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Jan 04, 2008

Mark rated it:

How could I not love this book? Shortly after reading Poe's complete works as a teenager, my family was transferred to Fort Monroe in southern Virginia. While waiting for permanent housing, I ended up staying in the house (and the very bedroom) that Poe had been in while he served on the base. Pulling out this book and reading it in the very space where Poe had suffered through depression and anxiety was exhilarating. While I realized the morbid nature of my glee, it somehow seemed appropriate a More...

0 comments like (26 people liked it)

Jul 16, 2010

Bailey Jane rated it:

Definitely not light reading, but perfect for the fall and winter. My grandmother bought this leatherbound collection for me when I was 12 or so and it took me 5 years or so to read it in its completion. I have to be in the mood to read Poe, but when I am it's the best reading in the world. Very dark and poetic. Great stories, and each story is just short enough to maintain attention span. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates a challenging read.

3 comments like (7 people liked it)

Dec 14, 2011

John rated it:

Holy crap, it’s a brick of brilliance! This doorstop-sized volume contains the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe. The poetry, the essays, the short stories – you got it here.

Holy crap.

Pick this up and skim a few of his works and you’ll know whether or not you want it. If you’re studying authors, though, why wouldn’t you get this? It gives you unparalleled access to the complete artistic thoughts of one of America’s most important early writers.

In reading this More...

1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Jan 08, 2012

Elizabeth added it

'' If I felt any emotion at all, it was a kind of chuckling satisfaction at the cleverness I was about to display in extricating myself from this dilemma; and I never, for a moment, looked upon my ultimate safety as a question susceptible of doubt''

♫ "He finally made me a low bow and departed, wishing me, in the language of the archbishop in "Gil Bias," beaucoup de bonheur et un peu plus de bon sens"

My favorite quotes about Edgar Allan Poe: (there are a lot, but I found More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 12, 2012

Keely rated it:

Not many people outside of literary study or detective fiction fandom realize that the character of Sherlock Holmes was inspired by Poe's Dupin. Dupin was the brilliant and insightful idle noble who occasionally aided the authorities in particularly difficult cases. However, unlike Holmes, Dupin took it up merely as a hobby, mimicking Holmes' brother Mycroft.

I'm not fond of Poe's poetry. Emerson's leveling of 'Jingle Man' is appropriate. Poe puts sounds together, but usually says ver More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 14, 2011

Suvi rated it:

Me and Edgar first encountered each other in seventh grade, when I was 13. I think it was love at first sight when we read one of the short story collections. Not only they were morbid and depicted the horrible nature of evil I thought he himself was like one of his tragic characters. This edition was a great chance to finish the rest that I hadn't come across. Illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley, Harry Clarke etc.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 17, 2011

Werner rated it:

My five-star rating only applies to Poe's fiction, which was the part of the book I read ten years ago; when I decided recently to review the book, I resolved to read the poetry as well, but a couple of sessions caused me to abandon that idea! I do appreciate "The Raven," and some of Poe's other shorter, mature poems; but I'm not a big fan of Romantic poetry, and in the main, Poe's work in that form has all the besetting faults of its school: opacity, overblown verbosity and sentiment More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jul 16, 2010

Donald rated it:

Edgar Allan Poe was probably the first writer to truly fascinate me. I remember reading "The Black Cat" and "The Tell Tale Heart" as a youngster and feeling as excited as I felt when watching a classic horror movie like "Dracula" or "King Kong." I'd never read anything like Poe, and I couldn't stop until I'd read all his stories. As an adult, I still enjoy Poe's stories, but understand that he had weaknesses as a writer (little characterization, sense of m More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jul 22, 2011

Bird Brian rated it:

Poe was a brilliant, troubled soul. His stories resonate powerfully, even as he wrote from an era that was probably easier to shock. Like a 19th century H.P. Lovecraft, Poe writes the best kind of horror- the creepy, supernatural sort. None of his stories are particularly bloody, and they don't need to be. Poe isn't trying to deliver a jolt of terror, as modern slasher movies imagine themselves doing; he is more about creating that slowly building dis-ease you might get alone at night in a large More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 14, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it:

This is sort of a "what more can you say" book, it's Poe. I was introduced to Poe when I was around 11 by a (young) school teacher. I suppose I never looked back and in a way it effected my taste in literature as I still like most types of fantasy reads and enjoy what is usually (somewhat loosely) called "weird" literature.

Edgar Allan Poe, a man who carved out the classic short story, the classic detective story all the while telling blood chilling stories that have More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 24, 2008

Frederick rated it:

I've read some of these stories. I haven't actually read them in THIS edition. I've generally read them in a multi-volume edition published in the 19th century. They certainly printed durable volumes then. The pages had twilight-blue borders. Among the stories I've read are:
"The Murders In The Rue Morgue"
"The Tell-Tale Heart"
"The Black Cat"
"The Cask of Amontillado"
"The Masque of the Red Death."
Poe is entertaini More...

18 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 28, 2009

Jackson rated it:

While I haven't read the entire book, I have ventured through most of his works. I think Poe makes it safe to say that the usage of opium is sure to create some interesting situations.

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jul 16, 2010

Tom rated it:

The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe is a compilation of 66 short stories and some 50 poems. I seldom start a book that I don’t finish but continued reading was too oppressive…..

Eagerly I wished the morrow; and hope to end my borrowed sorrow
Eventually my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer
For the fact that I was napping in the throes of boring sagas
Gave me cause to cease my reading of this author’s dismal stories
Alas, I felt my mood im More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Oct 11, 2010

Amy rated it:

I am perpetually reading this book, it used to have a big sign on it that said "for really big poops" but it got lost along the way. Although, the spirit of the book still remains and it lives in the bathroom with its other toilet brethren.

All that aside, this book is awesome, it has the good and the bad in one easy to read volume. The poems were stellar, but the stories that are unpopular are that way for a reason. They drag on seemingly endlessly, but I can't give all More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 30, 2012

Sarah rated it:

Let me clarify: some of the stories totally deserve four or even five stars. The Raven, The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart. These are all famous for a reason. They're fantastic. But let me tell you, the stories you haven't heard of--they are, likewise, unknown for a reason. Oy, the tedium. Poe really really really liked to describe things. And sometimes that's literally all that he did. No plot, no characters, just descriptions. And because he does the macabre so well, it was a shock to the syst More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 03, 2012

Pikachu rated it:

I bought my copy at a boot sale in Scotland! It was one of the first horror novels I read that wasn't Stephen King when I was going through my Stephen King phase. Looking back, I think it's amazing how modern he is. Despite writing in the nineteenth century, his stories are just as spine-chillingly creepy as they were more than one hundred YEARS ago!

My favorites (in order): The Masque of the Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat (although this one made me very sad - poor kitt More...

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Aug 30, 2011

Inder rated it:

I haven't read this whole book, but I did finally get around to reading "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" this past week. This is part of my half-hearted and slow-going effort to read some of the things I would have read in high school, had I stayed in high school rather than dropping out early to start community college.

My reactions:

(1) Wow. That is some F---ed Up S--t. Who knew? (Actually, anyone who attended all four year More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 14, 2011

Larry rated it:

Interestingly I have this book although mine is called The Penguin Tales and Poems,published by Bloomsbury Books. I entered my ISBN and got this edition, oh well…
Anyway I've only read a few stories so far but what I've read I've enjoyed. Not everyone will want all the poems or non-horror tales like Von Kempelen and His Discovery which is rather long winded and tedious but on the whole, great stuff! Pit and the Pendulumn, The Raven, Leonore and The Tell-tale Heart are superb pieces!

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Oct 16, 2009

David rated it:

I must admit to having a soft spot for Edgar Allan Poe. He was the boon companion of my adolescence. Whilst others of my generation were developing the herd mentality and lavishing their time on football, chopper bikes and the Bay City Rollers, I was poring over The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Masque of the Red Death. Call me underdeveloped, call me what the hell you like, but to my mind I was developing a taste for quality literature. And Poe is, whatever yo More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 26, 2009

Craig rated it:

Poe is so focused that every one of his short stories, as well as his detective novels, create the same dominant impression -- beautiful gloom. Whether its a novel like Murders in the Rue Morgue, or poetry like The Raven, or one of his gorgeous short stories like "The Tell-tale Heart" or "The Fall of the House of Usher," Poe's writing works as well today as in the mid 1840's when he wrote it.

My personal favorite is "Masque of the Red Death." Here, Po More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 17, 2011

Henry rated it:

Edgar Allan Poe best known for the Raven,still the greatest and most famous American poem ever written.Inventor of the detective story, master of the short story, especially the macabre, writer,editor , critic,essayist,drunk,drug user, gambler,beggar,manic depressive.In other words, an American original. Poe's only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is included in this book.Pym befriends Augustus, the son of a sea captain. Wanting adventure ,this teenager has his friend stow More...

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Jul 16, 2010

GeekChick rated it:

Though I haven't finished the whole volume, I'm moving it off my "currently reading" shelf because I intend to intersperse it among my other books.

I am reading this in preparation for Daniel Pearl's book The Poe Shadow. I loved Dante Club, but it wouldn't have made any sense without having read Dante. So.....

Poe is a tad difficult if you're rusty on the Romantic-era English. But once you get past that his writing is masterful and engaging, and creepy!

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 15, 2011

Amanda rated it:

I have only gotten through a handful of the poems and stories and will finish the others as soon as I get a chance. But as much as I have read, I absolutely love Poe. If you can come to grasp his crude writing style and place it into his life and the events within, you will most likely find his style of writing as wonderful and beautiful as I do. His life was very tragic in many respects, losing both of his parents and being adopted by a family where he felt his father never really, truly loved More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 16, 2010

Travis rated it:

Poe was a thoroughly messed up fellow, but his stuff is genius and he helped to create the detective fiction, science fiction and horror genres that we know today.

His poetry tends to be mopey and depressing, but his mystery stories are brilliant and his horror stories are still creepy as all get out.
Every story drips with atmosphere and while his characters can be a bit flat, he had a gift for creating fantastic places that felt real.

6 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 16, 2010

Claudine rated it:

I slowly pick at this book until my eyes bleed, I love to disect the words and the meaning, reading is not a term which I associate to absorbing this collection of stories...sometimes I try to imagine what life would be like were these things true...

My father gave me this book and I try not to understand why, but that somewhere deep inside his soul he is still a small child with a love for the passion of true need.

luv you dad...

0 comments like

Feb 15, 2010

Natalina rated it:

No library is complete without Mr. Poe. There is no other author or poet that quite captures the outre with such lush, black elegance. Everyone is familiar with the captivating, uncomfortably engrossing horror tales such as "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Red Death": stories that draw you into the depths of plain human terror, both logical and superstitious, real and imagined. Yet his complete works are more varied than running the full spectrum of human fear, bringing us More...

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Mar 27, 2009

kat rated it:

Having read all the well-known stories and poems, I dug into this tome with anticipation, expecting many of his more obscure works to be fully as good. But I was vastly disappointed.

As we all know, his horror stories are real gems. There's a reason he's called a master of the genre. And I much enjoyed (re)reading them.

But the rest of this volume is filled with some of the dullest writings imaginable. Meandering, pointless, filled with useless tangents. Stories which More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Sep 08, 2008

Jim rated it:

I didn't read this particular edition, but have several books by him, so this was easier to add here. He's not my favorite author, but I'm not much of a horror or poetry buff. I can't deny his influence & popularity nor his skill. Some of his ideas have been re-used as much as Shakespeare's. If you've never read him, you should, if only to know where a lot of knock-off plots are coming from.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 16, 2010

Clint rated it:

Man, Edgar Allan Poe is way better than you'd probably think he is! The popular stories are awesome, the not-so-popular stories are awesome (maybe the two hot air balloon stories aren't quite as awesome, but still way the hell more interesting than the last thing you probably read), the descriptions of the macabre absolutely unequalled. If you don't like Edgar Allan Poe you're probably a communist.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 22, 2011

Becky rated it:

Just purchased this book to replace a collection lost long ago after one of various moves... It will be delivered Wednesday! I am looking forward to this book immensely...

I haven't ready any Poe in so long, I imagine reading this will feel a bit like sliding your feet into a pair of warm slippers after standing in strappy stiletto heels for 18 hours... *sigh*

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

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