The Cask of Amondtillado - January 2020

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, was selected as our Monthly Short Story for January 2020. The discussion thread is located in the Monthly Short Story Folder:

Beware Short Story Discussions will have Spoilers.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I plan on rereading this first thing the morning of the 1st. This is one of the scariest short stories I've ever read.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

I will be there with you.

[Terry]

Waiting for my copy to arrive, but I am up for it right away.

[Jeanne]

I just finished Cask – and my review.

It seems that we should be reading Cask with Tell-tale Heart, as they seem two views of the same dilemma. I skimmed Tell-tale (again), but will probably read it more carefully in the coming days.

[Janet]

Finished this today. Madness and unreliability seem more accurate descriptors of the narrator than that of someone wanting revenge for being wronged. It was well written though.

[Annette]

I loved mysteries and scary stories as a young teen so my dad handed me the complete works of Poe. He said it was the scariest stuff he’d ever read. It was right up my alley. Reading this took me back. Glad it won.

[Cynda]

PBS Masterpiece televised a dark brooding biography of Poe, probably 2017. All I could find on YouTube were bits and pieces. This may be the best I found that will suit our purposes of knowing a bit of background.
https://youtu.be/MHr0N2pLk60

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Had to look this one up, as my Latin is lacking:

Nemo me impune lacessit (No one provokes me with impunity)
Montresor's motto states that no one will be able to act against me without worry of punishment.

Requiescat in pace is a Latin prayer meaning rest in peace. An example of requiescat in pace is what would be on someone's tombstone.

[Connie]

I loved this tightly written story. Montressor manipulates Fortunato since he is so proud of being a wine connoisseur. The atmosphere is cold, damp, dark, and macabre. I kept wondering if Montressor was really going to go through with his plans as the story progressed. Poe knows how to build up the terror.

[Franky]

I'm a big Poe fan and enjoy all his stories. I don't rank this one as high as some of his other classic tales, like "The Masque of the Red Death" or "The Fall of the House of Usher" (my personal favorite) or even his lesser known stories, but wow, this story packs a punch and the ending is always quite disturbing. I've read this story countless times and the ending I always find very haunting.

Jeanne, I agree about this one and The Tell Tale Heart, very similar in terms of mood and unreliable narrator aspects.

[Leslie]

I had never heard of this short story by Poe, so decided to read it as my first selection in my 2020 Group Reads Challenge. It is short so I read it quickly and felt disappointed at the ending. Where’s the twist? So I went back and re-read it more slowly and appreciated it much more. What a sly tale of revenge! The victim’s pride and insolence is used nicely against him and the revenger even warns his victim a number of times that he’s walking into a trap! I particularly liked the double meaning of the trowel. Great way to start 2020!

[Cynda]

I wonder if all sort of sneaky and horrid things happened when all the witnesses--the ever-present servants--were out of the way.

I know that fairs and carnivals--such as Mardi Gras--lend themselves to all kinds of street culture and street crime opportunities. I even know that New Orleans is infamous for its private parties. I just never really fully connected the dots about what could happen when the servants are away. Adds new meaning to the old saying: When the Cat is away, the Mouse will play.

[Seonaid]

I just finished this amazingly written story and I have got to say that it is certainly one of my favourite works by Edgar Allan Poe. I had to read it a couple of times in order to gain a better understanding of the language used, however once I did, I was able to truly appreciate the twisted nature of the story. I absolutely loved the naivety of Fortunato and the revenge-driven nature of Montresor. Although the story was a lot shorter than I had anticipated, it was a great read for a short trip.

[Pamela]

I enjoyed this although I agree with those who preferred 'The Tell Tale Heart'. It is certainly a chilling picture of a totally merciless revenge, and the ending is pretty disturbing.

[Terry]

My copy arrived last night and I read it this morning. While I appreciated the writing, like Pamela, I found this tale disturbing. But it ticked off a square in my Bingo challenge.

[John Dishwasher]

I like how Fortunato's vanity is juxtaposed with his attire as a fool. And I wonder how personal this was. It's totally the kind of story you would write if you really hated someone and wished you could kill them. Poe's sadism creeps me out more than the story itself.

[Pamela]

The choice of names was intriguing (and ironic) too - Fortunato who was anything but fortunate, and Montresor who was certainly no treasure!

[Shawn]

I should start by saying I do not normally read short stories; it's just something I have never really gotten into. I've also never really read anything by Poe. I recall reading a short story or two by Poe as a child / teenager and being creeped out by them. I honestly can't recall which stories they were. I have been meaning to read more stuff by Poe and recently picked up a collection of his poems and short stories, This was the perfect opportunity to jump right in.

I loved this story. The writing is very tight and the story progresses very efficiently. Even with the short length, Poe is able to generate strong feelings - at least he did for me. It seems every aspect of this story was well thought out, including the names and attire the characters wore.

Thank you for selecting this and getting me started in what I hope will be more short stories by Poe. After finishing this and reading the comments, I went back and read Tell Tale Heart, which I also enjoyed, but not quite as much as this one.

[Liesl]

Leslie wrote: "I had never heard of this short story by Poe, so decided to read it as my first selection in my 2020 Group Reads Challenge. It is short so I read it quickly and felt disappointed at the ending. Whe..."

I might have to go back and re-read the story in a couple of days as I also felt a little underwhelmed by it. It all seemed too easy for Montresor to trick Fortunato, especially the part where he (view spoiler)[ chains him to the wall (hide spoiler)].

Going by the explanation in Montresor's introduction, I'd have to consider the wrong unredressed.

[Rosemarie]

This is a reread and even creepier the second time around. Montresor has really planned well to carry out his revenge on Fortunato, whose luck has definitely run out.

[Kathleen]

John.Dishwasher wrote: "I like how Fortunato's vanity is juxtaposed with his attire as a fool. And I wonder how personal this was. It's totally the kind of story you would write if you really hated someone and wished you ..."

This is how I felt, John.Dishwasher! Gotta wonder about Poe.

Fortunato's outfit was my favorite part of the story. That and the Masonic references. Masonry and masonry and trowels and secret greetings to make sure you can trust your companion. All deliciously ironic.

I didn't like it as much as the Tell-tale Heart and some of his other stories though.

[J_BlueFlower]

I admire Poe’s compact style. How he sneak in a description of the cold, damp place in the dialogue while it looks like he is talking about Fortunato’s health. A master at work!

Some 30+ years ago I read everything I could find that was translated into Danish. I want to read all of the Tells in English someday. I hope (but don’t really believe) there could be a story I never read before. I would definitely support a complete Tells/complete short stories/.... as a group read.

[Sara, New School Classics]

I have read this story a dozen times and thought I would take away nothing new...imagine my surprise when it dawned on me (for the first time) that they were young. (view spoiler)[ For half a century
now no human hand has touched them. (hide spoiler)] Of course I always knew what that meant, but I never stopped to think what that MEANT. All that hubris and pride they both exhibit is also the hubris and pride of youth, and Montresor has lived with this vile act for a lifetime.

One of the things I did always think about was what happened the day after, as a family sought Fortunato, as a mother, father, sister, lover lived with the reality that he just disappeared.

[Cynda]

Sara your loving heart opens mine. I never once had thought about Fortunato's family seeking him and not finding him. I just now dropped a tear for them. Thank you Sara.

[Milena]

John.Dishwasher wrote: "It's totally the kind of story you would write if you really hated someone and wished you could kill them. Poe's sadism creeps me out more than the story itself. "

John.Dishwasher, what I found creepy is that Montresor acted like that because he was sure of his impunity. It made me reflect upon human nature: would a human being be so good and honest if there were no punishment for wrong doing? Frightening.

[Milena]

Pamela wrote: "The choice of names was intriguing (and ironic) too - Fortunato who was anything but fortunate, and Montresor who was certainly no treasure!"

Oh Mon Trésor, I had missed it, Pamela :-)

[Milena]

Kathleen wrote: "Fortunato's outfit was my favorite part of the story. That and the Masonic references. Masonry and masonry and trowels and secret greetings to make sure you can trust your companion. All deliciously ironic."

I also like that part of the story, Kathleen

[Kathleen]

Milena wrote: "John.Dishwasher, what I found creepy is that Montresor acted like that because he was sure of his impunity. It made me reflect upon human nature: would a human being be so good and honest if there were no punishment for wrong doing? Frightening."

That is certainly frightening, Milena. I do believe (hope?) that there is a broad spectrum of human nature ...

[Kathleen]

Sara wrote: "I have read this story a dozen times and thought I would take away nothing new...imagine my surprise when it dawned on me (for the first time) that they were young.
For half a century
now no hum..."

I totally missed this Sara--and it does color the story differently. Thank you!

[Milena]

Kathleen wrote: " I do believe (hope?) that there is a broad spectrum of human nature ....

You are right Kathleen. Even in the darkest times of history, there always have been great people capable of good deeds.
Poe delved into the human dark side in his story. But I also believe there is a bright side too.

[MKay]

One of my favorites by Poe.

[Aria]

I haven’t read much of Poe so I was very excited to read a short story by him. When reading it I found myself trying to adapt to his style of writing while following the story. Even though it’s a short story, I felt it was filled with detail and emotion. I felt my hair standing when Montresor’s did. Little did I know, he was going to bury his friend alive. So scary.

[Sarah]

I really like Poe's stories (with one or two exceptions).
There's just something about his dark, frightening storytelling style that is fascinating to me.
I think because he uses tone and style to give you reason to feel the fear/uncertainty/darkness/whatever, without any sort of flat out monster jumping out at you (unless you count what happens in Fall of the House of Usher....).
He does NOT skip detail in his short stories, which I think gives them a richness that short stories can sometimes lack.

Agree with others that I don't rank this higher than The Tell-Tale Heart, but it is still very good.


If you don't mind abridged versions, there is a great version of Christopher Lee reading this on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYtEG...
(If the link doesn't work, I'm sorry. I always seem to have issues with that here)

[Milena]

Sarah wrote: "If you don't mind abridged versions, there is a great version of Christopher Lee reading this on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYtEG...
(If the link doesn't work, I'm sorry. I always seem to have issues with that here)."

Thank you Sarah, the link works perfectly. :-)

[Milena]

There’s a strange feeling about watching Fortunato while Montresor is walling him up. Fortunato becomes terrifying to see. Montresor is horrified at the sight of Fortunato, as though watching the result of his cruelty turned into watching his own embodied evil, and not just a human being any longer. (If you look at things from this perspective, the fact that the last utterance from Fortunato is the jingling of his bells and not a human voice is absolute genius.) At that point Montresor cannot stop: he has to finish his nasty work.

[Sara, New School Classics]

Milena wrote: "There’s a strange feeling about watching Fortunato while Montresor is walling him up. Fortunato becomes terrifying to see. Montresor is horrified at the sight of Fortunato, as though watching the r..."

I so agree...the genius of Poe is his ability to make you feel the horror and that tinkling of the bells must have been a sound that Montresor would hear for the rest of his life with trepidation.

[Irphen]

I've read The Tell-Tale Heart as well and just finished The Cask of Amontillado and I must say I prefer the first one. Though this short story is pretty well written I think The Tell-Tale Heart is a bit more poetic in its writting and I really love that.

[Sarah]

Milena wrote: "Sarah wrote: "If you don't mind abridged versions, there is a great version of Christopher Lee reading this on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYtEG...
(If the link doesn't work, I'm sorry..."

Yay!
I'm normally at about a 75% failure rate on links, don't know why!


Milena wrote: "There’s a strange feeling about watching Fortunato while Montresor is walling him up. Fortunato becomes terrifying to see. Montresor is horrified at the sight of Fortunato, as though watching the r..."

Yeah, that is definitely horrifying.

[Milena]

Sara wrote: "that tinkling of the bells must have been a sound that Montresor would hear for the rest of his life with trepidation."

Absolutely. As you said: he is young, and he'll have time to understand how wrong revenge was.

[Milena]

Sarah wrote: "I'm normally at about a 75% failure rate on links, don't know why!"

:oD

[Francis]

I like the way that Fortunato's wine snobbery is used against him. This detail would work equally well in a modern story.

[Janet]

I'm currently reading Nickel Mountain by John Gardner and just found a reference to Fortunato - "He...took a deep breath of air but seemed to get none, like Fortunato in the basement."

[Cynda]

Ooohhhh.

[Sara, New School Classics]

Janet wrote: "I'm currently reading Nickel Mountain by John Gardner and just found a reference to Fortunato - "He...took a deep breath of air but seemed to get none, like Fortunato..."

I adore coming across such references. Thanks so much for sharing this one.

[Sarah]

Janet wrote: "I'm currently reading Nickel Mountain by John Gardner and just found a reference to Fortunato - "He...took a deep breath of air but seemed to get none, like Fortunato..."

When I was a senior in high school, we kept track of stuff like this in my AP English class. We called them "Connections" and there was a competition to see which class could find the most connections. It was fun while still making us think about the literature we were reading.

I still find myself actively looking for such things over a decade later, lol!

Thanks for sharing :)

[John Dishwasher]

Francis wrote: "I like the way that Fortunato's wine snobbery is used against him. This detail would work equally well in a modern story."

This made me wonder if Poe was venting some class prejudice in this. If I remember right, he started with nothing and ended up with little more than that.

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

"A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redesser." What a great line! When Poe writes he reaches intense levels of darkness.

Montresor is a perfect picture of spiteful vengence. The family Coat of Arms, a foot crushing a serpent is a perfect visual image.

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

John_Dishwasher wrote: "I like how Fortunato's vanity is juxtaposed with his attire as a fool. And I wonder how personal this was. It's totally the kind of story you would write if you really hated someone and wished you ..."

I love your observation about dressing the victim as a fool. Also as Pamela said Fortunato was not fortunate. Fortunato though could indicate class status and part of the murder motive could be class envy.

[Shirley (stampartiste)]

So many great observations have been made here. A little irreverent I know, but I couldn't help but think of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings when thinking of Montresor (My treasure)'s name, or as Gollum would have said "My precious". 😄. Both were a little bent on revenge.

As I was reading this story, I kept thinking of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. There is a section in this novel where the Count rescues his friend Albert de Morcef from bandits, who had taken him to the catacombs outside Rome, Italy. Coincidentally, it was also carnival season, and the Count and Albert were wearing costumes. At first, I thought that Poe might have been influenced by Dumas' novel, but again coincidentally, both Dumas' novel and Poe's short story were published in 1846! Amazing!