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Tales Of Mystery And Imagination
After the original edition by Tudor Publishing Co., New York, 1935
Berenice --
Morella --
Some passages in the life of a lion (Lionizing) --
The assignation --
Bon-bon --King Pest --
Metzengerstein --
Silence --
A descent into the maelstrom --
Ligeia --
The fall of the house of Usher --
William Wilson --
The...more
Berenice --
Morella --
Some passages in the life of a lion (Lionizing) --
The assignation --
Bon-bon --King Pest --
Metzengerstein --
Silence --
A descent into the maelstrom --
Ligeia --
The fall of the house of Usher --
William Wilson --
The...more
Hardcover, 383 pages
Published
August 15th 2008
by Book Sales, Inc.
(first published January 1st 1911)
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I had never read much Poe, and I bought Tales of Mystery and Imagination mostly because of the illustrations, but once I started reading I couldn't put it down. The edition I have - and you should have it too - features the original illustrations by the Irish artist (and genius Harry Clarke). His drawings are dark and slightly chilling and enhance the text without distracting from it. Other, more famous artists have tackled Poe (Manet, the father of modern art, was one), but no one has done it ...more
Poe has so permeated popular culture and the general zeitgeist of modern-day society that even if you haven't actually read the stories, you know them. "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Cask of Amontillado," and "The Fall of the House of Usher," are just the most famous horror/suspense pieces. Just as dark and spooky are "The Black Cat," and "A Descent into the Maelstrom."...more
I just reviewed another Calla Edition (The Ship That Sailed to Mars, by Wm. Timlin), and then remembered that I have had this Poe volume for a while. Clarke's illustrations of Poe's stories are stunning. His work is highly similar to Aubrey Beardsley's. I don't rate these quite as high as Dulac's illustrations for Poe's poems, but Clarke's black & white illustrations strike me as the perfect complement to Poe's stories.
Another plug for Calla Editions! If you love illustrated classi...more
Another plug for Calla Editions! If you love illustrated classi...more
Back to the classics. I picked this up in a charity shop some time ago and I'd been meaning to get to it. Having been half-heartedly introduced to E.A.P. in my middle-school days (reading "The Raven" and "The Cask Of Amontillado" as assigments), I thought I should give him another shot.
Ol' Edgar Allan fared much better this time around. "The Cask.." was much more sinister and calculated than I'd remembered and "The Murders At The Rue Morgue" se...more
Ol' Edgar Allan fared much better this time around. "The Cask.." was much more sinister and calculated than I'd remembered and "The Murders At The Rue Morgue" se...more
"And then there stole into my fancy, like a rich musical note, the thought of what sweet rest there must be in the grave. The thought came gently and stealthily, and it seemed long before it attained full appreciation; but just as my spirit came at length properly to feel and entertain it, the figures of the judges vanished, as if magically, from before me; the tall candles sank into nothingness; their flames went out utterly; the blackness of darkness supervened; all sensations appeared sw...more
Hmmm - there's only so much premature burial and being bricked up in a cellar that you can take, I suppose. Surprises were the stories featuring Dupin that weren't "Murders in the Rue Morgue" because I didn't know that the character was SUCH an influence on Sherlock Holmes. Reading the full collection one after another, the tales get a bit too samey and when he's not burying people alive Poe's florid description is almost unbearable (the tale Landor's Cottage, coming straight after Dom...more
I finally embarked on famous stories written by a famous writer - Edgar Allan Poe!!!
There are five short stories in this book. All plots are familiar, because, I think, many comtemporary writers are affected by him.
Most of all the main characters are crazy do cruel or brutal things, like taking out his pet cat's eyeball. And in the end they are all crazy enough to tell the truth.
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Black Cat
The masque of the Red Death
Willi...more
There are five short stories in this book. All plots are familiar, because, I think, many comtemporary writers are affected by him.
Most of all the main characters are crazy do cruel or brutal things, like taking out his pet cat's eyeball. And in the end they are all crazy enough to tell the truth.
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Black Cat
The masque of the Red Death
Willi...more
THE GOLD BUG (4/5)
I had expectations for this one to be more of a horror story than an adventure, but it was a fine tale nonetheless. I was surprised that Poe described all the steps (accurately) of simple substitution cipher decryption. Pretty great story.
THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR (4/5)
This story was kind of creepy, and was more of what I had expected from this book. Poe ventures a little into the unknown, and ends with a somewhat grotesque finale. <spoi...more
I had expectations for this one to be more of a horror story than an adventure, but it was a fine tale nonetheless. I was surprised that Poe described all the steps (accurately) of simple substitution cipher decryption. Pretty great story.
THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR (4/5)
This story was kind of creepy, and was more of what I had expected from this book. Poe ventures a little into the unknown, and ends with a somewhat grotesque finale. <spoi...more
Voted #3 of 100 best mysteries of all time by Mystery Writers of America (www.mysterywriters.org) and see also World Magazine January 12/19, 2008, pg. 27).
I wanted to like it, i really did. It's a classic. And Poe is so respectful of the reader, no dumbing down, an elevated vocabulary, stories that start off grabbing your interest from the first sentence, and each story so unique you are scrambling to figure out what is going on...
The problem is, i just had to admit, I s...more
I wanted to like it, i really did. It's a classic. And Poe is so respectful of the reader, no dumbing down, an elevated vocabulary, stories that start off grabbing your interest from the first sentence, and each story so unique you are scrambling to figure out what is going on...
The problem is, i just had to admit, I s...more
This novel is a fantastic compilation of Poe's short stories. One thing this book does fantastically well is that the stories it contains are very well varied. From the more imaginative stories such as "The Sphinx" to the darker stories like "The Raven" Poe's writings will keep you captivated from the moment you open the book to the last time you close it. Overall I recommend this book to not only Poe fans, but also to anyone who enjoys horror and mystery novels.
Selalu saja, bagian favorit saia adalah cerita The Murder in the Rue Morgue, kisah pembunuhan paling briliant dan paing kejam (pembunuhan dua orang perempuan, satu digorok sampai kepalanya nyaris putus, satu lagi dijerat terus badannya dijejalkan masuk ke cerobong asap) yang dituntaskan secara cemerlang oleh detektif terkenal sepanjang masa setara dengan Holmes - Poirot : C. Auguste Dupin
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Edgar Allen Poe isn't fun to read, but the intensity of the way he tells things is amazing. I still remember the first time I read The Tell-tale Heart in school. It's edge of your seat kind of stuff. And the way Poe chooses to say things is incredible.
I found this book for 50 cents at a used store. The tell-tale heart is still my favorite.
I found this book for 50 cents at a used store. The tell-tale heart is still my favorite.
One who reads such a book now probably won't feel any kind of fear and, I would dare say, maybe won't be impressed at all. That's not to say that Poe isn't a good author, irrelevant, etc., not at all. My assessment is just the opposite, since many of the elements that can be found within the stories collected in this book still tap into our imagination; I would say it just so happens because Poe has laid ground for much that we see all around modern pop culture. I wonder – and that is an exercis...more
This book is one of the best books i read in the 8th grade i have read so far. This book is about a author Edgar Allan Poe who writes different story's for every one chapter. The chapters are crazy thy usually end in a sad ending or happy, but mostly sad. My favorite chapter is the first one called THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH.
Poe! Illustrations by Harry Clarke are the bestest. Super-spooky. And man, is Poe variable. Some of these stories (mostly the ones you know) are exquisite and perfect and each sentence is a gem -- and some of them (mostly the ones you don't know) are just awful clunkers. For the most part, avoid Poe when he's trying to be funny.
I suppose I could say that I am "currently reading" it, because I've read a bit of "The Pit and the Pendulum". It's strange, how Poe writes about death and of dying, as if he's already been there, and returned. It's not what I'd condsider "happy, joyful" reading, but.. who wants to read that sort of stuff anyway?
It appears that you can write an interesting book while high on opium. I actually like Poe's stories, love the irony. But after awhile the recurring themes of his phobias (like being buried alive) get a bit old. Still, the stories are interesting, creative and well written.
Edgar Allan Poe writing style might be a bit archaic but he is able to write some really great writing. His Gothic horror stories are masterful,unbeatable when its about sheer terror,atmosphere.
C.Augustine Dupin stories are great crime stories. Timeless character,stories.
C.Augustine Dupin stories are great crime stories. Timeless character,stories.
Poe is overrated. He writes about weird and interesting things, and skillfully at that, but as I read this I had an overwhelming sense that he's a jerk (racism, arrogance, etc.)
Don't get me wrong, he's a good writer, he just doesn't deserve the status he has.
Don't get me wrong, he's a good writer, he just doesn't deserve the status he has.
There are many volumes of Poe's short stories, and this one doesn't claim to be complete. Nevertheless, it's the one I received for my birthday as an early teenager, and I have enjoyed it throughout the ensuing years. Poe was a master of many different types of stories: some claim he invented the detective story, and his tales of horror are among the strongest ever written in that genre. Personal favorites for me in this collection are the exceedingly clever "The Pit and The Pendulum,"...more
In some short stories, retribution of nature to her unforgivable ones is depicted.Some tales that shows everything will find its day of being revealed resulting in one's punishment;maybe death or alive! Read it and feel the exhilaration it presents you...
I felt that I should like this as Poe is so lauded, but it was not enjoyable to read at all, and felt more like work. Some of the stories were quite good, but others seemed to be single, half-formed ideas that are dragged on for page after page toward a completely unsatisfying end.
I am excited to read these stories...I remember a little bit of poe in college but its been about 10 years. So I am ready to fill myself with the horro of poe :)I have no preconcieved notions so this should be fun.
A fan of Poe's poetry since my teenage years, I thought it about time I read some of his short stories.
I found Poe's writing mechanical and stiff in a lot of the stories, which at times made it difficult to finish, whereas in others the story flowed easy and reminded me more of his poetry - the Poe I knew and loved.
One needs to stick it out with this particular collection, and perhaps not read them in their listed order, as I found a lot of the stories I didnt enjoy so mu...more
I found Poe's writing mechanical and stiff in a lot of the stories, which at times made it difficult to finish, whereas in others the story flowed easy and reminded me more of his poetry - the Poe I knew and loved.
One needs to stick it out with this particular collection, and perhaps not read them in their listed order, as I found a lot of the stories I didnt enjoy so mu...more
This is the first time I've read any Poe and I loved it. There were a couple of stories that were a little boring but the majority were original, intriguing and enjoyably sinister.
I was surprised that I'd already read many of these shorts, I just hadn't known they were part of a larger compilation. Fun little spooky stories but some were definitely better than others.
This is not my edition. Mine is a small leatherbound book published by Collins' Clear-Type Press in Great Britain. There is no date of publication but it is an antique. Illustrated by J. Monsell.
Depois de uma certa relutância, decidi ler Edgar Allan Poe. Pensei: "Se está na prateleira do meu avô, deve ser realmente bom".
Bom, o livro me deu alguns sonhos bem curiosos.
Bom, o livro me deu alguns sonhos bem curiosos.
This is the single most fantastically twisted, dark and weird collection of tales that toys with your imagination from start to finish and it is, by far, my favorite book.
Poe is my hero and this book contains his greatest works.
Actually my copy, printed in 1985, is a facsimile copy of the 1919 First Edition from The Classic Collection.
Actually my copy, printed in 1985, is a facsimile copy of the 1919 First Edition from The Classic Collection.
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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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