Edgar Allan Poe

Bloom's Classic Critical Views

by Harold Bloom, Kay Cornelius

-- A biographical and critical review of the world's most important writers
-- A wealth of information on the writers that are most commonly read in high schools, colleges, and universitiesThe lives of the greatest writers of the world are explored in the series "Bloom's BioCritiques." In addition to a lengthy biography of important writers from Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare to J.D. Salinger and John Steinbeck, each book includes an extensive critical analysis of the writer's work, as well as critical views by important literary critics throughout history. The "Bloom's BioCritiques" series is edited by the preeminent literary critic of our time, Harold Bloom; these volumes are the perfect introduction to critical study of the important authors currently read and discussed in high schools, colleges, and graduate schools.
-- User's guide
-- Biography of the writer and chronology of his or her life
-- An in-depth critical analysis of the writer, detailing style, important symbols, themes, and ideas in his or her major works
-- Supporting critical essays from some of the world's leading critics
-- A complete bibliography of the writer's works
-- A list of critical works about the writer and his or her work
-- An index of themes and ideas in the writer's work

Often considered the founding father of horror, Poe lived a life full of depression and despair.

Genres: Poetry, Literary Criticism

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a Biography and Critical Analysis, which I mistakenly took to mean more of his writings in addition to his story. In actuality while it mentions his writings the book is a critique on the man in the biography. It is very apparent that Bloom in particular really disliked Poe and only chose him because of how many Americans delighted in his work. The book mainly focuses on his "dark insanity" much of which gave some substance to what the reader could probably guess but without actual facts. As a lover of Poe's writings and a genuine interest in parts of his life that were not touched, I found the book ok but not great. If someone has such animosity toward who they're writing a critique about, it would have been better from someone (or someone's) less biased.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good collection of essays discussing Poe's writing. Harold Bloom's introduction is particularly interesting (and funny, though not intentionally, I think) because Bloom doesn't like Poe's work much (if at all) but at the same time says frankly that Poe is inescapable because he has influenced so much that came after him. The other writers assembled on the pages address aspects of Poe's writing with a great deal of thought.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of narratives on various topics found within Poe's works.