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Tales of Mystery and Terror
A man visits his friend, Roderick Usher, who lies ill in a gloomy estate. Spooky events inside and outside the house escalate into a terrifying conclusion to the physical and ancestral House of Usher. This is a must-have collection of stories from Edgar Allan Poe, legendary author of Gothic mysteries.
Library Binding
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Edgar Allan Poe
10.7k books29.7k followersThe name Poe brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. His works have been in print since 1827 and include such literary classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. This versatile writer’s oeuvre includes short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and hundreds of essays and book reviews. He is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the modern detective story and an innovator in the science fiction genre, but he made his living as America’s first great literary critic and theoretician. Poe’s reputation today rests primarily on his tales of terror as well as on his haunting lyric poetry.
Just as the bizarre characters in Poe’s stories have captured the public imagination so too has Poe himself. He is seen as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles. This is the Poe of legend. But much of what we know about Poe is wrong, the product of a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to defame the author’s name.
The real Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Edgar was the second of three children. His other brother William Henry Leonard Poe would also become a poet before his early death, and Poe’s sister Rosalie Poe would grow up to teach penmanship at a Richmond girls’ school. Within three years of Poe’s birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe’s siblings went to live with other families. Mr. Allan would rear Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had dreams of being a writer in emulation of his childhood hero the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in a young Poe’s handwriting on the backs of Allan’s ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_al...
Just as the bizarre characters in Poe’s stories have captured the public imagination so too has Poe himself. He is seen as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles. This is the Poe of legend. But much of what we know about Poe is wrong, the product of a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to defame the author’s name.
The real Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Edgar was the second of three children. His other brother William Henry Leonard Poe would also become a poet before his early death, and Poe’s sister Rosalie Poe would grow up to teach penmanship at a Richmond girls’ school. Within three years of Poe’s birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe’s siblings went to live with other families. Mr. Allan would rear Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had dreams of being a writer in emulation of his childhood hero the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in a young Poe’s handwriting on the backs of Allan’s ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_al...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
May 31, 2018
A collection both concise and consistent. A great introduction to Poe, with famous gems and lesser-known surprises. So now I’m at a satisfying degree of spookedness.
October 14, 2026
Ja also der Herr hatte schon ein recht tragisches Leben, aber diagnosed war er wohl nicht. Das Internet sagt „Sein Ruf als vermeintlich wahnsinniger, düsterer Sonderling entstand durch eine Kombination aus mehreren Faktoren“. Das mag so sein, aber für ein Tales of Terror Buch, war der Gruselfaktor jetzt nicht wie ich mir das vorgestellt habe. Ich bin da aber auch nicht vom Fach, wenden sie sich für professionelle Einschätzung bitte an Frau Riesch🥸
February 4, 2013
This review is written in Bahasa
Melanjutkan membaca setelah sekian lama aku abaikan karena tergoda oleh judul lain. Dan baru kusadari bahwa aku suka dengan buku ini. Memang, Kisah-Kisah Tengah Malam adalah karya Poe pertamaku. Aku membacanya karena ada salah satu cerita yang sering aku temui di soal latihan maupun ujian Bahasa Inggris semasa aku SMA dahulu. Tidak ada salahnya kalau aku ingin mengetahui keseluruhan cerita tersebut.
Temanya gelap, gothic, sesuai dengan judul kumpulan cerpen ini. Dan memang, menurutku menghadirkan kesan menyeramkan, yang akan membuat para pembacanya bergidik.
Yang unik dari kisah ini adalah semua, 13 cerpen, ditulis dari sudut pandang orang pertama. Awalnya, pembaca akan dibimbing seakan-akan sosok "Aku" adalah pencerita yang tahu segalanya. Namun dibalik itu, pembaca secara perlahan akan merasa bahwa si "Aku" ini adalah obyek utama dalam cerita. Menurutku, semua tokoh "Aku" adalah mereka yang sakit jiwa, mereka yang secara tidak sadar menciptakan aura horor dan hal-hal gaib.
Bukan, buku ini bukan buki hantu-hantuan. Melainkan, memperlihatkan sosok jahat manusia jika tidak dikendalikan. Apa yang terjadi jika emosi negatif tidak berusaha dikontrol.
Poe juga sedikit menyiratkan tentang sifat buruk mamusia dalam cerpen-cerpennya yang terangkun dalam buku ini. Buatku, ini adalah bentuk bacaan baru. Bacaan gelap, bukan satir. Patut dicoba!
Melanjutkan membaca setelah sekian lama aku abaikan karena tergoda oleh judul lain. Dan baru kusadari bahwa aku suka dengan buku ini. Memang, Kisah-Kisah Tengah Malam adalah karya Poe pertamaku. Aku membacanya karena ada salah satu cerita yang sering aku temui di soal latihan maupun ujian Bahasa Inggris semasa aku SMA dahulu. Tidak ada salahnya kalau aku ingin mengetahui keseluruhan cerita tersebut.
Temanya gelap, gothic, sesuai dengan judul kumpulan cerpen ini. Dan memang, menurutku menghadirkan kesan menyeramkan, yang akan membuat para pembacanya bergidik.
Yang unik dari kisah ini adalah semua, 13 cerpen, ditulis dari sudut pandang orang pertama. Awalnya, pembaca akan dibimbing seakan-akan sosok "Aku" adalah pencerita yang tahu segalanya. Namun dibalik itu, pembaca secara perlahan akan merasa bahwa si "Aku" ini adalah obyek utama dalam cerita. Menurutku, semua tokoh "Aku" adalah mereka yang sakit jiwa, mereka yang secara tidak sadar menciptakan aura horor dan hal-hal gaib.
Bukan, buku ini bukan buki hantu-hantuan. Melainkan, memperlihatkan sosok jahat manusia jika tidak dikendalikan. Apa yang terjadi jika emosi negatif tidak berusaha dikontrol.
Poe juga sedikit menyiratkan tentang sifat buruk mamusia dalam cerpen-cerpennya yang terangkun dalam buku ini. Buatku, ini adalah bentuk bacaan baru. Bacaan gelap, bukan satir. Patut dicoba!
April 23, 2012
I first purchased this collection of Poe stories about ten years ago, and only got around to reading it this year. I guess you could call that Poe-crastination. ;P
Um, anyway...
I enjoyed this inexpensive collection. (I paid $2.99 for it, back in the day). There are only thirteen stories, but there's enough of a diverse range of tales presented here to get a sense of how *different* one Poe story could be from another. Sometimes, it seems genuinely odd that the same author who penned the magnificent "The Black Cat" also wrote the eye-rollingly bad "The Pit and the Pendulum". The Gothic horror of "The Fall of the House of Usher" is complemented by the Kafkaesque "William Wilson", the grim "The Masque of the Red Death" countered with the satiric "Some Words With a Mummy."
Obviously, there are other, more comprehensive Poe collections out there. This collection could have been improved by including some of the author's poetry and nonfiction. But, overall, this is a good, basic sampling of the work of the man who is arguably America's greatest horror author of all time.
Um, anyway...
I enjoyed this inexpensive collection. (I paid $2.99 for it, back in the day). There are only thirteen stories, but there's enough of a diverse range of tales presented here to get a sense of how *different* one Poe story could be from another. Sometimes, it seems genuinely odd that the same author who penned the magnificent "The Black Cat" also wrote the eye-rollingly bad "The Pit and the Pendulum". The Gothic horror of "The Fall of the House of Usher" is complemented by the Kafkaesque "William Wilson", the grim "The Masque of the Red Death" countered with the satiric "Some Words With a Mummy."
Obviously, there are other, more comprehensive Poe collections out there. This collection could have been improved by including some of the author's poetry and nonfiction. But, overall, this is a good, basic sampling of the work of the man who is arguably America's greatest horror author of all time.
October 10, 2025
Vaya sorpresa que me he llevado con los cuentos de Poe. Siempre tuve la idea de que sus obras eran conocidas por el horror que destilaban. Para ser honestos, no fui más lejos y no indagué a profundidad sobre su obra. Solo sabia que era un escritor famoso, ahí paraba la cosa.
Habiendo leído esta recopilación de cuentos, he descubierto la sorprendente profundidad con la que desarrolla los personajes, la arquitectura psicológica y su exploración fue algo que me dejó anonadado. Sobre todo el simbolismo, la construcción de ambientes para poner en relieve sus ideas e intenciones, revelando así las complejidades del miedo (como este puede distorsionar en muchas veces la percepción de la realidad), la culpa, la crisis de identidad, la feroz lucha interna de la conciencia humana, la venganza, la inexorabilidad de la muerte y la naturalidad de la crueldad (fue los que identifiqué, estoy seguro que hay más)
En cuanto a la escritura, puedo decir que es meticulosa, precisa y acertada, un inglés pulido (supongo que así se hablaba y se escribía en la época, como sucedía con otras lenguas como el español).
Si invito a su lectura no esperen horrorizarse con sus cuentos, sino más bien descubrir la complexidad del lado oscuro de la experiencia humana.
Habiendo leído esta recopilación de cuentos, he descubierto la sorprendente profundidad con la que desarrolla los personajes, la arquitectura psicológica y su exploración fue algo que me dejó anonadado. Sobre todo el simbolismo, la construcción de ambientes para poner en relieve sus ideas e intenciones, revelando así las complejidades del miedo (como este puede distorsionar en muchas veces la percepción de la realidad), la culpa, la crisis de identidad, la feroz lucha interna de la conciencia humana, la venganza, la inexorabilidad de la muerte y la naturalidad de la crueldad (fue los que identifiqué, estoy seguro que hay más)
En cuanto a la escritura, puedo decir que es meticulosa, precisa y acertada, un inglés pulido (supongo que así se hablaba y se escribía en la época, como sucedía con otras lenguas como el español).
Si invito a su lectura no esperen horrorizarse con sus cuentos, sino más bien descubrir la complexidad del lado oscuro de la experiencia humana.
September 30, 2026
4⭐️
i rlyyy liked some of these but others weren't great sooo
rtc ig
(also sense when am i a person who reads classics hello?)
i rlyyy liked some of these but others weren't great sooo
rtc ig
(also sense when am i a person who reads classics hello?)
May 17, 2020
Hooter: Collection of Poe's macabre and gory short stories that make you Halloween ready
Part of Puffin's collection aimed at young adults, this is a great introduction to the world of Edgar Allan Poe. Reading his back story, you realise with how much ease he could spin this stuff up. His true life story is as macabre as his writings. Having said that, I found the language a mouthful to read and painful at times. Considering this is an abridged version of his writings to make it more palatable, I feel the reverse with the complex writing style being implemented that you lose the impact of the gripping terror that Poe wants to engulf you with. In some essence, the mystery and terror does reach out but doesn't really envelop you.
Part of Puffin's collection aimed at young adults, this is a great introduction to the world of Edgar Allan Poe. Reading his back story, you realise with how much ease he could spin this stuff up. His true life story is as macabre as his writings. Having said that, I found the language a mouthful to read and painful at times. Considering this is an abridged version of his writings to make it more palatable, I feel the reverse with the complex writing style being implemented that you lose the impact of the gripping terror that Poe wants to engulf you with. In some essence, the mystery and terror does reach out but doesn't really envelop you.
January 12, 2025
A great exploration of humanity's most primal fears, though not every story resonated with me personally. Some serve as chilling reflections on our deepest anxieties, while others provide glimpses into the everyday life of the mid-nineteenth century. Good short read!!!
June 21, 2024
This is a mix of fantastic classics and some.. not. Here's my review of each story:
The Sphinx - surprisingly funny, I loved the Lovecraftian "monster" and the horror and surprise of the narrator. ⭐⭐⭐
The Fall of the House of Usher - creepy and suspenseful, but I thought there would be more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Oval Portrait - a little Dorian Grey-esque. Not so spooky. ⭐⭐
MS Found in a Bottle - hard to follow, but good Lovecraftian vibes. ⭐⭐⭐
A Descent into the Maelström - not scary. Power of nature I guess? ⭐⭐
The Tell-Tale Heart - a classic for a reason. Great pacing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Oblong Box - excellent creeps. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Masque of the Red Death - amazing atmosphere. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hop-Frog - didn't know what to expect, very gruesome. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Some Words With A Mummy - I was not expecting Poe to be goofy. The second half is better. ⭐⭐⭐
William Wilson - doubles are creepy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Black Cat - excellent supernatural revenge. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Pit and the Pendulum - boring. ⭐⭐
The Sphinx - surprisingly funny, I loved the Lovecraftian "monster" and the horror and surprise of the narrator. ⭐⭐⭐
The Fall of the House of Usher - creepy and suspenseful, but I thought there would be more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Oval Portrait - a little Dorian Grey-esque. Not so spooky. ⭐⭐
MS Found in a Bottle - hard to follow, but good Lovecraftian vibes. ⭐⭐⭐
A Descent into the Maelström - not scary. Power of nature I guess? ⭐⭐
The Tell-Tale Heart - a classic for a reason. Great pacing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Oblong Box - excellent creeps. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Masque of the Red Death - amazing atmosphere. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hop-Frog - didn't know what to expect, very gruesome. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Some Words With A Mummy - I was not expecting Poe to be goofy. The second half is better. ⭐⭐⭐
William Wilson - doubles are creepy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Black Cat - excellent supernatural revenge. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Pit and the Pendulum - boring. ⭐⭐
August 30, 2026
Це був челенж «одне, як виявилося, нудне оповідання на день, яке мені треба читати уголос, щоб зрозуміти таку англійську».
Накинула зірочку за обкладинку, бо маю таке саме тату і це вайб
Накинула зірочку за обкладинку, бо маю таке саме тату і це вайб
January 12, 2026
I enjoyed The Gold-Bug and the adventure of searching for buried treasure. The graphics were pretty cool as well.
However, I found the other stories pretty grim and weird. Haven't read any Poe before aside from The Raven and after reading this book I probably won't.
However, I found the other stories pretty grim and weird. Haven't read any Poe before aside from The Raven and after reading this book I probably won't.
June 5, 2020
A work of a true auteur. We can his style and favorite concepts spill across different stories distinctly. For me The fall of house of Usher is a masterpiece! It captured the horror mood perfectly and is super thrilling with a great ending. Between tell tale heart and black cat I would pick the latter although the former is better worded , Black cat is just almost autobiographical in its authenticity. My personal favorite was William Wilson! I felt the writing was exquisite and the plot intriguing too. Pit and pendulum and hop frog were good too. While the other stories don’t get a special mention they also carry a special something which will let you know that you’re reading a Poe work if if the authors name is left blank. Loved it!
February 20, 2009
The first couple of stories weren't particularly interesting, but they seemed to get better after that. Most of them are more suspenseful than boring (though none are really scary) and the book is definitely worth reading if you like classic fiction.
November 11, 2011
I love Edgar Allan Poe's stories and this was no exception!
May 30, 2024
I've had this book for years. I thought it was time to read it, even if I don't really like short stories, I do like Poe. However, I've only read Pit and Pendulum, The Tell-tale Heart, and the Raven. Since I did enjoy those stories (back in high school) I thought that I would like some of Poe's other stories. Not really. With a lot of the stories, he was a bit too wordy or droned on and on about a house for no reason whatsoever. Since this is a book of short stories, I rated the whole book, but will briefly talk about each story.
The Sphinx. Wordy and a bit boring.
Fall of the House of Usher. There were pages and pages about the house and Usher and then very little of any real story. I found it boring and couldn't wait to finish it. This is a story that I recognized the title, had heard the name enough to think it was a good story, and couldn't wait to start it, only to have it feel as if it was a waste of my time to read it.
Oval Portrait. This one I rather liked and was surprised at the end.
MS Found in a Bottle. I couldn't read it fast enough. I liked this story.
A Descent into the Maelstrom. Another good one that I enjoyed reading. My favorite.
Tell-Tale Heart. Reread it, because I couldn't remember it. It was simply okay. I will never read it again.
Oblong Box. It seemed to drag every little thing out. I thought I had it figured out, then, it slipped a little surprise, and I couldn't wait to finish the story just to find out about the salt. If you know, you know, if you don't...maybe, read it?
Masque of the Red Death. It was just okay and wordy and I was a little bored reading it.
Hop-Frog. Had fun reading this, I just KNEW something was going to happen and it was still a surprise when it did. Or rather what did.
Some Words With A Mummy. Didn't like a single thing about this story. Had to make myself finish it.
William Wilson. To me, this was the worst of the lot. Not only bored, forced myself to finish it, but it seemed to drag out absolutely nothing over way too many pages. Ugh.
Black Cat. A pretty good read. Enjoyed reading it.
Pit and the Pendulum. Read it in High School, twice in collage, and again a few years ago, just didn't feel the need to read it again. It is one of my favorite stories or at least was until I read A Descent into the Maelstrom.
It's 2024 but, I used this book or rather the short stories to fulfill some Buzzwordathons.
2021 May buzzword; house or home
The Fall of the House of Usher
2021 June buzzword; name or titles
William Wilson
2022 July buzzword; bookish word (book, paper, library) I used Word
Some Words With a Mummy
2022 August buzzword; item or object (tree, house, clock, chair) Portrait
The Oval Portrait
2022 October buzzword; creatures or animals
The Black Cat
2023 August buzzword; body part (skin, flesh, bones, eyes)
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Sphinx. Wordy and a bit boring.
Fall of the House of Usher. There were pages and pages about the house and Usher and then very little of any real story. I found it boring and couldn't wait to finish it. This is a story that I recognized the title, had heard the name enough to think it was a good story, and couldn't wait to start it, only to have it feel as if it was a waste of my time to read it.
Oval Portrait. This one I rather liked and was surprised at the end.
MS Found in a Bottle. I couldn't read it fast enough. I liked this story.
A Descent into the Maelstrom. Another good one that I enjoyed reading. My favorite.
Tell-Tale Heart. Reread it, because I couldn't remember it. It was simply okay. I will never read it again.
Oblong Box. It seemed to drag every little thing out. I thought I had it figured out, then, it slipped a little surprise, and I couldn't wait to finish the story just to find out about the salt. If you know, you know, if you don't...maybe, read it?
Masque of the Red Death. It was just okay and wordy and I was a little bored reading it.
Hop-Frog. Had fun reading this, I just KNEW something was going to happen and it was still a surprise when it did. Or rather what did.
Some Words With A Mummy. Didn't like a single thing about this story. Had to make myself finish it.
William Wilson. To me, this was the worst of the lot. Not only bored, forced myself to finish it, but it seemed to drag out absolutely nothing over way too many pages. Ugh.
Black Cat. A pretty good read. Enjoyed reading it.
Pit and the Pendulum. Read it in High School, twice in collage, and again a few years ago, just didn't feel the need to read it again. It is one of my favorite stories or at least was until I read A Descent into the Maelstrom.
It's 2024 but, I used this book or rather the short stories to fulfill some Buzzwordathons.
2021 May buzzword; house or home
The Fall of the House of Usher
2021 June buzzword; name or titles
William Wilson
2022 July buzzword; bookish word (book, paper, library) I used Word
Some Words With a Mummy
2022 August buzzword; item or object (tree, house, clock, chair) Portrait
The Oval Portrait
2022 October buzzword; creatures or animals
The Black Cat
2023 August buzzword; body part (skin, flesh, bones, eyes)
The Tell-Tale Heart
April 25, 2022
I read this book in a translated version to my native language. So my review is influenced by how the words and sentences are arranged in my language, and I found some words in translated version is not powerful enough to impress me.
It’s an interesting book of short stories as a whole, though I must admit I only enjoy some stories (The Tell-Tale Heart, The Oblong Box, William Wilson, and Pit and Pendulum). Basically it’s a psychological thriller, a redefinition of “terror” from Poe’s perspective. Those stories make us wonder what’s the meaning of terror and horror after all? It’s more than supernatural thing, it’s actually what we might feel under unknown, uncertain circumstances.
MS Found in A Bottle and A Descent Into A Maelstorm are clever examples of what terror is, how the narrators face the unstable nature of the sea. Though I found these stories made me fell asleep halfway through.
Though I might not enjoy some of his works, Poe’s way of writing and his definition of the terms of “horror”, “terror”, “mystery”, definitely worth thumbs up
It’s an interesting book of short stories as a whole, though I must admit I only enjoy some stories (The Tell-Tale Heart, The Oblong Box, William Wilson, and Pit and Pendulum). Basically it’s a psychological thriller, a redefinition of “terror” from Poe’s perspective. Those stories make us wonder what’s the meaning of terror and horror after all? It’s more than supernatural thing, it’s actually what we might feel under unknown, uncertain circumstances.
MS Found in A Bottle and A Descent Into A Maelstorm are clever examples of what terror is, how the narrators face the unstable nature of the sea. Though I found these stories made me fell asleep halfway through.
Though I might not enjoy some of his works, Poe’s way of writing and his definition of the terms of “horror”, “terror”, “mystery”, definitely worth thumbs up
December 24, 2025
Oh Mr. Poe, I was unaware of your infinite skill with the pen. It has been a very long time since I have read Poe and I did not remember his writing at all. The way he crafts a story is absolutely magnificent. There are many tales by Poe and this novel contained 13 of them. I was particularly fond of "The Sphinx," "The Tell-Tale Heart," The Oblong Box," "The Masque of the Red Death" and "Some Words With a Mummy." I like the way the story builds up, with a climax at the very end that is typically horrific. The imagery is out of this world. Fun fact, in one of his short stories, he talks about the year 2045 and I believe it is crazy how Poe wrote about that year over 200 hundred years ago, and now we are only 20 years away from it! I really want to read more of his tales, including "The Raven." Poe died in Baltimore under mysterious circumstances, and I am from Baltimore. I love the connection.
September 12, 2026
It was my first time reading the works of Edgar Allan Poe. I must say, I can really see how he did inspire others (amongst them authors) with his storys. In this book you can get a good sense of what kind of stories he wrote. It did challenge me to an extend for english isn't my first language, but oh I really enjoyed the different writing style.
My personal top four in no peticular order are The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Oblong Box and Willaim Wilson.
I can really recommend the book, especially those stories, if you yearn to read something different then what we get these days. The stories are partially chilling, but most of all interesting. Especially if you keep in mind the context of the time they were written.
All in all, this read was a nice change from my usual. Take your time if you read it and really pay attention, make yourself comfortable as it fits to the seasons changing colder.
My personal top four in no peticular order are The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Oblong Box and Willaim Wilson.
I can really recommend the book, especially those stories, if you yearn to read something different then what we get these days. The stories are partially chilling, but most of all interesting. Especially if you keep in mind the context of the time they were written.
All in all, this read was a nice change from my usual. Take your time if you read it and really pay attention, make yourself comfortable as it fits to the seasons changing colder.
October 14, 2026
I'm very particular about what I read in October, and decided that reading a collection of Poe's work would be incredibly fitting for spooky/fall reads. There's a lot that stands out to me about the stories in this collection:
- Select stories blend satirical humor and unsettling circumstances very well.
- Shoutout Charleston being mentioned in "The Oblong Box".
- Explaining democracy and wigs to a 700-year-old+ Egyptian mummy was fantastic.
- "The Black Cat" was by far my favorite because I gasped multiple times.
- A lot of nautical horror is included which shocked me for some reason.
I revisited some stories that I had read before and came out with a few new favorites. Can't wait to read some more of Poe's tales.
- Select stories blend satirical humor and unsettling circumstances very well.
- Shoutout Charleston being mentioned in "The Oblong Box".
- Explaining democracy and wigs to a 700-year-old+ Egyptian mummy was fantastic.
- "The Black Cat" was by far my favorite because I gasped multiple times.
- A lot of nautical horror is included which shocked me for some reason.
I revisited some stories that I had read before and came out with a few new favorites. Can't wait to read some more of Poe's tales.
December 20, 2023
I just don’t get why people like this guy, I was so bored with these stories. There wasn’t anything wrong or bad just bland. I almost wish I hated them so I could point to something to say “this, this is why!” But nope, nothing. There’s a story called the sphinx in this collection and I’m a massive fan of ancient Egypt so I thought “ooh yeah this will give me something.” Nope bland. The tell-tale heart? Meh. Please give me something Poe. I beg of you.
If you see most of my reviews/ ratings you’ll know I love or hate things quite strongly, but I have no feelings towards this except for disappointment.
If you see most of my reviews/ ratings you’ll know I love or hate things quite strongly, but I have no feelings towards this except for disappointment.
October 11, 2026
This collection has some pretty interesting stories, like The Black Cat, William Wilson, and the one about the psychopath (which was genuinely disturbing). Some of the other stories have cool concepts too, and a few were genuinely memorable. But there are also quite a lot of stories that feel pretty average, with some being downright boring because of how overly descriptive and geographical the narration gets.
Poe has some great ideas, but the quality of the stories in this collection is pretty inconsistent. An okay read, but nothing too special as a whole.
Poe has some great ideas, but the quality of the stories in this collection is pretty inconsistent. An okay read, but nothing too special as a whole.
February 11, 2023
The Sphinx 🌟
The Fall of the House of Usher 🌟
The Oval Portrait 🌟 🌟
MS Found in a Bottle 🌟
A Descent into the Maelstrom 🌟
The Tell-Tale Heart 🌟 🌟
The Oblong Box 🌟
The Masque of the Red Death 🌟
Hop-Frog 🌟
Some Words With a Mummy 🌟
William Wilson 🌟 🌟 🌟
The Black Cat 🌟 🌟 🌟
The Pit and the Pendulum 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
The Fall of the House of Usher 🌟
The Oval Portrait 🌟 🌟
MS Found in a Bottle 🌟
A Descent into the Maelstrom 🌟
The Tell-Tale Heart 🌟 🌟
The Oblong Box 🌟
The Masque of the Red Death 🌟
Hop-Frog 🌟
Some Words With a Mummy 🌟
William Wilson 🌟 🌟 🌟
The Black Cat 🌟 🌟 🌟
The Pit and the Pendulum 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
February 1, 2025
I couldn't find the exact book in the list, so I chose this one. Mine was an illustrated, specially adapted version by Marjorie P. Katz. I have been reading Poe (and watching movies) since high school, probably before. I recently saw a well done play called " Murder by Poe". To me, they are classic, scary stories.
September 14, 2025
Recommendation from Catherine
Tales of Mystery and Terror by Edgar Allan Poe
As a writer whose life itself is shrouded in both mystery and terror, Edgar Allan Poe is the father of the American ghost story. With turns of phrases that are sick with melancholy, you’ll be set for tales perfectly designed for Autumnal woe.
Tales of Mystery and Terror by Edgar Allan Poe
As a writer whose life itself is shrouded in both mystery and terror, Edgar Allan Poe is the father of the American ghost story. With turns of phrases that are sick with melancholy, you’ll be set for tales perfectly designed for Autumnal woe.
October 9, 2022
The writing style is not easy…it’s difficult with super long sentences and words that will definitely make u reach for a dictionary often…
The stories in themselves are not great on suspense or horror…
I took a long time to finish this one…
Regards,
Sri
The stories in themselves are not great on suspense or horror…
I took a long time to finish this one…
Regards,
Sri
February 23, 2026
I read this book, and suddenly my world became dark and empty,,
Edgar membawa gua ke dunia yang dia ciptain dengan bius mengerikan namun tenang. Dan dia jadi inspirasi cara gua untuk menulis sebuah cerita. Sayangnya beliau hidup dengan ketidak beruntungan, Thank you for your inspiration, Poe.
Edgar membawa gua ke dunia yang dia ciptain dengan bius mengerikan namun tenang. Dan dia jadi inspirasi cara gua untuk menulis sebuah cerita. Sayangnya beliau hidup dengan ketidak beruntungan, Thank you for your inspiration, Poe.
August 19, 2026
My favourites:
The Sphinx
Fall of the House of Usher
The Oval Portrait
The Tell Tale Heart
The Oblong Box
Masque of the Red Death
Hop Frog
Lesser liked:
The black cat
William Wilson
Descent into the Maelstrom
Middling
The Pit and the Pendulum
Some Words with a Mummy
MS Found in a Bottle
The Sphinx
Fall of the House of Usher
The Oval Portrait
The Tell Tale Heart
The Oblong Box
Masque of the Red Death
Hop Frog
Lesser liked:
The black cat
William Wilson
Descent into the Maelstrom
Middling
The Pit and the Pendulum
Some Words with a Mummy
MS Found in a Bottle
October 22, 2026
Some stories were good, others not so much.
This book made me realize that I'm not a fan of sea adventures. Ms Found in a Bottle almost made me DNF this book. The real horror was that after I finally finished that story, the next one was about a Maelstrom. Dang, terrors!
This book made me realize that I'm not a fan of sea adventures. Ms Found in a Bottle almost made me DNF this book. The real horror was that after I finally finished that story, the next one was about a Maelstrom. Dang, terrors!
October 14, 2021
Poe's writing has truly stood the test of time. I loved these short stories.
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