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The Raven's Bride: A Novel

3.36 of 5 stars 3.36 · rating details · 211 ratings · 56 reviews

When eight-year-old Virginia "Sissy" Clemm meets her handsome cousin, Eddy,she seestheperfect husband she's conjured up in childhood games. Thirteen years her elder,he's soft-spoken,brooding, andhandsome. Eddy fails his way through West Point and the army yet each time he returns to Baltimore, their friendship grows. As Sissy trains for a musical career, her childhood crus...more

Paperback, 358 pages

Published February 15th 2011 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published February 4th 2011)

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Dec 20, 2011 Undine rated it 1 of 5 stars

To say that this is among the finest novels about Poe is, admittedly, an equivocal tribute, as most of the previous fictional characterizations of the legendary writer have been unreadable garbage. There are, however, some things to praise about this book.

I appreciate what Hart tried to do with the character of her narrator, Virginia Poe, although Hart was obviously very greatly indebted to Cothburn O'Neal's 1956 novel "The Very Young Mrs. Poe"--I wish someone else would read both novels togeth...more To say that this is among the finest novels about Poe is, admittedly, an equivocal tribute, as most of the previous fictional characterizations of the legendary writer have been unreadable garbage. There are, however, some things to praise about this book.

I appreciate what Hart tried to do with the character of her narrator, Virginia Poe, although Hart was obviously very greatly indebted to Cothburn O'Neal's 1956 novel "The Very Young Mrs. Poe"--I wish someone else would read both novels together so you could see what I mean. Poe's wife--in both fiction and non-fiction works--is usually depicted as a silent background figure. The stereotypical image of her is as the vapid "child-wife," forever immature, weak, and colorless--a view that, from my own research, I am convinced is completely false. The young woman depicted in this novel comes reasonably close to my own view of Virginia--intelligent, mature, ardent, assertive, and the most influential and understanding figure in her husband's life. (Although, on the whole, O'Neal's Virginia was more convincing.) Poe himself is drawn as overly troubled, but at least as warm and human--a far cry from the sordid caricature usually found in books about him. And Hart's interpretation of the relationship between the two is, with a few glaring exceptions, good.

However, it's disconcerting to have Thomas Dunn English presented as a good guy. Or the married Elizabeth Ellet being called "Miss." And why do the novelists always insist on depicting Frances Osgood as "pretty" and sympathetic, when in truth she was neither one? When she is forced to speculate, the results are often, though not always, plausible. Here, however, the problem is one that has bedeviled all previous Poe novelists--they work with historical source material that is often of dubious credibility, if not outright fraudulent. Attempting to put some of this into the framework of a novel inevitably results in fiction that is simply unconvincing, if not ludicrous. This comes through particularly when dealing with the bizarre Poe/Ellet/Osgood episode. Hart's version of that imbroglio is confused. For instance, it is never made clear what Edgar Poe thought of Mrs. Osgood--at some times, he is depicted as disliking her, at others, we are giving quite jarring hints that he feels affection for her, which completely contradicts his utter devotion to Virginia. At other times, it's hinted that Poe is merely "using" Frances and other literary women in order to get "favors" or "patronage." I really have no idea what Hart intended for us to think of the relations between Mrs. O. and the Poes. Overall, that whole section fails to ring true, and is by far the weakest part of the book. The narrative is, at times, choppy, with some scenes and characters not as fully fleshed-out as I'd like. I get the feeling this was originally a much longer manuscript that got ruthlessly pared down to a more commercially-acceptable length. And they wound up cutting a bit too much.

"The Raven's Bride" is, nevertheless, often well written. The dreamlike, supernatural character of the narrative suits her historical material well, and enables the author to supply a hopeful ending to what would otherwise be an unbearably grim tale.

I hope this novel--like James Spada's earlier "Days When My Heart Was Volcanic"--at least inspires anyone who writes about Poe in the future to look at his wife and their marriage with fresh eyes. As someone who has read a good deal about Poe--and hated about 95 percent of it--I find this mini-trend very encouraging.(less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Naomi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Revised Review:

I love being on Goodreads and find it an absolutely fascinating place to be. One of the drawbacks to Goodreads, particularly in the area of historical fiction, is that one comes across, ummm, "blowhards" who come in and make accusations re: an author's work and, then, are condescending to any who offer up a different perspective or those who are not as "enlightened" or into the topic as them. What these "blowhards" end up doing is making the group a "not so fun" place to be, inste...more Revised Review:

I love being on Goodreads and find it an absolutely fascinating place to be. One of the drawbacks to Goodreads, particularly in the area of historical fiction, is that one comes across, ummm, "blowhards" who come in and make accusations re: an author's work and, then, are condescending to any who offer up a different perspective or those who are not as "enlightened" or into the topic as them. What these "blowhards" end up doing is making the group a "not so fun" place to be, instead of being a relaxing fun place to be, to kick back a few hours and discuss a love of books, we are subject to their rants, accusations and ridicules!

What I find so amazing with this book, in particular, is that the "blowhards" have all rated this book 4 or 5 stars and wrote AMAZING reviews, where the author will probably see them. Then, like cowards as most "blowhards" are, go into groups and/or other peoples reviews and make their accusations, where the author may not see it and have the opportunity to respond, if they choose.

One can only assume that these, "blowhards", don't understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction. Or, one can assume that they are so concrete and myopic in their thinking that they are closed minded to anyone perceptions other than their own. I heard a fantastic saying the other day...There is no reality in history...only perception. To bad, these, ummm, "blowhards" can't get it.

One other thing that I often wonder about when it comes to "blowhards" is how many are published authors or have the capability to write a book that others will find entertaining or is sellable in the major market in which authors, such as Lenore Hart, needs to sell to? Also, I often wonder about those who criticize pieces of FICTION...were you there?? How do you know the author's viewpoint of her research wasn't the correct "version" of history...because those in your "elitist" miniscule circle says it is so?? Oh, please...get over yourselves!

My initial review of this book is that it is a very, very well written book. A very sad book on multiple fronts, yet I have enjoyed it because of the focus on characters. It also gave me a view to Poe, who isn't one of my favorite authors that I had never seen before. A must read. BTW...My initial review sticks. The Raven's Bride is a wonderful piece of HISTORICAL...emphasis on...FICTION!(less)

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Naomi LOL...Undine...apology accepted. The author def. cannot say that the book hasn't stirred up controversy. If you didn't realize it, as well, my comment...more
Mar 14, 2011 09:18am

Undine Naomi, I'm truly sorry this bar fight on this thread has evidently so upset you--although this is a book discussion site, and you can't say this book...more
Mar 15, 2011 03:00pm

Nov 05, 2011 Danielle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, authors-behaving-badly

Certainly not a bad book, but like the narrator describes on her death bed, it's a bit like someone's flipping the pages of a novel though her entire adult life. Every chapter is extremely repetitive. Poe sells a work, is happy. Poe has job, is miserable. Poe quits job, sells no more works, everyone starves. Lather, rinse, repeat. Sometimes they move to a new city to start the cycle over.

The biggest problem with that cycle is it's in no way about Sissy. The book isn't about her, or her hopes and...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, new-reads-2011

Really didn't love this book. I think the author should have picked one direction or the other: either write a romantic ghost story or a damp, grimy biography of Poe full of bloody coughs and squalid hospitals. As it is, it feels kind of squalid all the way through -- the marriage between a 13 year old and a 26 year old, which the book never gives the reader the tools to evaluate. Is Sissy an old soul who is truly capable of loving and saving her (ew) cousin even though she's so young? Perhaps....more

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May 23, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a look at Edgar Allan Poe through his "child wife" Virginia Clem Poe's eyes.

Starting with Virgina's ghost seeking Edgar out during his last tortured days in a Baltimore hospital, it tells the story of their small family and the constant ups and downs that being attached to such a man as Poe.

Poe is not only unique in a literary sense (being the creator of the mystery genre), he was also the first American to try to solely subsist on his writing (which, it could be argued, wasn't as appre...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Elizabeth Reed rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a young reader, I just thought I should put in my two cents' worth on this novel. I'm 19 and a college freshman, and everywhere around me in popular culture and young adult literature are ridiculous excuses for literature like Twilight and its thousands of equally uninspired spinoffs. People think teenagers want to read vapid, plotless rags about pale angst-ridden psychopaths biting each other. Well, sorry -- that's not my style, or in fact the style of any of my friends. So I am overjoyed wh...more As a young reader, I just thought I should put in my two cents' worth on this novel. I'm 19 and a college freshman, and everywhere around me in popular culture and young adult literature are ridiculous excuses for literature like Twilight and its thousands of equally uninspired spinoffs. People think teenagers want to read vapid, plotless rags about pale angst-ridden psychopaths biting each other. Well, sorry -- that's not my style, or in fact the style of any of my friends. So I am overjoyed whenever I come across a book like this one which can attract and hold the attention of readers of any age and which contains not only realistic and dynamic characters, but also an engaging plot and setting and plenty of humanity. If stories of forbidden love and supernatural romance are what young adults want to read about, there are better alternatives than Twilight, et cetera! Hint hint.

After 19 years (more or less) of avid reading, I'm pretty selective and not fazed by much, but I found that every time I picked up this book, I ended up either laughing, crying, or practically yelling advice at the characters. I'd pick up the book in a public place and be discreetly wiping my eyes on my sleeves five minutes later. I sympathized wholeheartedly with Virginia and the terrible choice she had to make between maintaining love and experiencing certain things -- it's one I've already had to make a few times in my life, albeit not on as large a scale. I could also empathize with Eddie's crushing fear of losing his loved ones and his struggles as a creative person in a commercial world. And yet despite all the hardships endured by the characters, there are many moments of tranquility and happiness that make the reader feel that all their struggles were worthwhile. My friend walked into the room at one point and asked what I was grinning about, to hear me exclaim "Eddie got her a kitten! THAT'S ADORABLE."

Historical fiction is not exactly my usual fare, but I enjoyed every minute of this book, mainly because the author handled its historical aspect so well. Attention was given to historical detail, but not so much that it became dry or boring at any point. The couple moved from city to city and house to house a lot, but all of the places managed to feel like home. The supernatural aspect was also a great touch, helping to give the story a timeless and uplifting feeling. And I greatly admired the way Hart brought Virginia so completely and vividly to life, giving her emotions, hopes, and fears that any young girl, and in fact any human being, can relate to no matter their time period. Even better, Virginia isn't some vacant, staring doll like Twilight's Bella, into which any reader can insert her own personality in order to live out the cheap, trashy fantasy. I would actually consider her a wonderful role model, unlike lots of contemporary young adult heroines. It restores a little bit of my faith in humanity.

I guess I've been going on for a while, but there you have it -- beautiful story, intriguing supernatural twist, dynamic characters, wonderful writing. Leave the trashy vampire fiction on the shelf. Read The Raven's Bride!(less)

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Jul 21, 2011 Shazza Maddog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay, I have to admit - I saw the author's name, and that the book was about Edgar Allen Poe's wife, and thought that irony was a funny, funny thing.

The Raven’s Bride is a fictionalized look at the life of Virginia Clemm Poe, wife of Edgar Allen Poe, from her childhood to her death. The story is told by Virginia, known as “Sissy”, as she waits for her husband to die and join her in death.

While following the history of the story, Ms. Hart has given Sissy a voice as a clairvoyant – she has the abi...more Okay, I have to admit - I saw the author's name, and that the book was about Edgar Allen Poe's wife, and thought that irony was a funny, funny thing.

The Raven’s Bride is a fictionalized look at the life of Virginia Clemm Poe, wife of Edgar Allen Poe, from her childhood to her death. The story is told by Virginia, known as “Sissy”, as she waits for her husband to die and join her in death.

While following the history of the story, Ms. Hart has given Sissy a voice as a clairvoyant – she has the ability to see the dead. It is she who realizes her brother, Henry, has passed away at sea, when her mother believes he’s still alive. She also sees Grandmother Poe, and other people, wandering through their various homes. Sissy grows up without a father, though her mother, Muddy, is always there to take care of her. The Poe-Clemm family live in what would politely be called poverty, with Grandmother Poe’s widow benefits bringing in $20.00 a month, and Muddy supplementing the income with sewing projects to feed the three women, Henry Clemm, and Henry Poe. Henry Poe is dying of tuberculosis, and has been for a while, when his younger brother, Edgar, pays a visit.

At the age of eight, Sissy realizes that Edgar – Eddy - is the man she’s always imagined as her husband in the games she’s played with her friends: tall and dark, somewhat mysterious. She, in turn, fascinates him with her dark hair and eyes, though they build a relationship of friendship up until Sissy turns thirteen, and Eddy asks for her hand in marriage. Sissy, Eddy and Muddy then embark on various fortunes, moving from town to town as Eddy becomes dissatisfied with being an editor for this or that magazine, wanting to spread his wings and trusting that something will come along that will keep them all afloat.

At times tinged with madness, as Eddy succumbs to drink and his own demons, and Sissy deals with her own particular fear – that the Black Toad – tuberculosis – will take her away from her beloved family, the story wends its way from childhood to its inevitable conclusion, with Sissy’s death.

The bright spots in this story are many, despite the characters living mostly in poverty throughout the book. The love of this very small family is very evident, and their stresses things that anyone could relate to – lack of money, illness, alcoholism.

The Raven’s Bride is a very enjoyable look at Poe’s muse, with a definite immersion in the time period of the story. Sissy’s love of her Eddy shows through with nearly every page, and it’s easy to see why Poe may’ve succumbed to madness after her death, if his devotion to Sissy was as intense as portrayed in this story.(less)

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May 10, 2013 Lady Jane Grey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was familiar with Edgar Allan Poe's work, but in eighth grade English class, I was introduced to his personal life as well. We learned he married his COUSIN when she was THIRTEEN and were all quite scandalized. We went on to learn that he died soon after she died, and there was enough there to make me imagine they were devoted to each other. I remember sitting at my desk and thinking, "She's got a story." Over a decade later, I read it.

There was a brief cameo in Anya Seton's "Dragonwyck" that...more I was familiar with Edgar Allan Poe's work, but in eighth grade English class, I was introduced to his personal life as well. We learned he married his COUSIN when she was THIRTEEN and were all quite scandalized. We went on to learn that he died soon after she died, and there was enough there to make me imagine they were devoted to each other. I remember sitting at my desk and thinking, "She's got a story." Over a decade later, I read it.

There was a brief cameo in Anya Seton's "Dragonwyck" that always stood out to me (that was as much of the "story" that I could find until now), but while reading this book I understood the brilliance of that cameo. "Dragonwyck" was a gothic novel and Poe was a famous writer of gothic tales. I guess I had always thought of him in the horror category. Maybe it was always too dark for me. It probably occurred to me before, but this book enforced the idea that he should be included as an author in the category.

Anyway, as for the book, I enjoyed reading it and finally getting to read Virginia's story. I have have been jaded by findings while pursuing my love of history and marrying a first cousin did not seem strange. Her young age did seem a bit stranger, but I know it wasn't unheard of at the time. In the back of the book, it says some people wonder if it was ever consummated and I wonder how much of it was for propriety's sake so he could live with his aunt and cousin while supporting them. It did seem that he cared a lot for Virginia, though, and she was his world (from what I've read outside this book).

I'm glad this book was written in first person because it seemed more real. However, in order to get the whole story in, Virginia had to be a ghost for part of it (no spoilers, she starts off as a ghost in the first chapter). It seemed fitting since this was Edgar Allan Poe's wife after all. At the end, this part did seem to drag on, though. If it had been too short, I would be complaining it seemed like it was added in as an afterthought.

Before reading this book, I thought I would be reading a bunch of books set in Asia or in the Asian culture, but it was my turn on Paperback Swap for this book and when it came in the mail, I *had* to read it right away. Now I want to read some gothic novels! They are my guilty pleasure and I have probably hundreds of the mass produced ones from the 60s and 70s. There are, however, some authors and books from the genre that seem more legitimate. When trying to decide which gothic novel to read next, I remembered one I have been meaning to read for ages. I'm quite embarrassed to admit that I haven't read this one yet. Any guesses?(less)

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Apr 11, 2011 Audrey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, ya

Fox Mulder, Mozart from Amadeus, and Edgar Allan Poe were totally my imaginary boyfriends when I was fourteen so reading The Raven's Bride, a fictionalized biography of Virginia Clemm Poe, Edgar's cousin and "child bride", immersed me in nostalgia. Lenore Hart convincingly portrays Virginia not as a meek and passive wisp who faded into her death at the age of twenty-four, but as a determined, responsible, intelligent young woman with a maturity older than her years. There's no intrigue or plot t...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Althea Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

In general, I'm all in favor of the recent trend of writing biographical novels of famous men from the point of view of the women in their life.
This one, about Edgar Allan Poe, narrated by his young bride, is interesting for its subject matter, but is not the most successful entry into the genre that I've read. This is, in part, because the narrator, Virginia, is simply not that interesting as a character. She starts out as an innocent young girl, and then proceeds to spend the bulk of the nove...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Alice Platt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Entertaining, yes, but it could have been so much better. A few times I felt a dramatic lead-up to a great event, and then the event itself was just sort of mentioned in passing. For example, at one point the main character looks forward to smashing the old chipped china teacups when they are finally able to obtain new, matching china. I looked forward to the scene as a great emotional moment, where the character gets great satisfaction smashing these cups against the brick wall. Unfortunately,...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Edgar Allen Poe married his young first cousin, Virginia Clem. This novel tells about this marriage from her perspective and describes her childhood. their first meeting, and their married life together. She died very young from TB at age 26, but not before Poe had written some of his greatest works. Very interesting novel about what married life and the creative process might have been like for the young couple. Wonderful descriptions of the cities they lived in: Baltimore, New York, Philadelph...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Athena rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoy the works of Edgar Allen Poe, and knowing that he had married his young cousin I thought the book would be interesting. I didn't expect great literature, but it was entertaining. The author told their story in an interesting way- though I wished that Sissy had a life away from Eddy.
As I read I found myself rooting for Edgar Allen Poe in each career adventure he attempted, even though I knew they would fail. When Sissy's health began to fail, and Edgar's anguish became obvious, I felt pai...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars

For historical fiction with real historical people for characters, I thought Hart represented the history admirably well. Particularly considering this is a book about Edgar Allan Poe, who's biography is often rife with slanderous myths and legends. I found many of the historical characters to be represented with reverence and sympathy. I particularly enjoyed Hart's interpretation of Virginia Clemm Poe. It was refreshing to see her depicted as a strong and active female figure, with a mind, pers...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Montresor rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't usually read women's fiction, which this looked like to judge by the cover, but the Poe angle hooked me. I like Poe and I read a lot of literary biographies. Anyhow I see what U means about the supernatural frame. You really would need some note of hope to avoid making Poe and Virginia a real downer of a story.

I agree this is really well written, though I would have liked more discssion of Poe's stories and maybe integration of his views of the afterlife into the frame of the plot. Also...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This book created a little buzz when it was first published. A fictionalized account of the private life of Virginia Poe, wife of Edgar Allan Poe.
For me, the first few chapters were a little dull. The story got more interesting when Virginia and Edgar married. There has been much speculation about the true relationship between Virgina and Edgar. This story offers up one theory. While it's interesting to imagine what this young girl's tragic life must have really been like, the story often dragg...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Chrissie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bio, fiction, usa, relationships, kindle, sample-g

NO SPOILERS!!!

One need not be a Poe aficionado to enjoy this novel. Take note, it is a novel. Edgar Allen Poe married his cousin Virginia, nicknamed Sissy, when she was thirteen. He was thirteen years her elder. They met when she was eight. The setting is Baltimore, Richmond and New York, the time period the first half of the 19th century. It was interesting to compare this book with the one I just finished about Hokusai and his daughter (The Printmaker's Daughter), since that too took place in...more NO SPOILERS!!!

One need not be a Poe aficionado to enjoy this novel. Take note, it is a novel. Edgar Allen Poe married his cousin Virginia, nicknamed Sissy, when she was thirteen. He was thirteen years her elder. They met when she was eight. The setting is Baltimore, Richmond and New York, the time period the first half of the 19th century. It was interesting to compare this book with the one I just finished about Hokusai and his daughter (The Printmaker's Daughter), since that too took place in the early 19th century, although in Edo, Japan. Two artists struggling to voice their own perception of the world around them. Two artists influenced by those they loved. Both struggled with illness and poverty. Yet each story is very, very different.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book was how Poe's world of impending doom, horror, eternal love, beauty and death are also present in Sissy's tale of her life with Eddy. She shares a life with him, but we see her separate identity and view on his actions and decisions. It is this, her personal views; hat makes this a novel, but a very intriguing one. Her death of consumption will draw you in just the horror present in Poe's imaginative writing does. There are elements of the supernatural that also fit Poe's writing style. Nevertheless she represents her side of their relationship and they are not always in accord. She is not merely a weak, child, but someone with her own desires and wishes and obligations toward her husband. The familial relationship is also complicated and similarly interesting. The prose style drew these bonds movingly.

The conclusion, with its imaginary ending, was a bit too cute for me. Otherwise, I have no specific complaints with the book. It transported me to another era. The story related was engagingly told. I learned about Poe's life. Please, a three star book means I enjoyed the reading experience. Maybe for others a three star rating means the book is not worth reading. This is not true for me.

P.S. Lenore Hart, the author of this novel, was named after the dead beauty portrayed in Poe's famous poem, "The Raven". Sissy, too, saw herself portrayed by Lenore and struggled with such a fate!
(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Beks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bv, 2012, already-reviewed

Reading this while studying Poe was quite a fun experience. Having a knowledge of his works, while not mandatory is definitely helpful as you read what the author thought was going on during his life as he wrote them.

This was a darker story, not at all romantic, but well, it's Edgar Allen Poe, I really didn't expect any real romance. Having read many of these kinds of novels (particularly by Nancy Moser) I must say I did enjoy this writing style and content.

I found Sissy to be correctly portra...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Edgar Allan Poe was a literary genius, so I find anything that has to do with his life fascinating (and what a tragic life it was!). I thought Hart's decision to have Virginia/Sissy tell the story, versus Poe himself, was an excellent choice, since we never hear Mrs. Poe's version of things. All we've ever heard about her is that she married Poe when she was young and died a few years later. Hart does a wonderful job of illustrating just how much Sissy loved Poe and generally shows that Poe ador...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Melody rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was easy to read.

I understand that the author didn't have very much to go on, as far as the information or adventures of Virginia Clemm Poe go. Not a whole lot is known of her short life other than she married EAP and died young. Most of what the author wrote must have been fabrications created for the story. Some of the things the author grasps for are just silly.

I think if I knew nothing about the life of EAP I might have liked this book.

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Jul 21, 2011 Gracia rated it 3 of 5 stars

A light reading. I was fascinated by the first half of the story, the rest of it made me want to give up reading the book, which I did after reading tree fourth of it. The last half of the book contained too much details, such as dates and facts, just like a history book. Even though the story is based on Edgar's real life, the story could be told better without making the readers feel like reading an encyclopedia.

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Mar 10, 2011 Susan Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lenore Hart's new novel, The Raven's Bride, is about the life of Edgar Allen Poe as told through the eyes of his young wife and cousin Virginia Clemm Poe. Lenore's historical fiction is painstakingly researched and the details are completely captivating. I found the perspective, unseen twists, and eery foreshadowing intriguing.

What I also find very interesting is in person, Lenore's ethereal and timeless beauty recalls a bygone century that makes you wonder. Is she so attuned with her characters...more

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May 26, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm liking this so far. It is the story of Edgar Allen Poe's romance with and marriage to 13 yr. old (he's 26) cousin Virginia Clemm. Poe is characterized as very quiet, proper and intense, immaculately dressed and well mannered but you can already see something obsessive in his nature which judging by his literary works, will later blossom under the influence of drink and drugs. Very interesting to see the man behind the myth.

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Apr 28, 2011 Lauri rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by the premise of this book which is told from the perspective of Edgar Allan Poe's wife, who he married when she was 13 and he was 26. The bibliographical information about his life is interesting, but the book just really didn't come together for me overall.

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Nov 22, 2012 ~☆ Alice☆~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: beautiful-covers, ghosts, poetry

I sure enjoyed this book written from the point of view of Poe's young wife. Now I understand all his poetry much better. No wonder he wrote the things that he did write. If you like Poe I am sure you will like this also.

I did shed a few tears over it. Its very beautiful with a great supernatural element which I always like so much.

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May 20, 2011 Charladoerr rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much, but several times I was just disgusted with Edgar Poe. I was thinking that his character in the book could only have married a naive child because no one else would put up with his behavior.

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Aug 24, 2011 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-library

How fitting that I started reading this on "a dark and stormy night". It seemed like the perfect setting for a book that is romantic and macabre as it takes you first person style through the short and tragic life of Edgar Allan Poe's muse, Virginia "Sissy" Clemms.

The author combines the facts from extensive research with a fictional approach to the love story that from the start borders on creepy and inappropriate. Sissy is truly a child bride to her much older cousin Poe. The book tells you w...more

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May 15, 2011 Ann Babcock rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a very interesting book and was well written. She make you not want to put the book down and the book was mostly about Mr and Mrs Edgar Allen Poe. Virgina was the back bone of the marriage. It is a book to read!!

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Aug 22, 2012 Cassie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lovely. This book allowed me to see and appreciate Poe in a much different light from the vague descriptions of my miserable education. I enjoyed this book and Hart's imaginings throughout. If you are drawn to historical fiction, you will probably appreciate this book.

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Jul 19, 2011 Karin rated it 2 of 5 stars

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

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About Lenore Hart

Lenore Hart is the author ofWaterwoman, Ordinary Springs, The Treasure of Savage Island and Becky: The Life and Loves of Becky Thatcher. She teaches in the graduate creative writing program at Wilkes Univesity, and at the Norman Mailer Writers Colony in Cape Cod. She lives on the eastern shore of Virginia.

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Becky: The Life and Loves of Becky Thatcher

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Quotes from The Raven's Bride: A N...

“In the opera, there was only one great love for the characters. In... tales there was only one love as well - yes, even after death. Everything I had read or sung or felt said this was always the case. If you ignored this great truth, if you gave up on it of being too hard to hold on to, or let it slip away to have mere things, no real meaning could be left in life.” — 3 people liked it

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The Raven's Bride: A Novel

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