Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Collins Classics) by Edgar Allan Poe (1-Jan-2011) Paperback

by Edgar Allan Poe

Librarian There is a later printing with a different cover using the same ISBN available on Goodreads here.This collection contains five The Telltale Heart (1843) The Masque of the Red Death (1842) The Oblong Box (1844) The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) (A Chevalier Dupin story) The Purloined Letter (1844) (A Chevalier Dupin story)

Genres: Horror, Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Mystery, Poetry, Horror Thriller

Paperback

About the author

The 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...

Reviews

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really not a whole lot to say, except that listening to these Poe's stories read by Christopher Lee was a real pleasure. Lee's voice adds a distinct air of horror and quality that makes listening to it hard to stop listening.
At just over to hours this is a quick, easy listen that will leave you wanting more.

[Maca Mamone]

Selección de cuentos de este Halloween terminada, dejo algunos para otro momento. Poe nunca defrauda, sus cuentos se leen buscando desesperadamente el final...
Ligeia 3/5
Un descenso al Maelstrom 3/5
Berenice 5/5
La barrica del amontillado 5/5
La conversación de Eiros y Charmion 4/5
El entierro prematuro 4/5
El demonio de la perversidad 3/5
El caso del señor Valdemar 5/5
Hop-frog 5/5

[Elena Monf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ammetto che mi sono approcciata a Poe perché ero curiosa di vedere quanto fosse "fedele" la trasposizione televisiva appena uscita su Netflix dell'omonimo racconto "La caduta della casa degli Usher", contenuto in questa raccolta. Non senza difficoltà sono riuscita a superare il primo racconto - Il cuore rivelatore - che ha quello stile di scrittura che mi ha tenuta lontana da Poe per anni, nonostante i miei numerosi tentativi, e che trovo per me indigesto. Per fortuna, però, questa volta ho proseguito e ho avuto modo di apprezzare molti dei racconti di questa raccolta per l'atmosfera, il mistero, l'inquietudine che provocano e soprattutto per la capacità di delineare i risvolti psicologici di quei personaggi che sono preda degli abusi, delle dipendenze e dell'abisso che aprono nelle loro vite.
Tornando alla serie di Netflix devo dire che, secondo me, è un'interessante trasposizione non tanto del racconto da cui prende il titolo, che è solo la cornice da cui prende molto liberamente spunto, ma del mondo di Poe che si ritrova raccontato di episodio in episodio. Sono tanti i racconti che in qualche modo si ritrovano sullo schermo, nessuno di essi è trasposto fedelmente ma è inserito all'interno di una storia assolutamente contemporanea con la quale la produzione denuncia un problema attuale della società americana, ovvero l'abuso di farmaci antidolorifici oppiacei che hanno provocato negli anni la dipendenza dalle droghe (e morte) di centinaia di migliaia di cittadini e in cui c'è alla base la fatale collusione tra medici curanti e industria farmaceutica: accostare il maestro dell'incubo e del terrore a questo tema mi sembra una scelta geniale e azzeccatissima! I racconti che ho preferito sono Il gatto nero, La maschera della morte rossa e William Wilson.

[Agustina de Diego · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buen libro de cabecera.

[Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not particularly fond of detective stories, so The Murder at Rue Mourge fell flat for me. However, so much of his other stories feel fresh, as if they had been written very recently. The Mask of the Red Death in particular is a standout for me.

[Nicolò Grasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edgar Allan Poe is great.

Edgar Allan Poe read by Sir Christopher Lee is perfection.

[Abdallah Bustami · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the tales and short stories are thoughtfully and genuinely delivered by a master writer, poet, and visionary!

There has not been a story that I hadn't enjoyed, nor there has been a time when I felt I had enough reading! It is pure enjoyment.

My favorites, shall ever be The Gold Bug, and The Fall of The House Usher.

[Seb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm definitely now a fan of Edgar Allan Poe. This collection of short stories is best read at a late hour. All of the stories are situated in some sort of reality, in streets, in homes, through windows, with seemingly quotidian objects at each centre. The Telltale Heart was a brilliantly dark story in terms of the suffocating atmosphere of the night—not to mention the ineffably spindly thread of light, which I could not even imagine how thin and piercing it was. The Masque of the Red Death was luxurious in description and the most theatrical story, of which only the format of a musical stage-play would barely even consider attempting to convey. The Oblong Box was somewhat predictable—we all knew there wasn't a painting inside the box. The Murders in the Rue Morgue was enveloping and truly a must-read nighttime tale; the witness reports were where I first caught a patterned thread developing. The hints of wisdom in the Purloined Letter were thought-provoking, and the detail of the Prefect's search in the minister's rooms was so exacting it was hilarious.

[Maria Salve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edgar Allan Poe’s first love as a writer was poetry, but he is often known for his short stories which present a cast of peculiar murderers and madmen. I remember reading The Cask of Amontillado during my gradeschool days. I used to read it over and over and, looking back, I think it was that very story which sparked my interest in the murder mystery genre.

Fast forward 20 years later, here I am rekindling my love for Poe’s fictions. Famous Tales of Mystery and Horror is like an reintroduction to me. The book is a collection of five classic stories — all of which masterfully told in only few words.

Blog Post: https://wp.me/p5O4fv-5nA

[doodlescribbles | maria salve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edgar Allan Poe’s first love as a writer was poetry, but he is often known for his short stories which present a cast of peculiar murderers and madmen. I remember reading The Cask of Amontillado during my gradeschool days. I used to read it over and over and, looking back, I think it was that very story which sparked my interest in the murder mystery genre.

Fast forward 20 years later, here I am rekindling my love for Poe’s fictions. Famous Tales of Mystery and Horror is like an reintroduction to me. The book is a collection of five classic stories — all of which masterfully told in only few words.

Blog Post: https://wp.me/p5O4fv-5nA

[A.A. Rubin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s Poe, so the stories are great. It’s a decent introduction to his prose if you are encountering him for the first time (although I would prefer it if they had included “The Fall of the House of Usher”. The stories are great, but I would prefer if it had a slightly better presentation. For example, the edition would be stronger had it included translations of the french and Latin lines in the Dupin stories.

[margot · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5) Ugh, I wanted to like this so much more than I did! I just didn't feel connected to any of the stories much, and the horror wasn't as spooky, enchanting, or terrifying as I would have wished... The Purloined Letter was probably the best though! Unfortunately I may not be an Edgar Allan Poe girl.

[joanne ☆彡˚✧₊⁎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fun to read!! definitely enjoyed the horror more than the mystery ones (dupin talks way too much) but damn i guess anything was considered scary in the 1800's (i'm looking at you, the oblong box)

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite story was "The Oblong Box"

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poe is a comfort read for me. Next I will go have a listen to Sir Christopher Lee read these stories. I cannot think of a better voice for Poe's work.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet, even if I had already read some of it before.

[Marcus Eklund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the stories and poem in this collection and the fact that Christopher Lee is the one reading makes it so much better!

[Lauren Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

middle school english classcore

[komoreby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Cara Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to Christopher Lee’s audio of this on Halloween, for the vibes of course. His performance of a Tell-Tale Heart is perfect.

[Peponita · Rating 3 out of 5]

No me atrapó totalmente el libro, sin embargo la primera historia "El corazón delator" me mantuvo súper entretenida e intrigada, mí favorita sin dudas👀🖤!

[Pedro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ogni volta che rileggo Poe mi rendo conto di quanta influenza abbia avuto sulla letteratura successiva.
Sempre un piacere.

Il mio preferito di questa raccolta: Il gatto nero!

[Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Lee's voice really adds to the mood of Gothic horror and mystery. Match made in heaven (or hell, or a pit)

[Alex_xander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debo aclarar de antemano que este libro fue un agregado de relatos de Poe, que ya leí o que quiero leer en otras ediciones, que tal vez no se encuentran con regularidad.

[Gabriela Petti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo terminé! Dos cosas hay que saber para leer Poe. Poe es brillante. Tiene la habilidad de explicar un hecho relativamente simple de una forma super compleja. Tanto en el uso de las palabras durante la narracion, como en la trama de la historia. Por esto mismo tambien llega a resultar denso. Le gustan las vueltas, explicar una cosa de muchas formas diferentes y rebuscadas. Todas sus historias son sobre la muerte en general y los asesinatos en particular, sobre la locura que puede llevar a un ser humano a cometerlos de la forma mas despiadada. Es real lo que dicen que tiene una obsesion con la muerte, al menos eso refleja. Uno de sus cuentos se asemeja a un informe forense sobre el asesinato de una joven, Marie Roget. Era tanto el detalle que daba de lo ocurrido que me dio curiosidad y buscando por internet leí que se basaba en un caso real y que al publicarlo en un diario la gente especulaba con q él habia cometido el crimen por los detalles especificos que daba del mismo y las conclusiones q sacaba. En otra vida Poe deberia haber sido detective. Sin duda es singular, incluso algunos relatos son recitados cual poema, pero todos son oscuros. El punto en contra es que luego de leer varios de ellos se vuelven predecibles. Uno ya sabe para que lado va a ir la historia y se tornan un poco monotono. Pero sin duda vale la pena de ser leido. Lo recomiendo!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My book is an older copy printed in 1980, and contained five stories. (It seems there is a different edition with more stories mixed in with these reviews.) The stories included in the short edition are:

The Telltale Heart
The Masque of the Red Death
The Oblong Box
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Purloined Letter

I really enjoyed the first three, the first two especially. The short horror stories are such fabulous little bite-sized bits of creepy.

The murder details in Rue Morgue were definitely disturbing, and I though the witness depositions were very clever. But the ultimate identity of the murderer? No.

Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter both feature the narrator and his friend Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin. Dupin outwits the Paris police at every turn. At first he felt like a rip-off of Sherlock Holmes, but Dupin came first. Maybe Holmes is a rip-off of Dupin? These longer stories with know-it-all Dupin got really irritating. Poe’s propensity for overly-verbose, flowery language gets out of hand with Dupin, and I found myself skimming a lot. At least Rue Morgue features a murder. The Purloined Letter is only about a stolen letter, and we never even find out the contents of said letter!

I will definitely read more Poe, but I intend to skip any stories featuring Dupin. Two is enough for me. I will aim for Poe’s poems and shorter stories.

[Iván Duré · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bien, de momento solo había leído "El gato negro" pero se me hizo indiferente. Decidí leer ésta colección de cuentos de "horror y misterio" pensando que evocarían en mí esas emociones, no he de negar que Edgar tiene una pluma excelente, eso sí, a veces abusando de descripciones, palabras y cosas vanales, que en mí opinión no aportan nada más que una estética a veces innecesaria en los relatos, sirviendo como relleno y una especie de alternativa a la falta de entretenimiento y fluidez de la obra.
Me planteé varias veces abandonar el libro y confirmarme con haber leído unos pocos cuentos suyos, el resultado hubiera sido el mismo.
Realmente no puedo decir que disfruté la lectura, había cuentos que eran aceptables y sorprendían un poco, como es el caso de "El crimen de la calle Morgue" o "El escarabajo de oro" (según tengo entendido sus cuentos más célebres) pero de ahí, el resto de las historias fueron pesadas, de excesivo tedio, y a veces hasta de cuestionables bases científicas.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is the ISBN number as my copy of "Famous Tales of Mystery and Horror," my book not only has a different cover, but different stories as well. My copy contains: The Taletell Heart, The Masque of the Red Death, The Oblong Box, The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter.

This is my second time reading through this particular collection and I love it (even though I think Poe's detective stories are a little too easy to solve).

[Kylie Combs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An awesome friend of mine gave me a copy of this book, but this edition has different stories. It combined classic horror stories with others that had more mysterious conclusions and a pretty large sense of humor in my opinion. There were some amazing lines and just great story telling and fun. And the cover of my copy is almost as awesome as my friend.