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The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether
This early work by Edgar Allan Poe was originally published in 1850. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1809, Poe became an orphan at a very early age. After being taken in by a couple in Richmond, he spent a brief spell in the United Kingdom before returning to enrol at the University of Virginia. Poe struggled for many years to make a living as a writer and frequently had to move city to stay in employment as a critic. Even for his greatest success, 'The Raven', he only received $9 and, although becoming a household name, his financial position remained far from stable. Poe died in 1849, aged just 40, yet his legacy is a formidable one: He is seen today as one of the greatest practitioners of Gothic and detective fiction that ever lived, and popular culture is replete with references to him. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 1844
40 people are currently reading
918 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Allan Poe
9,902 books28.5k 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 180 reviews
September 12, 2023
Divertida historia sobre una visita que realiza nuestro protagonista a un hospital mental de Francia, un sanatorio de los de aquella época. El protagonista siente atracción por esos centros, pero lo que pasa allí tal vez le haya hecho cambiar de opinión.
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An amusing story about a visit by our protagonist to a mental hospital in France, a sanatorium of the time. The protagonist is attracted to these centres, but what happens there may have changed his mind.
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An amusing story about a visit by our protagonist to a mental hospital in France, a sanatorium of the time. The protagonist is attracted to these centres, but what happens there may have changed his mind.
July 11, 2024
The System of Dr Tarr and Professor Fether (1845) is one of Poe's lighter comedies, although still quite black. It is an example of one of Poe's stories which he submitted to the public as an essay. The narrator is journeying in the South of France, and is recommended by his travelling companion to visit a particular mental institution which they will shortly be passing. This institution has impressed his companion because of its revolutionary new method of treating mental illness by a so-called "system of soothing."
The narrator agrees, and on his arrival is given a guided tour of the hospital by a M. Maillard, who he has been told invented the system. This is then followed by a dinner attended by almost thirty other people, At the end the narrator still seems to be in blithe ignorance, searching in vain for any works by "Dr. Tarr" and "Professor Fether."
Poe's satire was very topical. The general public were increasingly concerned with the way mentally ill patients were treated like prisoners and there were demands to reform the system. Running counter to this was the defence of "insanity" being used in court, which was thought by some to be misused on occasions, allowing criminals to avoid punishment.
I have reviewed many of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories, and reviews of other stories can be displayed by searching for Edgar Allan Poe on my Goodreads shelves.
The narrator agrees, and on his arrival is given a guided tour of the hospital by a M. Maillard, who he has been told invented the system. This is then followed by a dinner attended by almost thirty other people, At the end the narrator still seems to be in blithe ignorance, searching in vain for any works by "Dr. Tarr" and "Professor Fether."
Poe's satire was very topical. The general public were increasingly concerned with the way mentally ill patients were treated like prisoners and there were demands to reform the system. Running counter to this was the defence of "insanity" being used in court, which was thought by some to be misused on occasions, allowing criminals to avoid punishment.
I have reviewed many of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories, and reviews of other stories can be displayed by searching for Edgar Allan Poe on my Goodreads shelves.
December 9, 2021
2.5 stars. A predictable story of the inner workings of an insane asylum. It felt a bit too over the top and melodramatic to actually be funny.
January 13, 2018
I know Poe meant this to be funny, but it creeped me out so badly I almost quit. The atmosphere disturbed me deeply. The setting got to me. It reminded me of stories I've heard of demons dressing as a high court people of honor and dining with soon to be supper or evil, nasty trolls in human skins having a tea party and looking with lust and thirst of blood at the guest of honor.
It centers on a mental asylum. This guy, for whatever crazyass reason, wants to visit an insane asylum. The people in charge have come up with new and innovative ways to heal the crazies. They feed the delusion until reality brings them back, for example, someone who thinks they're a chicken can only live so long on chicken food. So this guy has dinner with a bunch of insane people pretending sanity, until a plot twist. I did end up laughing at the end, and could almost see Poe smiling and nodding his head in silent gesticulations of laughter.
It centers on a mental asylum. This guy, for whatever crazyass reason, wants to visit an insane asylum. The people in charge have come up with new and innovative ways to heal the crazies. They feed the delusion until reality brings them back, for example, someone who thinks they're a chicken can only live so long on chicken food. So this guy has dinner with a bunch of insane people pretending sanity, until a plot twist. I did end up laughing at the end, and could almost see Poe smiling and nodding his head in silent gesticulations of laughter.
August 27, 2023
- كوميديا سوداء من داخل احدى المصحات في جنوب فرنسا... اخذت الشخصية الروائية بعض الوقت لإستيعاب الذي يحصل من حولها!... مضحكة وساخرة وفيها الكثير الكثير من الجنون..
June 21, 2015
A comedic and dark short story about an unnamed narrator who visits a mental institute and partakes in a lavish dinner before things go awry. The narrator realizes alongside the reader that as his time at the hospital elongates, so does the suspicious behavior exhibited by the dinner guests, which leads to trouble. Soon, the soothing system discussed by Monsieur Malliard, the owner of the institute, comes into question.
Poe does a wonderful job of interspersing foreshadowing and bits of specific detail throughout "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" to build anticipation and create a vivid picture of the hospital. This piece, in a humorous and morbid way, does a great job of showing how far we have come in regard to mental illness, as well as how far we have left to go. The details about the dinner guests and the descriptions of the hospital grounded the story as its more plot-based developments occurred. Overall, an entertaining and thoughtful short story I would recommend to fans of Edgar Allen Poe as well as those intrigued by the history of mental illness.
Poe does a wonderful job of interspersing foreshadowing and bits of specific detail throughout "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" to build anticipation and create a vivid picture of the hospital. This piece, in a humorous and morbid way, does a great job of showing how far we have come in regard to mental illness, as well as how far we have left to go. The details about the dinner guests and the descriptions of the hospital grounded the story as its more plot-based developments occurred. Overall, an entertaining and thoughtful short story I would recommend to fans of Edgar Allen Poe as well as those intrigued by the history of mental illness.
November 12, 2020
This story was rather unique.
September 17, 2016
I read this story in the German translation by Arno Schmidt in preparation for the uber-reading of
Zettels Traum
/
Bottom’s Dream
in which large parts deal with the translation of E. A. Poe into German.
An unnamed narrator is traveling the southern provinces of France when he decides to visit a nearby private “mad-house”, called Maison de Santé, of which he heard in Paris. There he is met by the director of the facility who promises to show his guest around and to explain the treatment of the patients/inmates to him. However, the conversations and the subsequent dinner do not necessarily run as expected…
In the middle of the story, I had a certain idea of how it might end, but it turned out I was wrong. The ending Poe had chosen was a surprise to me in that it was sort of unsurprising. Still a good story about the fine line that sometimes marks the border between saneness and madness.
I already read Arthur Gordon Pym in Arno Schmidt’s translation and was blown away by it (see my review here).
In the present story, the translator has retained himself more and the translation follows the original very closely. We find the usual Schmidt’chen quirks (& for and, 1 for a/an, = instead of a hyphen) and also the creative usage of punctuation marks, but to a much lesser extend than in Pym.
Nevertheless, Schmidt was obviously very careful and sometimes even corrected/enhanced Poe’s original prose.
One striking example I found is this [emphasis in bold by me]:
original
On other occasions Schmidt decided to sneak in a word that doesn’t really exist in this form, but totally makes sense in the context it is used:
original
Finally, here’s an example of Schmidt at his best. The choice of words couldn’t have possibly been better:
original
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
An unnamed narrator is traveling the southern provinces of France when he decides to visit a nearby private “mad-house”, called Maison de Santé, of which he heard in Paris. There he is met by the director of the facility who promises to show his guest around and to explain the treatment of the patients/inmates to him. However, the conversations and the subsequent dinner do not necessarily run as expected…
In the middle of the story, I had a certain idea of how it might end, but it turned out I was wrong. The ending Poe had chosen was a surprise to me in that it was sort of unsurprising. Still a good story about the fine line that sometimes marks the border between saneness and madness.
I already read Arthur Gordon Pym in Arno Schmidt’s translation and was blown away by it (see my review here).
In the present story, the translator has retained himself more and the translation follows the original very closely. We find the usual Schmidt’chen quirks (& for and, 1 for a/an, = instead of a hyphen) and also the creative usage of punctuation marks, but to a much lesser extend than in Pym.
Nevertheless, Schmidt was obviously very careful and sometimes even corrected/enhanced Poe’s original prose.
One striking example I found is this [emphasis in bold by me]:
original
“Pierre,” cried the host, “change this gentleman’s plate, and give him a side-piece of this rabbit au-chat.”translation
“This what?” said I.
“This rabbit au-chat.”
“Why, thank you—upon second thoughts, no. I will just help myself to some of the ham.”
There is no knowing what one eats, thought I to myself, at the tables of these people of the province. I will have none of their rabbit au-chat—and, for the matter of that, none of their cat-au-rabbit either.
»Pierre«, rief mein Wirt sogleich: »dem Herrn hier einen anderen Teller; und geben Sie ihm ein Seitenstück von dem Kaninchen-au-chat.«I really wonder why Poe decided to use cat-au-rabbit and not cat-au-lapin. Maybe he was too lazy to look the word up in the French dictionary? Anyway, I think Schmidt saved the joke by putting Katze-au-lapin here.
»Au-was?«, sagte ich.
»Diesem Kaninchen-au-chat.«
»Oh, danke, aber – wenn ich mir’ѕ recht überlege: bitte nein. Ich nehm’ mir lieber etwas von diesem Schinken hier.«
Man weiß tatsächlich nie, dachte ich bei mir, was man an den Tafeln dieser Provinzler so alles in sich hinein ißt – ich danke für deren ihr Kaninchen-au-chat, beziehungsweise für eine Katze-au-lapin nicht minder.
On other occasions Schmidt decided to sneak in a word that doesn’t really exist in this form, but totally makes sense in the context it is used:
original
“By no means. We put much faith in amusements of a simple kind, such as music, dancing, gymnastic exercises generally, cards, certain classes of books, and so forth.”translation
»Aber keineswegs. Wir setzen große Hoffnungen auf Zerstreuungen einfachster Art, wie etwa Musik, Tanz, gymnastische Übungen allgemein, Kartenspiele, bestimmte Sorten von Büchern, undsoweiterundsoweiter.«Here the undsoweiterundsoweiter should have been spelled und so weiter und so weiter, of course, but by doubling the words and putting them all together we get a far better feeling for the way the director is talking IMO.
Finally, here’s an example of Schmidt at his best. The choice of words couldn’t have possibly been better:
original
“He was a great fool, beyond doubt,” interposed some one, “but not to be compared with a certain individual whom we all know, with the exception of this strange gentleman. I mean the man who took himself for a bottle of champagne, and always went off with a pop and a fizz, in this fashion.”translation
Here the speaker, very rudely, as I thought, put his right thumb in his left cheek, withdrew it with a sound resembling the popping of a cork, and then, by a dexterous movement of the tongue upon the teeth, created a sharp hissing and fizzing, which lasted for several minutes, in imitation of the frothing of champagne.
»Das war, da gilt kein Zweifel, ein großer Narr,« warf ein Anderer ein, »obschon nicht mit einem gewissen Quidam zu vergleichen, den wir Alle kennen – den fremden Herrn dort ausgenommen. Ich meine jenen Außerordentlichen, der sich für eine Champagnerflasche hielt, und der immerfort, Popp-Fsss!, los ging; ungefähr so —«
Hier steckte sich der Sprecher, (ungebührlich plump, wie mir däuchte), den rechten Daumen tief in die linke Backentasche; wuppte ihn heraus, mit einem Geräusch wie ein Pfropfenknall; und erzeugte anschließend durch erzgeschicktes Zusammenspiel von Zung’ & Zähnen, ein minutenlang anhaltendes scharfes Zischen und Pfischen, das dem Brüsseln von Champagner frappant ähnelte.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
October 27, 2019
5 Stars—Such a simple tale, yet so effective!! Poe in his typical dark style, tells a story of an asylum where a different sort of treatment is used. One of acceptance and comfort. Pretty unheard of for this time so naturally I’m curious and reveling in the setting!! For such a short story, the twist is nuts ... pardon the pun! It’s an amazing story that shows Poe’s genius! It’s easy to read and quick to get thru! I absolutely recommend it to everyone!
November 28, 2018
A humoursly creepy encounter at a looney bin in the 19th century. I had expected for some reason that it'll have a more ghastly finish to it but I was rather engaged, entertained and satisfied by this midnight time read. Extremely well-written, dark, comedic and deeply intriguing, it the type of horrifying excellence you'd expect from Poe.
December 3, 2015
Este es uno de esos cuentos de Poe que apuntan al humor, sin perder el tono oscuro que lo caracteriza. Lo empecé porque alguien me habló de The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether gracias a una versión cinematográfica y me interesó.
A un caballero sin nombre (típico) se le ocurre recorrer un asilo para pacientes con problemas mentales. Lo acompaña una persona a la cual conoce en el viaje, pero éste se resiste a entrar y se va, lo cual demuestra un poco la mala impresión que los "normales" tenían acerca de los locos. En fin, el protagonista (que también es el narrador) llega al chateau y ahí se encuentra con el director del asilo, Monsieur Maillard.
A pesar de que los hechos que se desencadenan después sean sustancialmente cómicos, reflejan bien ciertas consideraciones que se hacían sobre los alienados mentales en la época victoriana (el cuento se publicó en 1845). La locura es algo bizarro y gracioso, hasta que se vuelve peligroso para los cuerdos. Una visión bastante maniquea.
Personalmente, me pareció entretenido, con muchas cosas para anotar y analizar, sobre todo sabiendo que desde hacía unos años se habían promulgado leyes que regulaban los asilos y los tratamientos. Lo malo es que tiene un final predecible casi desde el comienzo y me pareció algo estático, aunque eso no arruina la lectura.
A un caballero sin nombre (típico) se le ocurre recorrer un asilo para pacientes con problemas mentales. Lo acompaña una persona a la cual conoce en el viaje, pero éste se resiste a entrar y se va, lo cual demuestra un poco la mala impresión que los "normales" tenían acerca de los locos. En fin, el protagonista (que también es el narrador) llega al chateau y ahí se encuentra con el director del asilo, Monsieur Maillard.
A pesar de que los hechos que se desencadenan después sean sustancialmente cómicos, reflejan bien ciertas consideraciones que se hacían sobre los alienados mentales en la época victoriana (el cuento se publicó en 1845). La locura es algo bizarro y gracioso, hasta que se vuelve peligroso para los cuerdos. Una visión bastante maniquea.
Personalmente, me pareció entretenido, con muchas cosas para anotar y analizar, sobre todo sabiendo que desde hacía unos años se habían promulgado leyes que regulaban los asilos y los tratamientos. Lo malo es que tiene un final predecible casi desde el comienzo y me pareció algo estático, aunque eso no arruina la lectura.
November 17, 2024
Very Good.
This was very good, really good, but not going to review it.
For the moment at least.
It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1844] [38p] [Horror] [3.5] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★☆☆ The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
★★☆☆☆ The Complete Stories and Poems
★★★☆☆ The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings
★★★☆☆ The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales
★☆☆☆☆ The Raven and Other Poems
-----------------------------------------------
Muy bueno.
Esto estuvo muy bien, realmente bien, pero no voy a reseñarlo.
Al menos por ahora.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1844] [38p] [Horror] [3.5] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
This was very good, really good, but not going to review it.
For the moment at least.
It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1844] [38p] [Horror] [3.5] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★☆☆ The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
★★☆☆☆ The Complete Stories and Poems
★★★☆☆ The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings
★★★☆☆ The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales
★☆☆☆☆ The Raven and Other Poems
-----------------------------------------------
Muy bueno.
Esto estuvo muy bien, realmente bien, pero no voy a reseñarlo.
Al menos por ahora.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1844] [38p] [Horror] [3.5] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
October 9, 2020
Ambientandose en una mansión de santé u hospital para enfermos mentales, un visitante decide conocer el famoso "metodo de la dulzura" del Doctor Tarr y el Profesor Fether (Brea y Pluma) que se aplica a las personas que allí se encuentran.
Poe invierte la situación de los personajes y de pronto el lector comienza a descubrir visos de que algo en ellos no está bien.
El final está rematado de manera magistral. Siempre me recuerda a la película "Shutter Island".
El tratamiento que Poe hace de la locura demuestra que tenía sólidos conocimientos en el tema.
Poe invierte la situación de los personajes y de pronto el lector comienza a descubrir visos de que algo en ellos no está bien.
El final está rematado de manera magistral. Siempre me recuerda a la película "Shutter Island".
El tratamiento que Poe hace de la locura demuestra que tenía sólidos conocimientos en el tema.
August 15, 2020
We watched the film adaptation the other night. While I cannot disparage the performances of messrs Kingsley, Thewlis and Caine—- the film was overripe and stretched thin to the point of tearing. Consequently I was curious about the source material. The author affords is a strange tale of an asylum with a liberal methodology and the consequences thereof. The entire matter is too brief to exploit with a spoiler so I offer but a lukewarm encouragement. The story won’t take as much of your life as the film requires. Be warned.
October 11, 2015
Lõbus lugu hulludest, kes valitsevad hullumaja. Hullud võivad olla ohtlikult reserveeritud, kavalad ning näida esmasel tutvumisel isegi intelligentsetena. Kui peaksid sattuma mõnda sellist asutust külastama, siis ära ole kindel, et arst või ülejäänud "hullusid põetav personal" on need kelleks end nimetavad. Soovitan kindlasti vaadata ka jutustuse põhjal tehtud filmi 'Stonehearst Asylum'.
July 18, 2016
Excellent short story worth reading, especially after watching Stonehearst Asylum.
December 21, 2015
Un altfel de Poe.
Mi-a stârnit câteva zâmbete.
Mi-a stârnit câteva zâmbete.
Read
September 9, 2015دیوانه ای، برای دستیابی به هدف خود، با توهم رویارویی با عده ای به اصطلاح، عاقل، در با نقاب عقل، به جمع آنان پای می نهد، و نهایتا می فهمد: همه ی اطرافیان او نیز دیوانگانی چون او بوده اند....با نقاب.... با ادعای سلامت روان
کتاب را نمی دانم، اما فیلم را که ببینید، شوکه خواهید شد، تعجب خواهید کرد، در لحظاتی وحشت می کنید و در لحظاتی لبریز از لذت خواهید شد.... .
داستانی بدیع و خلاقانه.
قصه ای که در آن، دیوانگان بر تیمارستانی حاکم اند و پزشکان و روانشناسان در قفس!
داستانی که در آن غالب شخصیت ها دروغین اند و تنها یک شخصیت سراسر صدق است و راستی: دختری بیمار. هم در ظاهر و در باطن. دختری که.... تمام غایت قهرمان داستان است.
کتاب را نمی دانم، اما فیلم را که ببینید، شوکه خواهید شد، تعجب خواهید کرد، در لحظاتی وحشت می کنید و در لحظاتی لبریز از لذت خواهید شد.... .
داستانی بدیع و خلاقانه.
قصه ای که در آن، دیوانگان بر تیمارستانی حاکم اند و پزشکان و روانشناسان در قفس!
داستانی که در آن غالب شخصیت ها دروغین اند و تنها یک شخصیت سراسر صدق است و راستی: دختری بیمار. هم در ظاهر و در باطن. دختری که.... تمام غایت قهرمان داستان است.
June 19, 2016
After I watched Stonehearst Asylum I knew I had to read this short story, especially after I've seen that it is written by Poe.
Indeed it's a lighter book compared to his others but he knew how to keep his somber effect even through a "humorous" book...because such a cleverness (when the plot twist is revealed) can steal a few smiles from you.
Indeed it's a lighter book compared to his others but he knew how to keep his somber effect even through a "humorous" book...because such a cleverness (when the plot twist is revealed) can steal a few smiles from you.
April 30, 2016
Humorous though condescending (not politically correct) look at the staff of an asylum and whether the inmates or the staff are the most insane. Good word play in the title which does not become clear until the ending.
Want to read
October 25, 2018Poe was such a genius that its mind boggling at times. I actually have never found a copy of this but just read about it in Ghostland. I probably would not be able to read it as I hate psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. Reading this part of the book where they abuse the mentally ill is hard as these things HAVE NOT STOPPED. People are such ostriches.
July 20, 2020
Dated and predictable, but I doubt it would have been back in the day. It's still an interesting look at the perception of "lunacy" from a bygone standpoint. I enjoyed the implied question of which person or group of people are the biggest fools.
October 17, 2023
Okay interesting, interesting. A blur between the sane and the insane, I liked it
July 1, 2018
This story is about a guy who decides he wants to visit an insane asylum, just to see what it's like and to say that he's been to one. Sounds like a fun time, huh? Of course this is a perfect topic for a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. His friend who told him about it is too scared to go, so he decides to go by himself, even though it looks pretty creepy at the entrance. He meets the superintendent at the door, who proceeds to show him around. He explains that they use a 'soothing system' to treat their clients, which means they just let them walk around and do whatever they want. When it's time for dinner, several people arrive; they are all dressed nicely but seem rather strange. Later he finds out that the crazies had taken over the asylum and locked up the keepers.
There are many elements of Poe's style that really engage the reader. For example, as the plot thickens, several instances arise that give you hints to what is really happening and it slowly dawns on you how it is going to end. So it's somewhat predictable, but in a good way. The eloquent prose that creates such a dark aura is part of what makes his writing so influential on Lovecraft and others in the horror genre. This is a good one, but not one of his best.
There are many elements of Poe's style that really engage the reader. For example, as the plot thickens, several instances arise that give you hints to what is really happening and it slowly dawns on you how it is going to end. So it's somewhat predictable, but in a good way. The eloquent prose that creates such a dark aura is part of what makes his writing so influential on Lovecraft and others in the horror genre. This is a good one, but not one of his best.
July 20, 2015
I had to read this after watching Stonehearst Asylum...
which was good by the way. Different characters but a
similar storyline. It was a short...quick read through
that I found here- http://poestories.com/read/systemoftarr
definitely a goodread if you are a Edgar Allan Poetry fan.
which was good by the way. Different characters but a
similar storyline. It was a short...quick read through
that I found here- http://poestories.com/read/systemoftarr
definitely a goodread if you are a Edgar Allan Poetry fan.
March 6, 2019
Незатейливая в своём абсурде история, но она будет интересна любителям Эдгара Аллана По. Прекрасный язык.
May 14, 2020
Took me for a loop! I did not see that ending coming. I definitely love Poe’s stories that come with a twist! This story actually reminded me a lot of the movie ‘Shutter Island’.
December 11, 2021
Poe is genius. This is the story of a “sane” man who wishes to observe a madhouse or insane asylum. He converses with the doctors and administrators of the institution as he visits the hospital, and it becomes unclear who is a caregiver and who is burdened with “mania”. The institution follows the teachings of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether.
To tar and feather an individual is a barbaric ancient practice to publicly shame an individual by pasting feathers to his or her skin with melted, burning tar. The observing man who came to visit the hospital is publicly shamed for his ignorance and assumptions about mental health. The reader is also burned by confusion over who in the story is “sane” who is plagued with “mania”, or at the very least “confusion”.
To tar and feather an individual is a barbaric ancient practice to publicly shame an individual by pasting feathers to his or her skin with melted, burning tar. The observing man who came to visit the hospital is publicly shamed for his ignorance and assumptions about mental health. The reader is also burned by confusion over who in the story is “sane” who is plagued with “mania”, or at the very least “confusion”.
December 20, 2024
Have you ever read a story and knew what was going to happen before you finished it? This was my experience while reading this story. When reading a full length book the author has time to throw in a few twist. This is a bit more tricky when writing a short story although it can be done if carefully executed. Poe often times has a problem doing this and is the case with this story as well. Although I did find it quite interesting and once into it ( as with most of his works) you have to see it through.
October 12, 2025
ocena: 4/5 🌻
forma: 🎧
Omg bardzo ciekawe… trochę dawało mi vibe wyspy tajemnic, baaardzo mi się podobało, klimatyczne, intrygujące, porywające.
[kryteria oceny dla „opowiadania”]
1,5/2 fabuła
0,8/1 logiczność i ciągłość wydarzeń
0,9/1 płynność, spójność i przyjemność w odbiorze
0,4/0,5 „sedno”/ cel/ morał
0,2/0,25 styl pisania autora
0,2/0,25 wyjątkowość
forma: 🎧
Omg bardzo ciekawe… trochę dawało mi vibe wyspy tajemnic, baaardzo mi się podobało, klimatyczne, intrygujące, porywające.
[kryteria oceny dla „opowiadania”]
1,5/2 fabuła
0,8/1 logiczność i ciągłość wydarzeń
0,9/1 płynność, spójność i przyjemność w odbiorze
0,4/0,5 „sedno”/ cel/ morał
0,2/0,25 styl pisania autora
0,2/0,25 wyjątkowość
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews