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The Lighthouse at the End of the World: A Novel
Blends fantasy, adventure, and mystery to present a fictional account of the life of Edgar Allen Poe as seen through the eyes of Poe's legendary detective C. Auguste Dupin
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
12 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Marlowe
193 books26 followersAka Milton S. Lesser, Adam Chase, Andrew Frazer, Jason Ridgway, C.H. Thames.
Stephen Marlowe (1928–2008) was the author of more than fifty novels, including nearly two dozen featuring globe-trotting private eye Chester Drum. Born Milton Lesser, Marlowe was raised in Brooklyn and attended the College of William and Mary. After several years writing science fiction under his given name, he legally adopted his pen name, and began focusing on Chester Drum, the Washington-based detective who first appeared in The Second Longest Night (1955).
Although a private detective akin to Raymond Chandler’s characters, Drum was distinguished by his jet-setting lifestyle, which carried him to various exotic locales from Mecca to South America. These espionage-tinged stories won Marlowe acclaim, and he produced more than one a year before ending the series in 1968. After spending the 1970s writing suspense novels like The Summit (1970) and The Cawthorn Journals (1975), Marlowe turned to scholarly historical fiction. He lived much of his life abroad, in Switzerland, Spain, and France, and died in Virginia in 2008.
Marlowe received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 1997.
Stephen Marlowe (1928–2008) was the author of more than fifty novels, including nearly two dozen featuring globe-trotting private eye Chester Drum. Born Milton Lesser, Marlowe was raised in Brooklyn and attended the College of William and Mary. After several years writing science fiction under his given name, he legally adopted his pen name, and began focusing on Chester Drum, the Washington-based detective who first appeared in The Second Longest Night (1955).
Although a private detective akin to Raymond Chandler’s characters, Drum was distinguished by his jet-setting lifestyle, which carried him to various exotic locales from Mecca to South America. These espionage-tinged stories won Marlowe acclaim, and he produced more than one a year before ending the series in 1968. After spending the 1970s writing suspense novels like The Summit (1970) and The Cawthorn Journals (1975), Marlowe turned to scholarly historical fiction. He lived much of his life abroad, in Switzerland, Spain, and France, and died in Virginia in 2008.
Marlowe received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 1997.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 27, 2017
Lots to enjoy--multiple story lines, dreams within dreams, excellent dialogue and prose. I grew up enthralled by Eddie, and imagine the man must have had his quirks. Hints to his works are plentiful, and the read is richer for recognizing them.
February 11, 2013
This book is not for the those looking to be numbed by entertainment. The multiple level story is a dream within a dream within a dream and the story lines are tangled and difficult to sort out.i walked away not quite sure of what I had read feeling like I somehow "missed the point".
So 4 stars seems high for a book that left confused and unsatisfied right? Well, it might have been if I reviewed immediately after reading but I didn't. Instead, I read this over 10 years ago and proceeded to forget about it for most of a decade until last weekend when I watched "the Raven" (another piece of fiction using Poe as a main character) and while I enjoyed the movie; I didn't love the dramatized Poe, he wasn't quite neurotic enough. He was disconnected from his writings. Suddenly, I remembered this very book, in fact I distinctly remembered a scene between Poe and his child bride. The clarity of the memory made me realize that I had, indeed, read amazing book. I confuse story lines or get hazy on the details of some of my favorite books as time passes. Yet, I plucked this one out after many years, definitely bumps the score.
I loved the Poe of this book, I realize that it is highly fictional but alas it's the Poe that I imagine would be necessary to write a work like The Pit and The Pendulum. Where does such a dark and lovely story originate from? I tend to believe the line between genius and insane is hazy at best and how history will remember you depends somewhat on the luck.
Overall, it's a tragic book, but it has all the mystery and dread and shock of any good work of Poe. A fitting tribute to a master of American horror.
So 4 stars seems high for a book that left confused and unsatisfied right? Well, it might have been if I reviewed immediately after reading but I didn't. Instead, I read this over 10 years ago and proceeded to forget about it for most of a decade until last weekend when I watched "the Raven" (another piece of fiction using Poe as a main character) and while I enjoyed the movie; I didn't love the dramatized Poe, he wasn't quite neurotic enough. He was disconnected from his writings. Suddenly, I remembered this very book, in fact I distinctly remembered a scene between Poe and his child bride. The clarity of the memory made me realize that I had, indeed, read amazing book. I confuse story lines or get hazy on the details of some of my favorite books as time passes. Yet, I plucked this one out after many years, definitely bumps the score.
I loved the Poe of this book, I realize that it is highly fictional but alas it's the Poe that I imagine would be necessary to write a work like The Pit and The Pendulum. Where does such a dark and lovely story originate from? I tend to believe the line between genius and insane is hazy at best and how history will remember you depends somewhat on the luck.
Overall, it's a tragic book, but it has all the mystery and dread and shock of any good work of Poe. A fitting tribute to a master of American horror.
September 8, 2019
This is a 2 star not because it was bad but because I think this book told the wrong story. As imaginative as this interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe's life was, Nola was definitely a way more interesting character, at least the way the book presented her. I wish the last 50 pages had been the bulk of the book with the previous 200+ condensed to something else - perhaps more background than main plot.
I would have enjoyed much more the alternate universe adventures of Poe and Nola rather than a slightly roundabout interpretation of most of Poe's life with also some adventure kind of slapped on at the end.
I would have enjoyed much more the alternate universe adventures of Poe and Nola rather than a slightly roundabout interpretation of most of Poe's life with also some adventure kind of slapped on at the end.
March 15, 2008
A strange fantasy that combines actual events in Edgar Allen Poe's life with fantastical events. During the last week of Poe's life, something clearly strange happens, as other histories and alternate versions of events intrude on his own timeline. Or has he just gone mad, due to a lifetime of too much drink and emotional strain? Don't go into this expecting a clear, linear plot that ties itself up neatly at the end. Do expect excellent writing and a complete blur of fact and fiction.
January 16, 2018
This book was not at all what I expected. I’m a huge fan of Poe, so I was interested to see what this author’s take on his mysterious death was. Yawn. Poe himself could have been completely left out of this tame action-adventure tale. Part of me wants to think it’s just above my head, but the other part doesn’t think so. Anyway, I skimmed the last 20 pages because it was boring me to death. The parts that were based on actual events (though fictionalized) were interesting, but the rest was so hard to slog through. I understand what the author was doing, it just didn’t work for me. This highly-fantasized “what actually happened? Did any of it even happen?” didn’t even feel true to the real-life Poe. Why not explore his actual last words? I’m sorry I wasted my time on this.
July 24, 2012
This novel is a mess. It is a perfect example of what Poe himself called "obscurity for obscurity's sake." The "fantasy" segments of the book are simply unreadable--impenetrable, meaningless hallucinatory sequences that do nothing but bore the reader.
The "biographical" portion is not much better. It strays way too far from the known facts about Poe's life to make this part of the book involving or believable. I give Marlowe some credit for being one of the few writers willing to give Poe's wife Virginia a personality, (albeit a somewhat irritating one.) Poe's marriage is at first presented as a "normal," loving partnership, but their relationship takes a rather sick turn (I'm surprised no review of the book I've seen mentions this.) Virginia, who has been unable to have marital relations since she fell ill with consumption, claims she wants Poe to take mistresses--and wants to know all about it! The love-starved Poe visits a brothel--with no, uh, results--and later abruptly enters into an almost-adulterous affair with the airheaded, predatory poetess Fanny Osgood. This is a particularly incongruous and repellent storyline that does not match any account anyone ever gave of his relationship with Osgood. It even culminates with Virginia turning to forgery, for the love of Pete.
It's a shame, really. Marlowe had some writing talent, and if he had not tried so excruciatingly hard to create "art," and had simply stuck to reality and written a straight biographical novel about Poe, he might have come up with something genuinely compelling. As it is, however, reading "Lighthouse" gives you neither insight into the real Poe or an enjoyable fantasy. In short, it's a complete waste of time.
(A Postscript: Does anyone else remember an old "Rockford Files" episode that made frequent mention of a novel called "Freefall to Ecstasy?" It was the first thing I thought of when I finished with this book.)
The "biographical" portion is not much better. It strays way too far from the known facts about Poe's life to make this part of the book involving or believable. I give Marlowe some credit for being one of the few writers willing to give Poe's wife Virginia a personality, (albeit a somewhat irritating one.) Poe's marriage is at first presented as a "normal," loving partnership, but their relationship takes a rather sick turn (I'm surprised no review of the book I've seen mentions this.) Virginia, who has been unable to have marital relations since she fell ill with consumption, claims she wants Poe to take mistresses--and wants to know all about it! The love-starved Poe visits a brothel--with no, uh, results--and later abruptly enters into an almost-adulterous affair with the airheaded, predatory poetess Fanny Osgood. This is a particularly incongruous and repellent storyline that does not match any account anyone ever gave of his relationship with Osgood. It even culminates with Virginia turning to forgery, for the love of Pete.
It's a shame, really. Marlowe had some writing talent, and if he had not tried so excruciatingly hard to create "art," and had simply stuck to reality and written a straight biographical novel about Poe, he might have come up with something genuinely compelling. As it is, however, reading "Lighthouse" gives you neither insight into the real Poe or an enjoyable fantasy. In short, it's a complete waste of time.
(A Postscript: Does anyone else remember an old "Rockford Files" episode that made frequent mention of a novel called "Freefall to Ecstasy?" It was the first thing I thought of when I finished with this book.)
October 5, 2011
"She called across the gulf separating us, called questions I could not hear. They were a test. To answer incorrectly would have terrible consequences. I flung random yesses and noes at her, hoping for the best. The yesses sounded like cell doors opening, the noes like cell doors slamming shut."
This book wove an evocative, enveloping psychological milieu.
This book wove an evocative, enveloping psychological milieu.
April 10, 2013
A wonderful interpretation of Poe's life, but if you are not a Poe fan, you will neither enjoy it or even understand it.
I read this years ago when it was first published and it remains one of the few physical books that I still own, having gravitated almost completely to my Kindle. A rare five star in my opinion and worth a read.
I read this years ago when it was first published and it remains one of the few physical books that I still own, having gravitated almost completely to my Kindle. A rare five star in my opinion and worth a read.
September 23, 2024
This is a biography Poe himself would have loved. Marlowe takes the reader on a deeply cerebral and imaginative journey through some of his own fiction into the parallax view of Poe's mind in the last four days during which he was dying. Marlowe calls into question the idea of only one "self" existing in the human mind, and uses a gorgeous metaphor, a broken kaleidoscope, to represent Poe's psyche.
A remarkable metaacidsurrealist hypothetical tome
A remarkable metaacidsurrealist hypothetical tome
September 16, 2020
This book is a pretty amazing journey for a Poe fan. It recounts the last days of Poe's life, which turns out to be a fascinating internal journey of many of his favorite works. I'm not sure what someone who's lukewarm to Poe would think, but I truly enjoyed it.
August 10, 2017
A waste of my time. I thought I would try reading fiction for a change, but this book makes me want to go back to non fiction.
January 30, 2019
Not sure. I think I need to read more Poe and then 're-read this book.
January 12, 2020
Very different; you need to concentrate to keep the two stories straight in your mind. Worth persevering.
June 17, 2022
This was a little hard for me to follow at times. But very intriguing.
July 3, 2022
Sometimes anywhere is better than here...For what is anywhere but another here, waiting to happen?
January 2, 2025
Struggled with this one. Something compelled me enough to keep reading, but I wasn't invested in it. The story fell flat.
September 18, 2015
To the one who comes after me;
It’s entirely possible that person could be me. Again. Yet for this book, I quite seriously doubt it.
This was a most unusual book and a difficult read because of it. In fact, this book would have been better executed as a movie. I never thought I would actually say that about a book, but in this case it’s true. It’s almost like the movie Shutter Island where you’re not quite sure what’s going on until the end. And even then you’re not entirely sure what’s what. Like the ending of the original Total Recall…was it real? Or was it a dream? Who can say for sure?
Overall, I understand and grasp what the author was trying to do but it came across as disjointed and clunky. I spent more time rereading sections of the book because I felt I had missed something only to find out several pages later that I hadn’t, it was just that the writer had purposely confused you. Or had attempted to mimic the tattered mind and thought process of a crazy individual. It’s a valid writing technique but in this case I believe poorly executed.
Someone else, you perhaps, might see it differently. If you can make sense of a hoarder’s home and organizational skills and don’t feel lost or overwhelmed after passing the same magazine stack for the fifth time…that was the same stack? Right? Hmm…well if you’re ok with that, then you might be able to enjoy this book.
Alas, I didn’t enjoy this novel so much as the idea of surviving it. I’m stubborn like that.
Someone else said of this book, ‘you don’t read it looking to be numbed by entertainment’. I couldn’t agree more since you read for two reasons: either to learn or to be entertained. Since this book is Historical Fantasy, it’s clearly not meant to be educational. So that leaves entertainment as the other alternative. While it is brain numbing, after while this story loses any entertainment value pretty quickly.
While this story captures significant historical points of Poe’s life, references many of his works, and even the mystery surrounding the end of his life and his last work (The Lighthouse), this novel does little to capture the essence of Poe the writer of the macabre.
I will say this though, the author did manage to capture something of Poe and create a sort of tribute that few others have been able to do. Poe was known to have a fondness for cryptography and even wrote about it in some of his stories such as ‘The Gold Bug’. Here in this novel (‘The Lighthouse at the End of the World’) the author has created a book that is in itself a cipher in need of decoding.
It’s entirely possible that person could be me. Again. Yet for this book, I quite seriously doubt it.
This was a most unusual book and a difficult read because of it. In fact, this book would have been better executed as a movie. I never thought I would actually say that about a book, but in this case it’s true. It’s almost like the movie Shutter Island where you’re not quite sure what’s going on until the end. And even then you’re not entirely sure what’s what. Like the ending of the original Total Recall…was it real? Or was it a dream? Who can say for sure?
Overall, I understand and grasp what the author was trying to do but it came across as disjointed and clunky. I spent more time rereading sections of the book because I felt I had missed something only to find out several pages later that I hadn’t, it was just that the writer had purposely confused you. Or had attempted to mimic the tattered mind and thought process of a crazy individual. It’s a valid writing technique but in this case I believe poorly executed.
Someone else, you perhaps, might see it differently. If you can make sense of a hoarder’s home and organizational skills and don’t feel lost or overwhelmed after passing the same magazine stack for the fifth time…that was the same stack? Right? Hmm…well if you’re ok with that, then you might be able to enjoy this book.
Alas, I didn’t enjoy this novel so much as the idea of surviving it. I’m stubborn like that.
Someone else said of this book, ‘you don’t read it looking to be numbed by entertainment’. I couldn’t agree more since you read for two reasons: either to learn or to be entertained. Since this book is Historical Fantasy, it’s clearly not meant to be educational. So that leaves entertainment as the other alternative. While it is brain numbing, after while this story loses any entertainment value pretty quickly.
While this story captures significant historical points of Poe’s life, references many of his works, and even the mystery surrounding the end of his life and his last work (The Lighthouse), this novel does little to capture the essence of Poe the writer of the macabre.
I will say this though, the author did manage to capture something of Poe and create a sort of tribute that few others have been able to do. Poe was known to have a fondness for cryptography and even wrote about it in some of his stories such as ‘The Gold Bug’. Here in this novel (‘The Lighthouse at the End of the World’) the author has created a book that is in itself a cipher in need of decoding.
January 5, 2015
Kā izdevuma latviešu valodā pēcvārdā norādījis V.Freibergs, šis romāns ir Edgara Alana Po "radošs dzīves pārstāsts". Grāmatas pirmās 2/3 tiešām ir viegli lasāms un interesants gabals, kas šķietami atklāj tā gadsimta iezīmes, radošā darba aizkulises un nemitīgo trūkumu, kas pavada Edgara Alana Po centienus iztikt tikai ar ienākumiem no radošās darbības (pirmais, kas ko tādu mēģinājis), paralēli lielāko daļu vienkārši nodzerot.
Lai arī romāna sākumā tiek solīts, ka tiks vēstīts par autora dzīves pēdējām 5 (ja nemaldos) dienām, darbā nepārtraukti notiek mētāšanās laikā, bet pēdējā 1/3 - arī fantāzijās un halucinācijās. Uz beigām jau kļūst grūti izprast notikumu attīstības secību un nodalīt Edgara Alana Po iztēli no īstenības. Rodas sajūta, ka autors nolicis priekšā lasītājam pašam saliekamu puzli, un tos, kas nav spējuši puzli salikt, vienkārši soda kā neprašas, atstājot viņus mūžīgā neziņā. Grāmatu nobeidzu ar piespiešanos, tas arī atņēma darbam trešo zvaigzni. Tomēr interesi par šāda žanra literatūru Mārlovs manī ir radījis. Būs jāpamēģina arī Peter Ackroyd "Dikenss".
Lai arī romāna sākumā tiek solīts, ka tiks vēstīts par autora dzīves pēdējām 5 (ja nemaldos) dienām, darbā nepārtraukti notiek mētāšanās laikā, bet pēdējā 1/3 - arī fantāzijās un halucinācijās. Uz beigām jau kļūst grūti izprast notikumu attīstības secību un nodalīt Edgara Alana Po iztēli no īstenības. Rodas sajūta, ka autors nolicis priekšā lasītājam pašam saliekamu puzli, un tos, kas nav spējuši puzli salikt, vienkārši soda kā neprašas, atstājot viņus mūžīgā neziņā. Grāmatu nobeidzu ar piespiešanos, tas arī atņēma darbam trešo zvaigzni. Tomēr interesi par šāda žanra literatūru Mārlovs manī ir radījis. Būs jāpamēģina arī Peter Ackroyd "Dikenss".
May 14, 2013
Stephan Marlowe writes a diverse and complex compilation of events in Edgar Allen Poe's life. The storys main base tells of Poe's life and his struggles of taking grasp of his own life and thoughts. It takes place in many locations including Baltimore, Philidelphia, and Paris. As the story goes on Poe loses his grasp on reality and eventually goes insane due to his lack of understanding what is real and his imagination. I would recommend this book to a very knowledgable reader who can keep up with the setting and storyline changing almost constantly. It was a very good story with a format that was hard to follow and I did not like very well.
October 20, 2013
The first half, even two thirds, of this were wonderful and captivating. I loved how it was almost confusing in its execution, causing the reader to really question where the narrative is in time, and whether the new chapter has moved us backwards, forwards, or to a new perspective entirely.
However, the last part of the book was too artistic so as to be indecipherable, except for Poe scholars.
I enjoyed learning more about Poe through this and thought it was a good piece of historical fiction.
However, the last part of the book was too artistic so as to be indecipherable, except for Poe scholars.
I enjoyed learning more about Poe through this and thought it was a good piece of historical fiction.
December 18, 2012
Though it was an extraordinary novel, often enlightening and an insightful look into the dark life of Poe, it was a difficult novel to follow. It was often difficult to sort out the speaker, at times Poe, at other times Poe as spoken by one of his characters such as Inspector Dupin, and other times a narrator.
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January 29, 2020gets a bit too indiana jones-ish towards the end. that in and of itself is not a bad thing but it made this particular story a wee bit too aimless for me. liked the dupin/poe exchanges and the parts that focused on the relationship with virginia clemm.
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May 10, 2008I can't believe I read this whole book. I really don't have a real grasp of even exactly what was happening.
September 22, 2008
This is one of those books that's a puzzle to play with as you read it. Weird, but something I enjoyed a bunch.
November 21, 2008
Surrealistic take on the final fate of Edgar Allan Poe
February 10, 2011
Written in 1955, this is probably the best book seen to date. Very rich, impossibly engaging and still present in musings...
June 28, 2011
A good book for fans of Edgar Allen Poe but a bit confusing for the rest of us. Clearly based on Poe's life, with imaginative additions.
July 31, 2013
Couldn't put this one down... Excellent!
July 11, 2015
For any fan of Poe, or just intricately layered storytelling.
November 4, 2015
Hard to follow at times but it all got tied together in the end. Apparently Poe's last week was not a good one for him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews