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The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories
Stories of lost love, lost ways . . . and lost minds! Gris Grimly’s mysterious, morbid, and macabre illustrations capture four Poe classics with an unmatchable ghoulish charm. This second installment of illustrated Poe tales, a companion to Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Madness, includes the perennial favorite The Tell Tale Heart, as well as The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether, The Oblong Box, and The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar. With little trimming and lots of gory visuals, these stories have never looked better or more frightening!
144 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2011
6 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Allan Poe
9,789 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 2, 2025
Amazing illustrations, very dark and some new stories of Poe's I have not read yet.
For the rest of my review, visit my Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/a8P0Q2Qt2F4
Enjoy!
For the rest of my review, visit my Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/a8P0Q2Qt2F4
Enjoy!
July 23, 2020
I'm specifically reviewing the edition of this collection illustrated by Gris Grimly. The art style is not one I typically like and it's certainly not aesthetically pleasing, but it absolutely works for the stories included in this book. I haven't read any Edgar Allan Poe in like... 15 years?..... but this collection is not representative of his best work. There are other stores that are a lot better, so if I had to rate this book based solely on the works included, I'd honestly give it 3 or 3.5 stars.
October 17, 2017
4 stars!
Gris Grimly's art lends itself extraordinarily well to Poe's tales. Proper review later.
Gris Grimly's art lends itself extraordinarily well to Poe's tales. Proper review later.
August 18, 2015
Almost a short story version of Crime and Punishment . Guy kills someone for seemingly no purpose (does not get money, no revenge or lust) and eventually, the pain of secrecy becomes worse than the pain of jail.
August 2, 2015
As the last story, mesmeric! When you think you'll not be surprised with Edgar Allan Poe anymore you just come across something like this book.
September 21, 2022
Edgar Allan Poe may be one of the original Spooky Boys, but I honestly still can’t stand the vast majority of his writing… That being said, I still had to read this book, because I wasn’t about to miss out on an edition illustrated by Gris Grimly. Integrated throughout Poe’s text, Grimly illuminates the four stories in this volume by setting the pre-Victorian-esque scene, envisioning a myriad cast of weirdos, and ensuring that the tone of the stories is heightened through careful panelling. Each story contains its own style, some being closed in by heavy border work that brings to mind the enclosing floorboards beneath which a buried heart lies, others focusing on a portrait-driven aesthetic, and then others which bring to mind scientific anatomy textbooks - all carefully showcasing the range of Grimly’s unique artistic stylings. Compared to other illustrators, Grimly’s palette is of a lighter tone (utilising a dusty range of browns, rusts, and grey-blues), but still brings to mind the quiet horror of Poe’s writing through characterization and an emphasis on oddity. This is a careful departure from most horror-tinged tomes which prefer to soak their pages in the depths of bloody reds and darkest blacks, and honestly I think it works rather well for the handful of Poe’s stories contained herein. None of them are particularly bloody, and even while some have nocturnal scenes, the focus shifts to the characters rather than the scenery with Grimly’s treatment - a horror of the mind’s realism and mundanity, if you will.
May 3, 2022
Each story is wonderfully macabre and gothic. My favorite of the four was undoubtedly the second about the mental hospital. But all four were pretty good.
I really enjoyed reading this, primarily because of the amazing artwork. I don't think I've ever read a graphic novel where the art just fitted THAT well. Gris Grimly is undoubtedly a very talented artist, and he managed to capture Poe's stories so well.
I must admit, I am probably too used to more modern stories, and I still prefer a more modern writing style. Still, it was definitely a great reading experience. The fact that the (I'm sorry, but pretty dry) writing style was paired up with the very graphic art made the stories great.
I loved the imagery Poe uses, and the stories about insanity and the human mind were just intriguing and horrific.
I can highly recommend this edition if you're a bit curious about Edgar Allan Poe but, like me, a little hesitant due to the ''older language''.
It is also perfect for any graphic novel fan; the art is really fantastic!
I really enjoyed reading this, primarily because of the amazing artwork. I don't think I've ever read a graphic novel where the art just fitted THAT well. Gris Grimly is undoubtedly a very talented artist, and he managed to capture Poe's stories so well.
I must admit, I am probably too used to more modern stories, and I still prefer a more modern writing style. Still, it was definitely a great reading experience. The fact that the (I'm sorry, but pretty dry) writing style was paired up with the very graphic art made the stories great.
I loved the imagery Poe uses, and the stories about insanity and the human mind were just intriguing and horrific.
I can highly recommend this edition if you're a bit curious about Edgar Allan Poe but, like me, a little hesitant due to the ''older language''.
It is also perfect for any graphic novel fan; the art is really fantastic!
May 15, 2023
I used to love Poe growing up so the Tell-Tale Heart was one of my favorites; the artwork in the association was great as well.
The second story was also intriguing but after that one, I lost interest in not only the story but also the artwork. It all felt one of the same, and I don't know if that was just me or the choice of stories in this collection.
The second story was also intriguing but after that one, I lost interest in not only the story but also the artwork. It all felt one of the same, and I don't know if that was just me or the choice of stories in this collection.
October 31, 2021
This illustrated collection includes four short stories, including The Tell-Tale Heart, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, The Oblong Box, and The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.
February 16, 2013
I am a big fan of Poe and Grimly but not so much together. Grimly's illustrations are wonderful but have a comic tone that lightens the macabre, dark atmosphere that is Poe's literary trademark. Maybe that was the intention: to make some of his stories less grim than they actually are for younger readers (although none of the stories here are among his most disturbing, with the possible exception of the tell-tale heart). I prefer the pairing of Grimly's art with Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
November 3, 2020
The Tell-Tale Heart: 5 stars
The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether: 4.5 stars
The Oblong Box: 4 stars
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar: 4.5 stars
The graphic novel is a fun new way to read these classic stories. Gris Grimly's illustrations are beautiful, haunting, and complementary to Edgar Allan Poe's words!
The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether: 4.5 stars
The Oblong Box: 4 stars
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar: 4.5 stars
The graphic novel is a fun new way to read these classic stories. Gris Grimly's illustrations are beautiful, haunting, and complementary to Edgar Allan Poe's words!
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December 14, 2012
Edgar Allan Poe is a brilliant writer but out of the four stories in this book, there were only two that I really liked. Those two were The Tell-Tale Heart and The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar. The other two stories were also good but I got a bit bored while reading them, especially The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether. The Oblong Box was good but predictable.
July 16, 2015
I really really really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. I felt that when the story got confusing, they helped enough for me to go along and understand what was being said. One of the short stories was very confusing but I got through it. (: EAP is a horrendous genius and his horror short stories are frightening yet amazing. He never seems to disappoint.
July 8, 2015
Wow. I totally forgot how utterly messed up Poe was. These stories were so creepy. I love Grimly's illustrations though. His style accompanies Poe and other creepy pieces so well. I highly recommend checking out his art if you haven't already.
July 17, 2015
I haven't read very much by Poe. I only know The Raven and Tell Tale Heart because of The Simpsons lol. But I did enjoy these stories but they were definitely messed up. I really enjoyed the artwork. I think if you are a fan of Poe this would be a good read but if you aren't maybe not.
March 18, 2017
ive given this boom five stars out of horror. mind you one should expect to be scared when reading any of edgar allan poes stories. one of the worlds greatest mysteries - how poe lived inside his mind (the state of his mind)
June 13, 2018
I haven’t read Poe since High School and even then only The Raven and The Tell Tale Heart. This collection of 4 short stories, illustrated by Grimly, was mesmerizing! I had forgotten the appeal of Poe’s macabre and horrific writing - I thoroughly enjoyed this quick and creepy read!
January 1, 2023
I can barely stand Poe's dull wordy prose so these Graphic interpretations of 4 stories are bit more interesting to me:
The Tell-Tale Heart
The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
The Oblong Box
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The Tell-Tale Heart
The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
The Oblong Box
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
May 7, 2012
Interesting...very interesting. I really like the Tell-Tale Heart and the Oblong Box, but the other two stories were a little weird.
August 17, 2018
Beautiful and creepy artwork to go with some of my favourite Edgar Allen Poe tales.
October 15, 2020
This book, well, you don't even have to read the classic to know that it's a good book!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews