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16th out of 28 books
—
6 voters
The Tell-Tale Heart
Paperback, 18 pages
Published
February 2nd 2004
by BookSurge Classics
(first published January 1st 1843)
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The Tell-Tale Heart is a story about an unnamed person who insists on their sanity after murdering an old man with an evil eye. The murder was cold, calculated and well executed, the body disposed; but the guilt slowly eats away at the person.
The story uses an unreliable narrator very effectively; driving the story without giving too much away, to keep it tense. The narrator is genderless though most people assume he’s a man, it could just as easily been a woman. The way the story is written, y...more
The story uses an unreliable narrator very effectively; driving the story without giving too much away, to keep it tense. The narrator is genderless though most people assume he’s a man, it could just as easily been a woman. The way the story is written, y...more
The story centers around a very sick person, plotting how to kill an old man, succeeding, and trying to cover it up. Edgar Allan Poe is good at crawling inside a mad man's brain. It could, of course, be a woman, but for the sake of facilitation, let's decide he's a man for now.
The narrator keeps trying to convince us he's not crazy, and that what can be mistaken for madness is only over-acuteness of the senses. This story made me really nauseous and the fact that the victim was an innocent old m...more
The narrator keeps trying to convince us he's not crazy, and that what can be mistaken for madness is only over-acuteness of the senses. This story made me really nauseous and the fact that the victim was an innocent old m...more
TRUE!�nervous�very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but
why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses�not
destroyed�not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I
heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things
in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily�how
calmly I can tell you the whole story.�
Short, Meaningful, A bit poetic .. and definitely one of my Edgar Poe�s favourites.
An Easy five star rate.
why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses�not
destroyed�not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I
heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things
in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily�how
calmly I can tell you the whole story.�
Short, Meaningful, A bit poetic .. and definitely one of my Edgar Poe�s favourites.
An Easy five star rate.
2 likes · like · see review
The Tell-Tale Heart is a very good story of an insane man (let's call him Eddie). Throughout the story, the man continuously clams that he "is not mad", yet the story suggests something completely different. Eddie is the benificiary of an old man that he lives with, yet he cannot stand his eye. The eye is described as cold, blue, and with a film over it. Eddie plans to kill the man to rid himself of the eye forever. Night after night for eight nighs, he creeps into the old man's room, only to fi...more
The Tell-Tale Heart is a chilling short story that is eery, creepy, and mysterious.
The story is narrated by a man who is explaining his "sanity", as he tells the story of how he killed the old man with the haunting, pale blue, vulcan-like eye. The narrator stalks the old man at night, watching, just watching until the eighth night, the old man hears a slight creak of the door and jumps saying, "Who's there!". With that, the narrator realizes the horrible beating of the old man's heart which grow...more
The story is narrated by a man who is explaining his "sanity", as he tells the story of how he killed the old man with the haunting, pale blue, vulcan-like eye. The narrator stalks the old man at night, watching, just watching until the eighth night, the old man hears a slight creak of the door and jumps saying, "Who's there!". With that, the narrator realizes the horrible beating of the old man's heart which grow...more
Alright, part 3 in my "Poe Quartet" reviews. So in The Fall of the House of Usher we dealt with supernatural terror, in The Cask of Amontillado we dealt with revenge terror, and in this story it's just good ol' fashioned crazy.
First thing I ask myself now as I did when I first read this...do people not know what vetting the guy you consider hiring? I mean I know this is the 1800s we're talking about but I have a feeling that he would have ste off in alarm bell or two if you asked I don't know A...more
First thing I ask myself now as I did when I first read this...do people not know what vetting the guy you consider hiring? I mean I know this is the 1800s we're talking about but I have a feeling that he would have ste off in alarm bell or two if you asked I don't know A...more
Another chilling short story that lingers in your mind long after you reach the final page.
I remember when I was a little kid, maybe ten years old(?), I saw my mom sitting and reading a thick book. Now, my mom is not much of a reader, so I asked her what it was, and she told me it was a collection of Edgar Allan Poe writings. She offered to read a sample to me, and I plopped down to listen. Guess what she read to me? Yep. The Tell Tale Heart. I'm pretty sure I had nightmares for at least a week...more
I remember when I was a little kid, maybe ten years old(?), I saw my mom sitting and reading a thick book. Now, my mom is not much of a reader, so I asked her what it was, and she told me it was a collection of Edgar Allan Poe writings. She offered to read a sample to me, and I plopped down to listen. Guess what she read to me? Yep. The Tell Tale Heart. I'm pretty sure I had nightmares for at least a week...more
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe is about a man who experiences problems with someone, an old man, he is living with, even though this old man has never wronged him. He later goes on to kill the old man, purely based on his interpretation of the old man’s eye. His blood would run cold when the pale blue eye of the old man fell upon him, and so he decided to end the old man’s life, and be rid of the eye of a vulture. The main person finally kills the old man after several nights of stalking...more
Here's why this short story is so brilliant, and its maybe not why you think.
We've all read it, we know the story, we know how it is one of the main reasons Poe is Poe. ('The Raven' being the other major pin on which Poe hangs.)
The story has an unreliable narrator, purely subjective, and this is entirely the point. The narrator HAS to be subjective, or the story falls apart. The perception of everything HAS to be through his own demented vision and furious emotion. The old man with his 'vulture...more
We've all read it, we know the story, we know how it is one of the main reasons Poe is Poe. ('The Raven' being the other major pin on which Poe hangs.)
The story has an unreliable narrator, purely subjective, and this is entirely the point. The narrator HAS to be subjective, or the story falls apart. The perception of everything HAS to be through his own demented vision and furious emotion. The old man with his 'vulture...more
One of my all-time favorite short stories, if not my absolute favorite one. It had been like that in the past when this genre was my most preferred, and stayed in that position even after my reading inclinations changed. Sometimes I think it represents the ideal short story with its compact structure, nearly unrivalled narrative, and rising tension with every sentence until the superb ending climax. I think from time to time about how it can be best presented theatrically or on film, and I still...more
I have read this book more than once. The story is eery and amusing all at the same time.I loved the way the Author told the story, Its like he went through the inner workings of the mind of a psychopath to tell the story.....with a MUHAHAAAA! moment when the character felt the deed she had spent a lot of time concocting had been accomplished.
"And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses? now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick s...more
"And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses? now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick s...more
Feb 14, 2013
Latie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
short-stories,
classics
I read this short story as an adult because it was not taught to me in school in my youth. However, I had witnessed many parodies to this story and was curious to read the inspiration source of them. Given the time it was written it- around 1850’s- it’s a fascinating tale that explores the antics of a mad man who commits to murder. Furthermore, it explores the paradox f ‘hurting those we love,’ which is nearly a century ahead of its time before it was recognised my psychologists. Overall it is a...more
The Tell-Tale Heart was one of the most captivating stories I have ever read. The plot itself was very twisted and original. Only a most talented author, such as Poe, would have been able to create a story filled with such eerieness and spookieness. The only thing about this story that was slightly confusing was why he waited and watched the old man at night for seven days, it's slightly confusing as to why he didn't just kill him on the spot. The words Poe used and the way he wrote it, the read...more
"No, no, don't fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. You should have seen me."
I read this one story after hearing a lot of appreciation for it. Lately I have been reading Edgar Allan Poe's one work at a time and my gosh!, the genius keeps on getting better.
Here he tells a story of a young person(gender is not mentioned) who kills an old man in a cold and calculated manner. The way in which the story is told is simply magical. I could not peel my eyes away even for a moment. There is a new emotion...more
I read this one story after hearing a lot of appreciation for it. Lately I have been reading Edgar Allan Poe's one work at a time and my gosh!, the genius keeps on getting better.
Here he tells a story of a young person(gender is not mentioned) who kills an old man in a cold and calculated manner. The way in which the story is told is simply magical. I could not peel my eyes away even for a moment. There is a new emotion...more
The Tell-Tale Heart is an imagination capturing short story. The story is about a mysterious man attempting to prove his own sanity as he plans a murder. Who is the victim? Nobody but the old man with the unnerving eye. The unnamed murderer stalks his prey night after night, creeping into the old man's bedroom to observe his sleeping patterns. Upon the eighth night, the crime was committed. One of the neighbors heard one shriek and finally called the police. Nerve eats away at the narrator as he...more
I read one story(The Tell-Tale Heart) for the english class.There are, of course, many wonderful and creepy things to say about this story, but it was nice.The ending was like wow!!!!!
i thought that "The Tell-Tale Heart" was a fantasic short story. I truly enjoyed how well Poe was able to achieve such a captivating story, in such little writing. The text had me sitting on the end of my chair the whole time just wondering, "What will happen next?" The whole concept of an trouble man killing a close companion because of his "eagle eye" was truly genius. It truly makes me wonder what type of person it took to write this. Though at times i found it confusing and dull when he wou...more
The Tell-Tale Heart is a very interesting short story, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I thought it was very exciting and suspenseful. It was also rather peculiar and eerie.
The way that Edgar Allen Poe wrote the story leaves you with a lot to think about when you finish reading it. For instance, the story is told by an anonymous narrator. Throughout the tale, you don’t know who or where the narrator is. While the story unfolds, you start wondering what association the narrator has with t...more
The way that Edgar Allen Poe wrote the story leaves you with a lot to think about when you finish reading it. For instance, the story is told by an anonymous narrator. Throughout the tale, you don’t know who or where the narrator is. While the story unfolds, you start wondering what association the narrator has with t...more
This book is excellent. The book is also a tad bit scary. It's quite creepy because the mad-men (narrator) stalks the old man while he's sleeping. Sure, at the beginning of the book he tells us that he is not mad, but as you go through the story you think of what he said. And when you finish the book you realize that he is completely and utterly mad! This story is full of utter madness and terror. The tell-tale heart has you jumping out of your seat by the end. Poe definitely leaves you wonderin...more
A macabre tale of a madman. The atmosphere was really well built, but the story itself wasn't for me.
I'd like to point out here that it's interesting that we've been so conditioned as a society to assume, unconsciously, that murderers are men. In this story the madman is neuter, but we assume because he's is a madman, he is therefore a man.
I feel however, that the story would have been better if we were left unsure that the old man was really killed at all, but perhaps only knocked unconscious....more
I'd like to point out here that it's interesting that we've been so conditioned as a society to assume, unconsciously, that murderers are men. In this story the madman is neuter, but we assume because he's is a madman, he is therefore a man.
I feel however, that the story would have been better if we were left unsure that the old man was really killed at all, but perhaps only knocked unconscious....more
Guilt is a murderer's worst enemy :-)
What a delightful creepy story!
What a delightful creepy story!
I thought this was another great Poe story. I haven't read it in a long time (not since some unrememberable year of school) and it was great. I don't remember much about this story, I may refresh myself with it later and edit this review. But all I know is that it is good. The characters are good in the story, as is everything about it. A perfect five-star rating for another great Poe story. (IMO I love horror, so I am trying to read some of the old horror, like Poe and Lovecraft, to see some of...more
What did I think? I loved it! My first encounter with Poe's literature, and I really loved it. I love how you cannot really determine what all the reasons are for the plot to occur even, you cannot relate the characters to each other, you can assume so many things about them, but never find them out for sure. The main character can be characterized on so many levels, I even wrote a whole essay about it once. The tale is amazingly written, sick in it's own way, just like Poe wrote all of his work...more
There was no object, no passion, and no hatred. He loved the old man. He was kind to him, but that old man’s vulture eye, yes it was this! Every time he saw it he got mad and his blood ran cold. The main character could handle this no longer, and he started to think how to get rid of this vulture eye and so the old man’s death. This tale is a catching story told by the murder, and you could not believe the insanity of the main character (even if he said he’s fine) and his evil mind which drives...more
A grotesque tale, following much of the eerie atmosphere of the other works of Poe. It tells of a very violent deed, and of a deranged lunatic who believes that the gruesome murder was acceptable and that his soul had no salvation.
By giving us a glimpse of a mad mans thoughts Poe attempts to transfer the horror felt by his character onto the reader, and the carelessness of the police as the collective conscious of the people that care not about the murders, but just carry out their jobs as a rou...more
By giving us a glimpse of a mad mans thoughts Poe attempts to transfer the horror felt by his character onto the reader, and the carelessness of the police as the collective conscious of the people that care not about the murders, but just carry out their jobs as a rou...more
The Tell-Tale Heart is only a few pages long so I wasn't going to add a date first, because it's not fair to call a four page story a book and have it count toward my current reading challenge. However, since I read Fahrenheit 451 twice this year (a read book counts only once a year toward the reading challenge, so I couldn't count it again) I decided to add this one.
Yummy. This was so dark and exciting, too bad it's so short. I'll definitely be looking for more of Poe's writing.
Yummy. This was so dark and exciting, too bad it's so short. I'll definitely be looking for more of Poe's writing.
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the floorboards. Ultimately the narrator's guilt manifests itself in the hallucination that the man's heart is still beating under the floorboards.
I thought that the Tell Tale Heart was a very mysterious book. The fact that the story goes unfinished gives a feeling of suspense and mystery about what's going to happen next. The author was very descriptive about how the main character feels throughout the book. He makes the reader feel as if he/she is the main character. Although the book is fantastic, it lacks the action that I like to see in books.
It was intensely suspenseful and creeped me out entirely. It has remained my favorite short story and recommend anyone with an affinity for conjuring up strange scenarios to try this one out. It will show you up, it will. Brilliant, also I have an enormous, perverse crush on Edgar Allan Poe; perverse because I fantasize about what color socks he was wearing at the exact time he wrote it.
I did not realise this was actually a short story! I'm not much of a classics reader and I am trying to change that so was pleasantly surprised when I only had to read a few pages. A very creepy and detailed story...I could picture the man's 'evil' eye in my mind's eye. I think that I would have liked to read a bit more on the beating of the heart itself but I did love Poe's portrayal of madness and it answers my question sort of about whether some people actually know that they're a bit off the...more
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The name Poe brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. His works have been in print since 1827 and include such literary classics as “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.” This versatile writer’s oeuvre includes short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and hundr...more
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