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A Tale of the Ragged Mountains
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"A Tale of the Ragged Mountains" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe partially based on his experiences while a student at the University of Virginia. Set near Charlottesville, it is the only one of Poe's stories to take place in Virginia.
"A Tale of the Ragged Mountains" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe partially based on his experiences while a student at the University of Virginia. Set near Charlottesville, it is the only one of Poe's stories to take place in Virginia.
24 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 1843
29 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Allan Poe
9,831 books28.7k 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 117 reviews
January 12, 2022
Inquietante relato. Poe mezcla el mundo del alma, extracorpóreo, con el de la realidad.
Disturbing story. Poe mixes the world of the soul, extracorporeal, with that of the reality.
Disturbing story. Poe mixes the world of the soul, extracorporeal, with that of the reality.
November 8, 2021
A Rip Van Winkle-esque story that didn’t totally make sense to me. Very odd.
October 13, 2020
This one reminded me of many of Kipling’s horror stories set in India.
May 9, 2019
It's a very mysterious and original story. Even though everything in this story is supernatural it's believable and real being told from the narrator. Poe may be describing the nature quality of 'Ragged Mountains" to the "Blue Ridge' mountains of Virginia. The ending was a little confusing to me and maybe a little random with the leeches and I also want to know if Dr. Templeton was punished for his mistake. A delightful thrilling read.
October 29, 2023
- هل هذه الفصة عن حلم يترآى لمن يصاب بمرض عصبي؟! ام هي احدى آثار التنويم المغنطيسي! ام هي هلوسات تحت تأثير الأفيون!! او هي حلم يقظة او تقارب عقول (نسخ احداث من عقل الى عقل) او تقارب ارواح؟! ربما لا شيئ منها وربما هي مجتمعة!! حتى ادغار في آخر الرواية تركنا في تناقض الإسم بين بيدلو ومقلوب الإسم "ولديب".
- على الهامش، هناك قصة حقيقية موثقة في امريكا تقترب جداً من مفهوم هذه القصة، وبطلها يدعى "إدغار كايسي" اذا احب احد الإطلاع على قصة هذا الإنسان.
- على الهامش، هناك قصة حقيقية موثقة في امريكا تقترب جداً من مفهوم هذه القصة، وبطلها يدعى "إدغار كايسي" اذا احب احد الإطلاع على قصة هذا الإنسان.
October 9, 2020
Cuento dotado de la temática del doble y de un marcado surrealismo.
Las vivencias contadas por el señor Bedloe llevan al lector a tener que desdoblarse también en el presente y el pasado.
La percepción de dos vidas transmutadas a través del tiempo, hacen que este cuento escrito por Poe tome ciertas notas esotéricas y a la vez, nos planteen la pregunta acerca de cómo está hecha nuestra alma.
Las vivencias contadas por el señor Bedloe llevan al lector a tener que desdoblarse también en el presente y el pasado.
La percepción de dos vidas transmutadas a través del tiempo, hacen que este cuento escrito por Poe tome ciertas notas esotéricas y a la vez, nos planteen la pregunta acerca de cómo está hecha nuestra alma.
January 17, 2018
Getting back to my quest of reading all of Poe, I started with this short story and midway through noticed that I'd already made highlights in my kindle. Even though I vaguely remembered reading it last year, it had been so long, I decided to keep going, and honestly, I think I enjoyed it more the second time.
A Mr. Bedloe is quite sickly but still somehow manages to take jaunts into the mountains (???). While on one of these romps he enters some strange hallucination or dream or something. He experiences a strange incident that happened to someone else.
As Poe stories go, this one is not awful. I think the ending was meant to be more startling than it actually was, but that's Poe for you. There's much talk of mesmerism and this idea of magnetic relation . If you are familiar with many of Poe's other short stories, you'll know that this is one of his most fave topics. Taking a line from the book: All was rigorously self-consistent
Losing so many people he loved to early deaths probably influenced his obsession (I think I can call it that) with the "other side." (Though I have no idea where his mania for hot air balloons came from, Lord save us all from the hot air balloon short stories.)
There are some wonderful descriptive paragraphs in this one. I especially like the ones describing Mr. Bedloe and the city.
...His limbs were exceedingly long and emaciated...His complexion was absolutely bloodless. He mouth was large and flexible, and his teeth were more wildly uneven, although sould, than I had ever before seen teeth in a human head.
The houses were wildly picturesque. On every hand was a wilderness of balconies, of verandas, of minarets, of shrines, and fantastically carved oriels.
This is the year I make it through Poe. I'm so close! Some of it has been unbearingly painful which is why I took such a long break, but I'm back now! I'm determined to make it through!
A Mr. Bedloe is quite sickly but still somehow manages to take jaunts into the mountains (???). While on one of these romps he enters some strange hallucination or dream or something. He experiences a strange incident that happened to someone else.
As Poe stories go, this one is not awful. I think the ending was meant to be more startling than it actually was, but that's Poe for you. There's much talk of mesmerism and this idea of magnetic relation . If you are familiar with many of Poe's other short stories, you'll know that this is one of his most fave topics. Taking a line from the book: All was rigorously self-consistent
Losing so many people he loved to early deaths probably influenced his obsession (I think I can call it that) with the "other side." (Though I have no idea where his mania for hot air balloons came from, Lord save us all from the hot air balloon short stories.)
There are some wonderful descriptive paragraphs in this one. I especially like the ones describing Mr. Bedloe and the city.
...His limbs were exceedingly long and emaciated...His complexion was absolutely bloodless. He mouth was large and flexible, and his teeth were more wildly uneven, although sould, than I had ever before seen teeth in a human head.
The houses were wildly picturesque. On every hand was a wilderness of balconies, of verandas, of minarets, of shrines, and fantastically carved oriels.
This is the year I make it through Poe. I'm so close! Some of it has been unbearingly painful which is why I took such a long break, but I'm back now! I'm determined to make it through!
August 29, 2014
Once again, Poe has stumped me with his stories. I needed my dictionary constantly, because there are a few dated words, but other than that, I found the story interesting enough to continue my read.
July 14, 2020
"إننا نكون قد قاربنا أن نستفيق حين نحلم أننا نحلم"
*نوفاليس.
*نوفاليس.
October 25, 2012
This was an interesting story about reincarnation or something. I was a little confused to be honest.
August 24, 2013
Not one of Poe's best, but I'm glad I read it.
October 13, 2020
3.5 Stars
rounded up to 4 Stars.
In this tale Poe gives the reader a beautiful dreamlike quality with his descriptive prose. It was as if Poe was trying to transfer to the reader a mesmerizing experience through the use of his written words.
In this tale Poe gives the reader a beautiful dreamlike quality with his descriptive prose. It was as if Poe was trying to transfer to the reader a mesmerizing experience through the use of his written words.
December 19, 2024
Nos fumigan con 5G y hago un viaje astral
November 17, 2018
A lot of people hate this because of the confusion, but in my opinion, being confused is what helps make this story so much more interesting. The coincidences are a bit too convenient, but it doesn't really matter to me. The ending was quite the plot twist and it was fascinating to me.
Also, I read "Mesmeric Revelation" a while ago before this and I think that helped me in understanding/appreciating this a bit more than somebody who hasn't.
Also, I read "Mesmeric Revelation" a while ago before this and I think that helped me in understanding/appreciating this a bit more than somebody who hasn't.
June 20, 2017
Weird short story that hints at reanimation and reincarnation, among other things. Solid ideas but unfortunately the writing style is so vague and choppy that it's hard to figure out what even happened.
February 27, 2023
This one fell flat for me--the revelation of the information seemed forced to get the "wow" from the reader, just didn't reveal itself naturally. A bit too much of Poe the professional writer and not enough of Poe the genius.
April 15, 2010
terrifying,mysterious and suspensful!
June 24, 2017
Not as good as his more well-known stories but decent enough.
May 3, 2020
A lot to question! I hated that it left so abruptly with so many questions but I loved it at the same time to let my imagination and wonder soar!
March 9, 2025
Un hombre sufre de una afección neurálgica que está siendo tratada por un médico amigo suyo. Un día, desaparece a tempranas horas de la mañana sin dejar rastro. Ya entrada la noche aparece irrumpiendo repentinamente en el salón de su casa, donde expectantes e inquietos lo esperan sus cuidadores. Expone la razón de su extravío y narra su aventura por las montañas Ragged, un escenario de exuberancia natural en donde, además de hallarse una ciudad hindú, tendrá lugar un viaje en el tiempo y en el espacio.
April 28, 2025
Pekulijarno! Tipičan Poe (u svome čudnjikavom ruhu). Ne možeš ovo napisati a da nisi pod utjecajem nečega ili potpuno mačan. Deskripcija je Poeu uvijek jača strana, prvotno opis "creepy" staraca, a onda i uvrnutih snova koji sugeriraju vrstu reinkarnacije ili opsjednutosti? Što se događa? Zanimljivo...
November 24, 2020
Also read other short stories that were included in my copy:
- Eleonora
- The Assignation
- The spectacles
- Eleonora
- The Assignation
- The spectacles
December 26, 2021
Loved it. Loved the narration and the open ending and characters. Just wish it was scarier
December 2, 2024
This is a weaving tale that has many twist and turns to be no longer than it is. To try to understand it's meaning is pointless, it is my assumption that there is none to be found.
January 12, 2020
La técnica de poe para encarnar un narrador nervioso es impecable.
June 25, 2018
зачитаешься :)
как бледно выглядит язык Лоуренса на фоне роскошной прозы Эдгара Аллана По.
как бледно выглядит язык Лоуренса на фоне роскошной прозы Эдгара Аллана По.
July 20, 2018
This story was strange but not as dark as Berenice. In the beginning Poe is describing Augustus to looking basically like a corpse to help set the tone for what will happen later in the story. It's a very mysterious and original story. Even though everything in this story is supernatural it's believable and real being told from the narrator. Poe may be describing the nature quality of 'Ragged Mountains" to the "Blue Ridge' mountains of Virginia. The ending was a little confusing to me and maybe a little random with the leeches and I also want to know if Dr. Templeton was punished for his mistake. A delightful thrilling read.
July 23, 2019
Truth be told,I didn't actually quite understand the story. Ending is very ambiguous and would leave readers very baffled. Although it is fun to read because it creates suspense in a very good way. Ending is quite disappointing and unsatisfying to such a very beautiful story. But it can't have any other ending bacause of its plot.
June 8, 2014
I love Poe, but this is not one of his best. The story has definite potential, but it's too easy to spot the ending (or at least most of the ending) way ahead of time. Being only four and half pages long, it feels a lot like a work in progress.
March 28, 2024
2/5 estrellas.
No suelen aburrirme los relatos de Poe, pero este fue muy parecido a algo que ya había leído antes y es lo que jugó en contra.
Por supuesto que igualmente fue impresionante y por eso se lleva sus dos estrellas. Lástima que no pudieron ser más.
No suelen aburrirme los relatos de Poe, pero este fue muy parecido a algo que ya había leído antes y es lo que jugó en contra.
Por supuesto que igualmente fue impresionante y por eso se lleva sus dos estrellas. Lástima que no pudieron ser más.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews