What do you think?
Rate this book
The Raven and Other Writings
Acknowledged as one of the most brilliant American writers, Edgar Allan Poe crafted a fantastic world filled with mystery and horror that has thrilled readers for generations. This edition includes Poe's most famous tales and poems, including "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Purloined Letter," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Raven," "Lenore," and "Annabel Lee."
448 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 1998
61 people are currently reading
553 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Allan Poe
9,795 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...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
October 23, 2019
This collection of 20 poems and tales from the master of horror Edgar Allan Poe is really the ideal read for Halloween! I have read many tales in this collection before, including Poe’s famous stories “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “The Black Cat”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, “Hop-Frog”. Some other stories I have been familiar with from their retold versions in various Oxford Bookworms books that I read in the past, such as “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “The Gold Bug”, “The Oval Portrait” and “The Oblong Box”. And it was great to experience these stories again, this time with the original versions.
Other stories I didn’t know before, and it was such an opportunity to get to read “The Spectacles” – a comedy tale among the horror stories that Poe wrote :D, “Berenice”, as well as “The Mystery of Marie Rôget” and “The Purloined Letter” – the two detective stories in Poe’s trilogy of detective stories, along with “The Murder in Rue Morgue”. “The Mystery of Marie Rôget” was the most challenging story for me to read in this collection, not only because of its unbelievable length compared to Poe’s other stories, but also because it reads more like a murder analysis, an essay on detective Dupin’s investigation into the murder of Marie Rogêt, rather than a murder story with life and progression.
It was still cool to see how Dupin analyzed the case based on the information he received to build the profile of the murderer, although the ending gave no murderer’s identity, because this story was based on a real murder case happening in New York City – the murder of Mary Cecilia Rogers, and this real case was unsolved. The book also gave me the chance to read 5 of Poe’s poems, among them was “The Raven”, arguably Poe’s most famous poem. Lots of things to discuss and analyze about this one.
P.S.: How I love the color of this book's cover <3 <3 <3 IT'S BLUEEEEE!!!! MY FAVORITE COLOR YAYYYY!!!!
Other stories I didn’t know before, and it was such an opportunity to get to read “The Spectacles” – a comedy tale among the horror stories that Poe wrote :D, “Berenice”, as well as “The Mystery of Marie Rôget” and “The Purloined Letter” – the two detective stories in Poe’s trilogy of detective stories, along with “The Murder in Rue Morgue”. “The Mystery of Marie Rôget” was the most challenging story for me to read in this collection, not only because of its unbelievable length compared to Poe’s other stories, but also because it reads more like a murder analysis, an essay on detective Dupin’s investigation into the murder of Marie Rogêt, rather than a murder story with life and progression.
It was still cool to see how Dupin analyzed the case based on the information he received to build the profile of the murderer, although the ending gave no murderer’s identity, because this story was based on a real murder case happening in New York City – the murder of Mary Cecilia Rogers, and this real case was unsolved. The book also gave me the chance to read 5 of Poe’s poems, among them was “The Raven”, arguably Poe’s most famous poem. Lots of things to discuss and analyze about this one.
P.S.: How I love the color of this book's cover <3 <3 <3 IT'S BLUEEEEE!!!! MY FAVORITE COLOR YAYYYY!!!!
July 25, 2011
Of course, The Raven and Tell Tale Heart were superb, but the rest of the stories.. bit dull. Also, the videos and graphics do not work on kindle. Why make a kindle book with video if it won't work? I don't understand that.
January 2, 2018
In this particular collection of a few of Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories, I enjoyed with much delight the following:
The Raven
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Black Cat
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The Cask of Amontillado
Hop-frog
The Murders of the Rue Morgue
The atmospheric and, omg, explicit, horror and depravity in each of these stories are absolutely perfect for Halloween! Rotting corpses, living dead zombies, characters buried alive, good people undergoing torture, pitiless drunken ne’er do wells, homicidal madmen on the loose - Poe details dreadful deaths in dark lyrical prose guaranteed to haunt the reader evermore! Any movies you may have seen which were based on these stories left out a great deal of the madness and, yes, horrifying icky bits!
The collection also included:
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
The Purloined Letter
Oh well. Poe did not reach perfection in every story.
I found a collection which included the story ‘William Wilson’, a story which had been also recommended to me by Jay (thank you!). This story is not in this particular collection, but it can be found in many other compilations of Poe’s stories. Oooooooooh! 🕸 The webs we weave.... 🕷
Poe is evermore!
The Raven
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Black Cat
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The Cask of Amontillado
Hop-frog
The Murders of the Rue Morgue
The atmospheric and, omg, explicit, horror and depravity in each of these stories are absolutely perfect for Halloween! Rotting corpses, living dead zombies, characters buried alive, good people undergoing torture, pitiless drunken ne’er do wells, homicidal madmen on the loose - Poe details dreadful deaths in dark lyrical prose guaranteed to haunt the reader evermore! Any movies you may have seen which were based on these stories left out a great deal of the madness and, yes, horrifying icky bits!
The collection also included:
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
The Purloined Letter
Oh well. Poe did not reach perfection in every story.
I found a collection which included the story ‘William Wilson’, a story which had been also recommended to me by Jay (thank you!). This story is not in this particular collection, but it can be found in many other compilations of Poe’s stories. Oooooooooh! 🕸 The webs we weave.... 🕷
Poe is evermore!
October 28, 2020
This review is for the graphic novel adaptation of five of Poe’s tales. Honestly, the graphic novel took away from the creepiness of Poe’s tales. The illustrations do nothing for these stories. I quite prefer the original non-illustrated version to this one.
Original stories done by Poe are so much better. Skip the graphic novel, just read the stories as they are.
Original stories done by Poe are so much better. Skip the graphic novel, just read the stories as they are.
July 17, 2015
I was (forcibly) introduced to many of these poems & short stories during my American Literature class. Edgar Allen Poe is a hit or miss with me. The poems & stories I enjoy I love others I find incredibly drab. I will however readily admit the man was brilliant.
Confession:
The poet himself is absolutely fascinating to me. I've always been more interested in Mr. Poe's personal affairs than his life's work. I believe if he'd been born in the twentieth century he'd have a cabinet full of prescription medication & a biweekly appointment with a professional. Who's to say he didn't ? It was an open secret the literary critic was considered to have lived a troubled life style. At the minimum Mr. Poe was surely a clinically depressed alcoholic.
Would I recommend this? Sure if you have a love for American poetry, Mr. Poe is a must read for you. Otherwise, not particularly entertaining
=============
Girls, Guns and Grimoires discussion Challenges > Book Bingo
Category: NOVEL PUBLISHED BEFORE 2000
Reason: The Raven debuted in 1845 to instant success. That poem is included in this book along with E.A.P's short stories.
Book:The Raven and Selected Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe
Confession:
The poet himself is absolutely fascinating to me. I've always been more interested in Mr. Poe's personal affairs than his life's work. I believe if he'd been born in the twentieth century he'd have a cabinet full of prescription medication & a biweekly appointment with a professional. Who's to say he didn't ? It was an open secret the literary critic was considered to have lived a troubled life style. At the minimum Mr. Poe was surely a clinically depressed alcoholic.
Would I recommend this? Sure if you have a love for American poetry, Mr. Poe is a must read for you. Otherwise, not particularly entertaining
=============
Girls, Guns and Grimoires discussion Challenges > Book Bingo
Category: NOVEL PUBLISHED BEFORE 2000
Reason: The Raven debuted in 1845 to instant success. That poem is included in this book along with E.A.P's short stories.
Book:The Raven and Selected Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe
January 21, 2020
Edgar Allan Poe is an author that I have read numerous times. I liked them as much this time as previous times.
These are a terrific set of short stories and it contains one of the best and most recognizable poems, “The Raven” about loss, isolation and loneliness. The Raven distresses the narrator with the constant repetition of “Nevermore”.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is about a drunken man who is lured to his death in Italy’s cellars and is buried alive in an act of revenge.
In “The Tell Tale Heart” the narrator tries to convince the reader of his sanity while describing a murder he committed. The effects of his guilt descent him into madness. It’s a very chilling story.
In “The Mask of the Red Death”, Prince Prospero attempts to avoid a dangerous plaque by hiding in his abbey. But regardless of wealth, social position or popularity, death arrives as an uninvited guest.
This was a superb set of stories by a master writer to be read and reread when in the mood strikes.
These are a terrific set of short stories and it contains one of the best and most recognizable poems, “The Raven” about loss, isolation and loneliness. The Raven distresses the narrator with the constant repetition of “Nevermore”.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is about a drunken man who is lured to his death in Italy’s cellars and is buried alive in an act of revenge.
In “The Tell Tale Heart” the narrator tries to convince the reader of his sanity while describing a murder he committed. The effects of his guilt descent him into madness. It’s a very chilling story.
In “The Mask of the Red Death”, Prince Prospero attempts to avoid a dangerous plaque by hiding in his abbey. But regardless of wealth, social position or popularity, death arrives as an uninvited guest.
This was a superb set of stories by a master writer to be read and reread when in the mood strikes.
August 7, 2025
I did review the others here
Hop-Frog
Idk I don't like this one much even though it's a servant taking out the king and his advisors it was just kinda bleh. It hasn't aged well.
The Murders of Rue Morgue
Out of the mysteries this one is the most interesting. But also sir. What is the orangutan craze you have going on.
The Mystery of Marie Rogete
So long and so boring. Poe you are not a mystery writing I think. This one drug on so much, wasn't interesting, and didn't have a satisfying conclusion.
The Purloined Letter
This also felt too long for what it was. I remember the Wishbone episode copying this. But I'm just underwhelmed by the way he writes a mystery. There's no hook, no tension, no consequences. Just rumination? Not for meeee
Hop-Frog
Idk I don't like this one much even though it's a servant taking out the king and his advisors it was just kinda bleh. It hasn't aged well.
The Murders of Rue Morgue
Out of the mysteries this one is the most interesting. But also sir. What is the orangutan craze you have going on.
The Mystery of Marie Rogete
So long and so boring. Poe you are not a mystery writing I think. This one drug on so much, wasn't interesting, and didn't have a satisfying conclusion.
The Purloined Letter
This also felt too long for what it was. I remember the Wishbone episode copying this. But I'm just underwhelmed by the way he writes a mystery. There's no hook, no tension, no consequences. Just rumination? Not for meeee
July 1, 2018
The illustrations in this are gorgeous, and suit the stories well, but Poe's works being abridged took away from them greatly. The ones I had read before in their original form felt less creepy and in depth. A good book for those who want an entry to Poe's writing and great as a graphic novel, but not all that I had hoped for.
July 9, 2019
This is an excellent graphic novel adaptation of the Classic Gothic Poem and other short stories by the American father of The detective fiction genre.
I'll be hanging onto this one for my collection, just for those odd bursts of Nevermore.....
I'll be hanging onto this one for my collection, just for those odd bursts of Nevermore.....
Read
November 11, 2019DNF audiobook. I'm need to actually read these stories.
October 23, 2025
Was pleasantly surprised that two of the stories in this volume involved orangutans
November 3, 2023
really liked most of the stories but the last three brought it down.
September 14, 2019
Absolutely loved listening to the audio of this.
As always, whenever I read Poe I get the chills!
As always, whenever I read Poe I get the chills!
November 11, 2015
Received by Audiobookreviewer.com in exchange for an honest review.
ALL 5's for the narration! Full review coming soon!
Edit for full review:
I want to say with Halloween right around the corner that this was the perfect read but to be honest IT IS PERFECT AT ANY TIME!
Yes, caps were needed, and here is why.
I love Edgar Allan Poe but I haven’t read his stories in quite some time. My daughter did a play for The Telltale Heart a few years ago and since that story has been my favorite. But this collection has all the greats! The Cask of Amontillado is another favorite and of course Mask of the Red Death!
There are many that I had not read, however, and I was pleasantly surprised (but not really, I mean this is Edgar Allan Poe), that they were just as great as my long time favorites.
This starts with The Raven, a tale that many already know. I had chills listening to the fantastic story and great narration. This was able to bring it to life like never before.
What really did it for me was not only the stories but the narration by Bronson Pinchot and Stefan Rudnicki was better than perfect! For many of these stories there needs to be a crescendo, that feeling of anticipation that builds and builds until you want to explode! And explode the narrators do, with pizzazz. With the Telltale Heart especially, that crescendo has to hit perfectly, and the narration was spot on. I could feel the terror rising up until finally it all breaks over.
I have listened to quite a few audio books and there are few that get to the end and I have to double check to make sure I listened to the entire thing. This is one of those. Of course there are some stories that do not quite hit as well as The Raven or Cask of Amontillado, but this is definitely going to be one that I listen to again. And again. And again.
Superb!
ALL 5's for the narration! Full review coming soon!
Edit for full review:
I want to say with Halloween right around the corner that this was the perfect read but to be honest IT IS PERFECT AT ANY TIME!
Yes, caps were needed, and here is why.
I love Edgar Allan Poe but I haven’t read his stories in quite some time. My daughter did a play for The Telltale Heart a few years ago and since that story has been my favorite. But this collection has all the greats! The Cask of Amontillado is another favorite and of course Mask of the Red Death!
There are many that I had not read, however, and I was pleasantly surprised (but not really, I mean this is Edgar Allan Poe), that they were just as great as my long time favorites.
This starts with The Raven, a tale that many already know. I had chills listening to the fantastic story and great narration. This was able to bring it to life like never before.
What really did it for me was not only the stories but the narration by Bronson Pinchot and Stefan Rudnicki was better than perfect! For many of these stories there needs to be a crescendo, that feeling of anticipation that builds and builds until you want to explode! And explode the narrators do, with pizzazz. With the Telltale Heart especially, that crescendo has to hit perfectly, and the narration was spot on. I could feel the terror rising up until finally it all breaks over.
I have listened to quite a few audio books and there are few that get to the end and I have to double check to make sure I listened to the entire thing. This is one of those. Of course there are some stories that do not quite hit as well as The Raven or Cask of Amontillado, but this is definitely going to be one that I listen to again. And again. And again.
Superb!
May 30, 2017
"The Raven and Other Poems" by Edgar Allan Poe is a stunning collection of short stories and poetry containing thought-provoking and entertaining mainly horror stories. This book contains arguably one of his best and most recognisable poems, "The Raven". This poem depicts loss, isolation, and loneliness.
This book is so well worded that it makes you feel so much emotion as you read and easily paints a picture in your head. Edgar Allan Poe's word choice and use of poetic devices made you feel how much emotion and passion Edgar Allan Poe had while writing these poems. His rhymes in these poems were so unforced and came so naturally that it gave a creepy yet rhythmic feel to his poems. His poems had such a deep meaning that I sometimes had to read his poems again and again so I could understand his message. However, with the exception of "The Raven" and "Anabel Lee" which undisputedly were amazing poems, his other poems were too dull and repetitive. I didn't enjoy those poems and turning page after page felt more and more like a burden to my uncontrollable apathy.
I would recommend this book to experienced readers because of this book's word choice and because most of these poems are difficult to understand. And although it is a short book it is not a short read. You will probably have to re-read some of the poems several times to understand the message. If you want to explore the world of poetry this is a good book to start on.
This book is so well worded that it makes you feel so much emotion as you read and easily paints a picture in your head. Edgar Allan Poe's word choice and use of poetic devices made you feel how much emotion and passion Edgar Allan Poe had while writing these poems. His rhymes in these poems were so unforced and came so naturally that it gave a creepy yet rhythmic feel to his poems. His poems had such a deep meaning that I sometimes had to read his poems again and again so I could understand his message. However, with the exception of "The Raven" and "Anabel Lee" which undisputedly were amazing poems, his other poems were too dull and repetitive. I didn't enjoy those poems and turning page after page felt more and more like a burden to my uncontrollable apathy.
I would recommend this book to experienced readers because of this book's word choice and because most of these poems are difficult to understand. And although it is a short book it is not a short read. You will probably have to re-read some of the poems several times to understand the message. If you want to explore the world of poetry this is a good book to start on.
December 12, 2017
The Raven: 5
The Bells: 4
Annabel Lee: 4
The Haunted Palace: 5
The Conqueror Worm: 2
The Murders in the Rue Morgue: 3
The Mystery of Marie Rôget: 1
The Fall of the House of Usher: 3
The Masque of the Red Death: 5
The Pit and the Pendulum: 5
The Tell-Tale Heart: 5
The Gold Bug: 3
The Black Cat: 4
The Spectacles: 2
The Purloined Letter: 2
The Cask of Amontillado: 3
Hop-Frog: 3
The Oval Portrait: 3
The Oblong Box: 3
Berenice: 1
My experience with The Raven and Other Tales really ran the gamut between love and hate. On the whole, I was a fan of Poe's poetry, and there were a few standouts amongst the short stories. But I will never ever willingly read any story about Dupin again. As it was, I could have cried when he popped up again in The Purloined Letter.
Ultimately, I'm glad I read this collection for the sake of variety and exposure to classics, but I don't foresee myself reading more of Poe's works anytime soon.
The Bells: 4
Annabel Lee: 4
The Haunted Palace: 5
The Conqueror Worm: 2
The Murders in the Rue Morgue: 3
The Mystery of Marie Rôget: 1
The Fall of the House of Usher: 3
The Masque of the Red Death: 5
The Pit and the Pendulum: 5
The Tell-Tale Heart: 5
The Gold Bug: 3
The Black Cat: 4
The Spectacles: 2
The Purloined Letter: 2
The Cask of Amontillado: 3
Hop-Frog: 3
The Oval Portrait: 3
The Oblong Box: 3
Berenice: 1
My experience with The Raven and Other Tales really ran the gamut between love and hate. On the whole, I was a fan of Poe's poetry, and there were a few standouts amongst the short stories. But I will never ever willingly read any story about Dupin again. As it was, I could have cried when he popped up again in The Purloined Letter.
Ultimately, I'm glad I read this collection for the sake of variety and exposure to classics, but I don't foresee myself reading more of Poe's works anytime soon.
October 20, 2020
Listening to poetry and short stories in audiobook form is never as good as reading it on the page, but I always enjoy Poe and know many of these stories well enough to make up for bits I miss while driving.
October 25, 2012
Audiobook
October 3, 2014
Filled with exquisitely morbid tales, and Poe's unforgettable poetry. As one reads Poe's works, you cannot help but feel his genius.
December 26, 2016
The graphic novel adaptation of 5 Edgar Allan Poe stories mostly stayed true to the original sources, it was nicely drawn but I think it was made a lot darker than my imagination. Worthy of a read.
May 5, 2020
Many of Edgar Allan Poe’s works are difficult to get though. But there are several stories and poems I enjoy. Getting to own them all in one book is awesome.
February 28, 2022
I liked Poe's writing, now I'm not sure if I do anymore.
January 21, 2021
It's been many, many years since I read Edgar Allen Poe. What a delight to read him again! He is truly the quintessential Gothic author, not to mention the father of the modern mystery. I thoroughly loved becoming reacquainted with him.
This is a collection of a variety of Poe's short stories and poetry. It includes all the big names such as "The Raven", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Tell-Tale Heart", and "The Purloined Letter" as well as many lesser known poems and stories. Poe is truly the master of description and suspense. Many of his stories include a horror element and most of his poems revolve around death and loss. However, he is able to build that horror and suspense without overly descriptive gore or trauma. You feel the thrill and dread without being scarred by it. It's art at its best.
The writing style is complex. I wouldn't recommend this to the casual reader since it is an older, more complicated style and the terminology can be stuffy. I would have liked if the editor had added translation notes for all the French Poe uses as well as details behind many of his cultural references to help the modern reader understand him better. "The Gold-Bug" has racist undertones in it as well, which was uncomfortable to read.
Overall, if you love dark, creepy tales or the intrigue of mystery, you'll enjoy Poe. But if you aren't used to reading older, classic literature, you might find him hard to wade through. I enjoyed it very much! "The Pit and the Pendulum" is still one of my favourites, though I grew in appreciation for "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Raven" and "The Fall of the House of Usher". "Eleonora" was amazing and rather haunting. I'll be chewing on that one for a bit.
This is a collection of a variety of Poe's short stories and poetry. It includes all the big names such as "The Raven", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Tell-Tale Heart", and "The Purloined Letter" as well as many lesser known poems and stories. Poe is truly the master of description and suspense. Many of his stories include a horror element and most of his poems revolve around death and loss. However, he is able to build that horror and suspense without overly descriptive gore or trauma. You feel the thrill and dread without being scarred by it. It's art at its best.
The writing style is complex. I wouldn't recommend this to the casual reader since it is an older, more complicated style and the terminology can be stuffy. I would have liked if the editor had added translation notes for all the French Poe uses as well as details behind many of his cultural references to help the modern reader understand him better. "The Gold-Bug" has racist undertones in it as well, which was uncomfortable to read.
Overall, if you love dark, creepy tales or the intrigue of mystery, you'll enjoy Poe. But if you aren't used to reading older, classic literature, you might find him hard to wade through. I enjoyed it very much! "The Pit and the Pendulum" is still one of my favourites, though I grew in appreciation for "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Raven" and "The Fall of the House of Usher". "Eleonora" was amazing and rather haunting. I'll be chewing on that one for a bit.
September 24, 2022
I have always loved Poe. He's so weird and creepy. I'd read most of these before, but never listened. The narration was great. I'm biased but I did enjoy Bronson Pinchot's narration over Stefan Rudnicki.
Overall, I will give this 4 stars, but I want to include individual ratings/reviews below because there are so many stories.
The Raven ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I have always loved this poem.
The Fall of the House of Usher ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Really enjoy this one!
The Mask of the Red Death ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 This one hits a little different in 2022...
The Pit and the Pendulum ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This may be why I have anxiety. This story is so tense and creepy but I love it.
The Tell-Tale Heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This maddening short story is my absolute favorite of Poe's work. The narration on this one is fantastic.
The Black Cat No rating. I skipped this one. Can't do the cat torture.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar ⭐⭐⭐1/2
The Cask of Amontillado ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love this tale of Montresor and Fortunato! Second favorite of Poe's work.
Hop Frog No rating. Mostly "skimmed" this one.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 I just love the reveal in this one. Poe was such a weirdo.
The Mystery of Marie Rogete ⭐⭐1/2 I understand what he was trying to do here, but good grief it is so wordy and repetitive.
The Purloined Letter ⭐⭐⭐ This one feels similar to Mystery of Marie. I like it slightly more, but it's still not really for me.
Overall, I will give this 4 stars, but I want to include individual ratings/reviews below because there are so many stories.
The Raven ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I have always loved this poem.
The Fall of the House of Usher ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Really enjoy this one!
The Mask of the Red Death ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 This one hits a little different in 2022...
The Pit and the Pendulum ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This may be why I have anxiety. This story is so tense and creepy but I love it.
The Tell-Tale Heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This maddening short story is my absolute favorite of Poe's work. The narration on this one is fantastic.
The Black Cat No rating. I skipped this one. Can't do the cat torture.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar ⭐⭐⭐1/2
The Cask of Amontillado ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love this tale of Montresor and Fortunato! Second favorite of Poe's work.
Hop Frog No rating. Mostly "skimmed" this one.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 I just love the reveal in this one. Poe was such a weirdo.
The Mystery of Marie Rogete ⭐⭐1/2 I understand what he was trying to do here, but good grief it is so wordy and repetitive.
The Purloined Letter ⭐⭐⭐ This one feels similar to Mystery of Marie. I like it slightly more, but it's still not really for me.
December 11, 2017
I initially started listening this book, recorded and published by Blackstone Audio, because of ''The Raven'' and continued with listening because Poe's way of storytelling appealed to me. My initial reason for listening this book, together with ''The Telltale Heart'', are the stories that I liked best.
The later stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin, a supposed genius and literary predecessor of Sherlock Holmes, were narrated by Stefan Rudnicki. His supposed French accent confused me on multiple occassions however and sometimes made me lose track of the details in the story. I think the stories on Dupin are more enjoyable when read as opposed to listening.
Overall, this book had some nice stories and prose, but the stories on Dupin (which account for around 4 out of 8.5 hours) were a slight letdown.
The later stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin, a supposed genius and literary predecessor of Sherlock Holmes, were narrated by Stefan Rudnicki. His supposed French accent confused me on multiple occassions however and sometimes made me lose track of the details in the story. I think the stories on Dupin are more enjoyable when read as opposed to listening.
Overall, this book had some nice stories and prose, but the stories on Dupin (which account for around 4 out of 8.5 hours) were a slight letdown.
October 8, 2020
4 stars, because even though this collection is 80% amazing, it includes the 3 detective tales of C. Auguste Dupan, and man have they not aged well. I got through 1 1/2 of them before I gave up. I just could not get into them. (I guessed the killer of the first one incredibly early, too, with an accompanying groan.)
But Stefan Rudnicki's reading of The Raven is seriously amazing, as well as Bronson Pinchot's reading of the short stories. The Cask of Amontillado is perfect, and the Tell-Tale Heart close enough. I had not read The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar before, and it was fantastically creepy. This collection also included The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat, and Hop-Frog. All classics for a reason.
It's worth an Audible credit for the professional narration.
But Stefan Rudnicki's reading of The Raven is seriously amazing, as well as Bronson Pinchot's reading of the short stories. The Cask of Amontillado is perfect, and the Tell-Tale Heart close enough. I had not read The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar before, and it was fantastically creepy. This collection also included The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat, and Hop-Frog. All classics for a reason.
It's worth an Audible credit for the professional narration.
December 1, 2023
Four stories in one book from the famed Edgar Alan Poe. I thought I would enjoy them since I do love a dark and edgy tone, from a storyteller obsessed with death, but I'm afraid to admit, he did not live up to my expectations.
Each story seemed to build up a story which ended in an unfulfilling climax. The Descent into Maelstrom; he survived the whirlpool. The Masque of the Red Death; they all got the plaque. The Fall of the House of Usher; the house collapsed. Shadow of a Parable; a shadow spoke to them in the combined voice of all of their dearly departed. See what I mean? Not impressed.
Each story seemed to build up a story which ended in an unfulfilling climax. The Descent into Maelstrom; he survived the whirlpool. The Masque of the Red Death; they all got the plaque. The Fall of the House of Usher; the house collapsed. Shadow of a Parable; a shadow spoke to them in the combined voice of all of their dearly departed. See what I mean? Not impressed.
May 16, 2018
I absolutely love reading this in my spare time. Edgar Allan Poe was a pure creative genius. His works are addictive and will leave you in awe.
I love how this book contains his older poems from his youth as well as his famous poems and stories. The language used at the time can be a bit tricky to overcome - but the creative idea is still expressed.
If you love poetry, scary stories, darker inclined stories and gore expressed in 19th century literacy - this is the book for you.
I love how this book contains his older poems from his youth as well as his famous poems and stories. The language used at the time can be a bit tricky to overcome - but the creative idea is still expressed.
If you love poetry, scary stories, darker inclined stories and gore expressed in 19th century literacy - this is the book for you.
November 6, 2018
While I really enjoyed several of the stories in this collection, some of them (and Poe's writing, in general) are just not really my style. Ones like "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Mystery of Marie Roget" are very interesting and clear inspirations for Sherlock Holmes, but not really in my typical interests. The audiobook was spectacularly read by Bronson Pinchot and Stefan Rudnicki.
Read
October 13, 2022I was only familiar with the short story The Raven but the others were all new to me. Read for Halloween for a book club prompt, I must admit the stories did creep me out. The visual aspect of the graphic novel added to the creepiness I think...these tales were really quite dark! I guess gothic horror is not my genre.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews