book data
732 ratings, 2.93 average rating, 197 reviews
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published
July 10th 2007
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
binding
Paperback, 416 pages
isbn
0812970128
(isbn13: 9780812970128)
description
“I present to you . . . the truth about this man’s death and my life.”
Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has bee...more
Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has bee...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1153)
Read in August, 2007
Matthew Pearl's The Poe Shadow is the first book I've read in a while that I did not like at all. The premise is interesting; a contemporary of Edgar Allen Poe attempts to discover what happened in the final days before the poet's death. Pearl had written the moderately entertaining The Dante Club prior to this, and I had expected to see the improvement that often comes with an author's sophomore effort. Instead, Pearl only manages to serve up a snooze-fest.
To begin with, Quentin Clark is th...more
To begin with, Quentin Clark is th...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
Poe obsessives
While this was an interesting subject & the mystery surrounding Poe's death was written well, I HATED the lead character. He was whiney, obsessive and at times down right stupid. He's one of those guys with book smarts, but is dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to real life.
He is obsessive to the point of loosing everything he is/has, his career, fortune, home, finance, friends...the only thing that keeps him from absolutely loosing everything is due to friends coming to his aid at...more
He is obsessive to the point of loosing everything he is/has, his career, fortune, home, finance, friends...the only thing that keeps him from absolutely loosing everything is due to friends coming to his aid at...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
no one
I enjoyed Dante Club (I like historical fiction) and so was looking forward to reading The Poe Shadow--I even bought it in hardcover, which is rare for me. Well, it was terrible. Quite possibly the worst book I've ever read. It was totally unclear to me what was going on--was he crazy or was all this stuff really happening to him? I was hoping it would be brilliantly explained at the end so I kept trudging along even though it was beyond tedious. There was no payoff in the end. It was so b...more
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Read in August, 2007
Although I appreciate novels as good literature and occasionally forces of social change ("Uncle Tom's Cabin" is a good example, as it strengthened the abolitionist movement), I don't normally read them, as I find truth to be more fascinating than fiction.
"The Poe Shadow" is set in antebellum America. The protagonist, a young attorney, risks life and limb to unravel the mystery of Edgar Allan Poe's death, and enlists the aid of a French detective, supposedly the prototyp...more
"The Poe Shadow" is set in antebellum America. The protagonist, a young attorney, risks life and limb to unravel the mystery of Edgar Allan Poe's death, and enlists the aid of a French detective, supposedly the prototyp...more
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The real redeeming this about this book is that at the end (in the historical notes) you find out that the main character's conclusions about Poe might really be true. That made the book a million times more interesting... and yet I still think it only gets two stars. The main character is a bit too irritating, and not in any sort of loveable or identifiable way. You get sick of him, which makes it hard to keep reading the otherwise interesting story about Poe's death. If you're interest in Poe,...more
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I agree with several other reviewers that the last part of the book is just a bore. I am not a mystery novel reader, so maybe it is common to constantly recap the previous events, but I found this irritating. I struggled to finish the book. The book does detail real and new facts about the death of Edgar Allen Poe and even uses quotes from newspaper articles from the time. Those who are huge Poe fans may find this fascinating. At the end of the book, however, there a historical notes sectio...more
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Historical fiction is in vogue these days. Being a devotee of Edgar Allan Poe, I had high hopes for "Shadow of Poe," Matthew Pearl's second novel, but alas, it was not to be.
Pearl, the author of the best selling "The Dante Club" is a more than able writer, and his passion for its topic -- Poe -- is obvious. The story surrounds a group of fictitious characters set against the historical period of Edgar Poe's death. Pearl's language for this historical novel is accurate if...more
Pearl, the author of the best selling "The Dante Club" is a more than able writer, and his passion for its topic -- Poe -- is obvious. The story surrounds a group of fictitious characters set against the historical period of Edgar Poe's death. Pearl's language for this historical novel is accurate if...more
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I probably enjoyed the Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl even more than his debut novel, The Dante Club. Pearl has become my favorite new/current writer based on these two books.
In the Poe Shadow, Quentin Clark, a Baltimoreon lawyer, risks everything - his practice, his fiancee, his family estate, his sanity, and even his life - in an attempt to solve the puzzle of what happened to Edgar Poe in his final days in Baltimore.
To do so Quentin begins to research into the death of his beloved author and...more
In the Poe Shadow, Quentin Clark, a Baltimoreon lawyer, risks everything - his practice, his fiancee, his family estate, his sanity, and even his life - in an attempt to solve the puzzle of what happened to Edgar Poe in his final days in Baltimore.
To do so Quentin begins to research into the death of his beloved author and...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
no one but a hard core Edgar A. Poe or Matthew Pearl fan.
I just could not make myself stick with this book.
And I hate ever to say that. I rarely fail to finish a book, even if I'm not enjoying it at all. But this one I just could not force myself to stick with after 100 pages.
The central conceit of the story--that a promising young Baltimore lawyer would risk everything he has to investigate the real circumstances around Edgar A. Poe's untimely death, and do so solely on the strength of an appreciation of his work and a modest acquaintance--...more
And I hate ever to say that. I rarely fail to finish a book, even if I'm not enjoying it at all. But this one I just could not force myself to stick with after 100 pages.
The central conceit of the story--that a promising young Baltimore lawyer would risk everything he has to investigate the real circumstances around Edgar A. Poe's untimely death, and do so solely on the strength of an appreciation of his work and a modest acquaintance--...more
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Read in July, 2008
I'm not much of a critic, but..(ha!)
"Poe Shadow" is the follow-up from the Dante Club's Matthew Pearl, who returned to his de rigeur modus operandi (How you like that, French and Latin! Somebody is showing off...)
The story, without spoiling too much, is a young Baltimorean lawyer's self-obsessed inquiry into the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe, who was found mortally ill - ostensibly from intoxication - in a pre-Civil War Baltimore tavern.
Pearl nails the scenery and th...more
"Poe Shadow" is the follow-up from the Dante Club's Matthew Pearl, who returned to his de rigeur modus operandi (How you like that, French and Latin! Somebody is showing off...)
The story, without spoiling too much, is a young Baltimorean lawyer's self-obsessed inquiry into the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe, who was found mortally ill - ostensibly from intoxication - in a pre-Civil War Baltimore tavern.
Pearl nails the scenery and th...more
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Read in May, 2008
On October 3, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore delirious, "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance", according to the man who found him, Joseph W. Walker. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died four days later at age 40. Poe was never coherent long enough to explain how he came to be in his dire condition, and, oddly, was wearing shabby, ill-fitting clothes that were not his own. Poe is said to have repeatedly called ...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of Edgar Allan Poe
I tried to reread a bunch of Poe as preparation for this book -- but it turns out you don't need to! Unlike Dante Club, where the reader really needs to be familiar with Inferno, this book allows you to be less familiar with Poe's work. It certainly helps to know at least the basics -- Poe's genre/style, how he was perceived at the time, etc.
The book is about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Poe's death. I'd forgotton all about them until I began reading. The main character spe...more
The book is about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Poe's death. I'd forgotton all about them until I began reading. The main character spe...more
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Read in July, 2007
This book is a fictional peice. At first when I was thinking about what I would write in it's mini review I was tempted to say that you didn't really need to read it, just the last chapter and the historical note. Let me explain.
This book is about a Mr. Quinein Clark, a fictional charecter alive at the time of Edgar Allan Poe's real death. Quientein, being a fan of the poet and also having suggested being his atorney wants to put the mystery behind Poe's death and the rumors about Poe to res...more
This book is about a Mr. Quinein Clark, a fictional charecter alive at the time of Edgar Allan Poe's real death. Quientein, being a fan of the poet and also having suggested being his atorney wants to put the mystery behind Poe's death and the rumors about Poe to res...more
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Read in October, 2007
The problem is an uneven pace that, while riveting in parts becomes tedious in others and, despite being a unique and often gripping window into the life of an American genius, tends to drag beyond its initial appeal.
"Shadow" tackles Poe's mysterious death in Baltimore in 1849 at the young age of 40. While fiction, the author goes to great lengths to remain true to the historical record, while uncovering and disclosing new facts to bolster his own theory surrounding Poe's ill-fated...more
"Shadow" tackles Poe's mysterious death in Baltimore in 1849 at the young age of 40. While fiction, the author goes to great lengths to remain true to the historical record, while uncovering and disclosing new facts to bolster his own theory surrounding Poe's ill-fated...more
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Read in June, 2008
My final review for June is The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl, a book I bought last year because I liked the cover and the title. It's the same superficial reason I used for Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann and for the most part, my intuition paid off for both.
Edgar Allen Poe showed up unexpected and in a confused state to the Washington College Hospital in Baltimore. He died there on October 3, 1849. Before his death he called out for a person named Reynolds and a letter was sent to a ...more
Edgar Allen Poe showed up unexpected and in a confused state to the Washington College Hospital in Baltimore. He died there on October 3, 1849. Before his death he called out for a person named Reynolds and a letter was sent to a ...more
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I have to agree with a lot of the reviews here. I read and absolutely loved the Dante Club, so when I heard there was a new book from the same author, I snatched it up. The premise was tantalizing, what really happened to Edgar Alan Poe in his final days?
I got about halfway through this book, and eventually decided to throw it in. Where Dante Club moved with all the pace and movement of a well plotted film, the Poe Shadow was boring from the start. I do agree. The main characters not likable...more
I got about halfway through this book, and eventually decided to throw it in. Where Dante Club moved with all the pace and movement of a well plotted film, the Poe Shadow was boring from the start. I do agree. The main characters not likable...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
people who really love Poe
I can't believe I FINALLY finished this book! I think I started this last summer, and I kept picking it up, reading 10 pages, and then putting it down for months on end. Jeff got me this book right after it came out because I love love love Pearl's first book, The Dante Club. Unfortunately, this book doesn't compare at all to The Dante Club (and I actually feel bad for Pearl that all of his future writing efforts are going to be compared to his first amazing effort, because it will be hard to to...more
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Read in December, 2007
After going on a brief, but satisfying mystery kick and book-geeking about detective stories with someone, I really wanted more but had already run through all the ones that had been loaned to me. I considered going back and re-reading any of the number of books I have in that genre but ended up deciding on this, not knowing until I opened it that it is very much in line with the current cravings.
Like The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow is detailed, beautifully written, obviously we...more
Like The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow is detailed, beautifully written, obviously we...more
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Read in October, 2008
I like his writing style, which sounds like something written in the 19th century. The plot was full of twists--I certainly didn't guess the ending. I also like that fact that, in the process of researching for this book, Pearl actually uncovered new evidence, which he describes in the Historical Note at the end of the book. I read this for a book discussion which I was to lead at the local public library, but, alas, no one showed up. Too bad, because I really wanted to discuss this with some...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
Everyone!
Matthew Pearl is one of today's truly great writers. This story (a fine blend of fact and fiction) has been meticulously researched and paints an interesting picture of the time surrounding Poe's untimely death. The narrative moves along like a good thriller or mystery novel. Set in Baltimore and Paris from 1849-1851, and written (most impressively) in a style reminiscent of the era. Pearl took great pains in making the settings and events, where possible, historically accurate. When a conc...more
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