, and elevates the plot from completely banal to something a good deal more interesting.

Poe as a fictional character is nothing new (see, for example, Joel Rose's The Blackest Bird, Andrew Taylor's The American Boy, Harold Schecter's series of mysteries, and Barry Perowne's A Singular Conspiracy, to name but a few novels featuring Poe as protagonist), but he's well used here. And Poe aficionados will find plenty of references to his work woven throughout. The most obvious being the name and home of the protagonist, which come from a short descriptive story Poe wrote in 1849 called "Landor's Cottage." All in all, a fairly satisfying -- if rather slow-moving -- literary thriller, if that's your kind of thing. Just good enough to make me want to check out Bayard's other two books. (less)

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Dec 19, 2011 Emma B rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think this has been sitting on my shelf for a year and a half, my mom having given it to me to read that long ago. I just forgot, and didn't.

Great book. The switching between the narrators was fantastic, and their voices were so distinct - or, should I say, Poe's voice was so distinct. The author easily stepped into his florid, descriptive style. Sometimes, I could've sworn I was actually reading Poe.

The story was also nicely fast-paced and eventful - no long lags in the action that took work...more

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Jun 05, 2009 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Louis Bayard is a consummate, critically acclaimed writer of literary historical novels - and The Pale Blue Eye adds to that high level of achievement by also being a murder mystery! PLUS - a young, very odd, very eccentric, and ultimately very likeable Edgar Allen Poe is one of the main characters. Set during Poe's 1-2 year "training" at a barely established West Point (c. 1830), Poe is commandeered to help a retired NYC detective (Augustus Landon) to infiltrate the close ranks of West Point ca...more

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Jun 04, 2009 Jodi rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could, because this book left me feeling very torn.

In brief, West Point cadet Edgar Allan Poe helps solve a murder mystery with a retired New York detective. Someone is killing cadets and removing their hearts. The author has done a good job in capturing Poe & his time period, as well as the language used.

But the ending left me cold. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a "twist" ending very much....heck, that's why I watch Law & Order. And I don't read a lot of myste...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Suzy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't often read mysteries--I'm not very good at them. And so I was completely surprised by the resolution of this who-dunnit (despite trying to work it out the whole time). The story takes place at West Point in the 1800's. It's mostly a series of accounts by the private detective hired by the West Point establishment to solve a rash of grisly murders of cadets--and livestock. Interspersed among the accounts are letters written to him by his assistant, young cadet Edgar Allan Poe. I could nev...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Callie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club, 2012

Reading this for book club as a part of the Big Read NH program, which is featuring Edgar Allan Poe this year. Poe is a major character in this novel.

A detective murder mystery that takes place at West Point in 1830, featuring a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe who is tasked with secretly assisting a former NYC detective (who narrates) with solving a murder. An interesting concept, a fun ending, however many of the characters (specifically Poe) were fluffy and one-dimensional.

Another complaint-...more

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Nov 27, 2009 Julie Whelan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: booksread

This is a really good classical mystery set at West Point Academy on the Hudson River Valley in the 19th C. and featuring Edgar Allan Poe as one of the characters. Mr. Landor, a retired NYPD investigator, has moved to Buttermilk Falls so when a cadet is murdered and his heart cut out the commanders at West Point ask him to step in and solve the crime. Landor chooses Poe as his inside source of information as he investigates the satanic plots of the Dr. Marquis's family particularly his epileptic...more

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Feb 22, 2009 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 10, 2011 Autumn rated it 4 of 5 stars

'The Pale Blue Eye' was a fascinating read! Set in the 1850s, this is a historical mystery of epic proportions.

The book is set at West Point. The Academy is still in it's relative infancy, still trying to prove itself as a producer of quality military officers. In a shocking turn of events, a cadet is found dead. Though it is still a scandal, the initial judgment that it is a suicide is somewhat of a relief to the leasers of the school. Imagine their horror when the cadet's heart is stolen from...more 'The Pale Blue Eye' was a fascinating read! Set in the 1850s, this is a historical mystery of epic proportions.

The book is set at West Point. The Academy is still in it's relative infancy, still trying to prove itself as a producer of quality military officers. In a shocking turn of events, a cadet is found dead. Though it is still a scandal, the initial judgment that it is a suicide is somewhat of a relief to the leasers of the school. Imagine their horror when the cadet's heart is stolen from his body after it is discovered,thus making it fairly clear that his death was neither accident not suicide.

Enter Gus Landor, a retired New York City police detective who is renowned for his observational and crime solving skills. He is coaxed into working the case; because he needs eyes and ears within the closed-mouthed troop of cadets, he finds himself in need of assistance from a student. In an interesting twist, he asks for and is assigned an older cadet, one Edgar Allen Poe. Together they work the case, taking clues and extrapolating theories in a most entertaining and absorbing manner, until we are eventually presented with a murderer and motive. The ending of this book took me completely by surprise, which is not easy to do.

A book with the device of using a known and loved historical figure shouldn't (and usually doesn't) work. Most often, the historical figure is mythologized or torn apart to such an extent that the book becomes a parody at best and a shoddy mess at worst. Baylor, though... Baylor pulls this off delightfully. His story is neither a paeon to the genius of Poe, nor a scourgement of his character; Poe is recognizable, but still a fully realized, human character. Many reviews will lead you to think that he is the center of this book, but that is not, in fact, the truth. The real character and fascination of The Pale Blue Eye is the character of Landon. I've not found myself liking a character quite so much in quite a while. His wry sense of humor, intelligence, and flashes of vulnerability captured me utterly.

Aside from the strength of his characters, Baylor shows a finesse in story construction that is inspiring. I know little about him, but I'd judge him, by this book, to be a very experienced, mature writer. Each page, by necessity, has the responsibility of building logically and completely upon the previous page, letting the reader know just enough (but not too much) to lure us along the path of the story... so he can drop us thrillingly to the bottom.

I don't read mysteries. EVER. This book, though, with it's fine balance of mystery, history, and well-rounded, believable characters captured my imagination. Very well done! I'd definitely read this again; even though I already know who the killer is now, I can still savor Baylor's rich use of language and memorable characters.(less)

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Dec 05, 2010 Lowed rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who like mystery

I don't know what to say.. Haha! Sorry, that seemed like a bad start for a review. And this book even took me a while to finish. Okay here goes;

Louis Bayard is not Umberto Eco, who i have liked a lot after reading The Name of the Rose. However, there is something in The Pale Blue Eye that makes you want to scratch your eye out Or maybe just pull your hair off (as this should be less painful). Surely this wasn't the MOST amazing detective story and I would have to agree with some who had reviewed...more

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Feb 05, 2009 Bookmarks Magazine added it

Louis Bayard's Mr. Timothy (2003) imagined Dickens's Tiny Tim as a young adult. Pale Blue Eye mines a similar theme; this time, Bayard fictionalizes Poe's stint at West Point. Filled with enigmatic clues, codes, cryptograms, and psychological suspense, the novel had most critics on the edge of their seats. If an outlandish climax made a few cringe, the exquisite period prose, Gothic details, and meticulous historical rendering offer an intriguing fictional backdrop to Poe's literary inspiration

...more

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Jan 03, 2009 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I would have given this book 4.5 stars if possible. I have recently read Louis Bayard's more recent book The Black Tower and enjoyed it tremendously. However, I think this previous offering is even better.

To be honest, initially, the early 19th century, Poe-esque language was a bit cumbersome - but that is fault of me the reader, not the story itself. Once I became more comfortable navigating the verbiage, I came to appreciate the character and complexity of the writing. In the end, the style a...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The cast of characters is rather limited which takes a lot of the guesswork out of a mystery, but Bayard’s The Pale Blue Eye scores points on style and a satisfying twist. Set in 19th century West Point, the heart of a murdered cadet is missing after being carved out of his chest. Gus Landor is a civilian detective who teams up with an equally fictionalized Edgar Allan Poe during his cadet years to find the murderer. Written with poetic and haunting turns of phrase, Bayard’s writing creates an a...more

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May 23, 2012 Caroline Herbert rated it 3 of 5 stars

An entertaining trifle -- a historical fiction/mystery taking place at West Point in the early 19th century, in the early days of the Academy's founding. The main conceit of the book is that Edgar Allan Poe is a central character, the action taking place during the brief time in which he was a cadet. It is a very imaginative premise, and through the author's creation of the young Poe (way before he wrote the stories for which he is known today) we can see the foreshadowing of his later career (a...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

I especially liked the style of writing in this book. It seemed very evocative of the time and its main characters. Louis Bayard is obviously quite talented. So why only three stars? I thought I was going to discover a detective (Gus Landor) who would brilliantly solve the case using the assistance of Edgar Allan Poe's unique talents. I'll admit there are some instances where Gus Landor seems to rise to the occasion but more often he seems to stumble his way through to the sad ending. And it is...more

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Oct 28, 2009 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hist-fic, mystery-crime

As 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, it's fitting that the interests of several novelists have turned to him. Louis Bayard chose to depict Poe in a little known segment of his life, his tenure as a cadet at West Point. The mystery revolves around the death by hanging of one of Poe's classmates. Retired NYC detective Gus Landor is brought in by the Superintendent to solve the crime, and he enlists the aid of silver-tongued Cadet Poe as his inside informer. As the stor...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Jodi Cassell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Louis is an incredible writer who blends to works of famed authors like Poe, Shakespeare,and Dickens with his work. It's an incredible new genre that he may have created himself? I am in awe of his creativity and brilliant writing. Very beautiful writing style as well without being over the top. I agree with another reviewer below that this may not be for everyone, but I find it to be an intriguing and refreshingly unique style. Try it - you may find that you are hooked like me!

On a fun side nig...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Vd rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book had its excellent moments but there were some very confusing bits. However, I am glad that I persevered because by the time I reached the end, everything fell into place. Hitchcock's instinctive hostility, Landor's seeming indifference etc. 'The Pale Blue Eye' is worth reading for the character of Cadet Poe alone. Bayard brings Poe to life and endows him with much exuberance, vitality, and quirkiness. The drama surrounding the characters is suitably morbid, with hints of the supernatura...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Daniele added it · review of another edition

I picked up this book because I like the period (late 19th century Victorian) and was intrigued by the inclusion of EAPoe as a character. The writing style and prose make this a slower read - the reader must pay attention to catch all of the nuance and humor. I do noth think Bayard fully captured Poe's essense, but who knows what this father of mystery was like as a young man. I agree with other reviewers that the story starts slow and does not become compelling until at least midway through. La...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Carl rated it 3 of 5 stars

For me, a mystery must be more than a well plotted "whodunit." Good writing, evoking an interesting time or place, some whimsy or humor, etc. are necessary. Making Poe an essential part of the story was inventive, but as another reviewer said, the character could have been anyone of similar mindset. The story dragged, and could easily have been half its length. The plot twist at the very end seemed overly contrived. Certainly other stories have done this, and if it's done effectively, the reader...more

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Sep 07, 2009 Will Byrnes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-and-spy-fiction

When retired constable Gus Landor is summoned out of his upstate New York retirement to investigate a strange death at the not-yet-permanent West Point, he encounters a charismatic, brilliant cadet named Edgar Allen Poe. The two team up to solve the mystery, using the techniques the estimable Mr. Poe would apply in helping establish the murder mystery genre. Bayard is up to his usual tricks here, delving into literary history for characters and notions and coming up with a rollicking good time....more

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