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Classic Tales of Detection & Adventure
Containing one of the best known and best loved detective novels of all time - The Murders in the Rue Morgue - this entertaining collection of Poe's work shows why he was considered a master of mystery. Also included in the book is The Mystery of Marie Rogêt, which was a sequel to the thrilling Murders in the Rue Morgue , as well as three other tales of detection and adventure, including "Thou Art the Man!", "The Purloined Letter" and "The Unparelleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall". Such was the influence of these works that the Mystery Writers of America named their awards after Poe and called them the Edgars.
206 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
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581 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Allan Poe
9,868 books28.8k 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 33 reviews
November 18, 2021
I’ve been hoping to read some of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin for quite some time, ever since learning about their influences on the likes of Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. I was happy to stumble upon this Poe collection, featuring all three Dupin stories, at HPB.
Overall, it is fun to see the inception of a mode of story telling I love so much, and much of the minute elements of the stories are very clear principles upon which the future of the genre is based.
The one thing that was distinctly different was also distinctly Edgar Allan Poe — he is pretty graphic in describing some of these murders. Christie in particular tends to gloss over the bloody details, but Poe certainly doesn’t. He describes the murder scene in all its gorey glory.
Here are some quick thoughts on the six individual stories presented in this collection.
The Murder in the Rue Morgue:
This story is remarkable exclusively by its claim as the first detective story in fiction. It’s amazing to see how many aspects of your favorite Sherlock or Poirot novels are coped directly from this narrative. Even the brilliant-yet-odd nature of the detective, and the clueless-yet-endearing partner/narrator is there from the jump. The inspection scene and the climactic scene in particular feel like they could have been written yesterday.
The Mystery of Marie Rôget:
This one is particularly cool because of its relation to the real-life mystery of Mary Rogers. My copy of the book had a preface explaining it (which was blatantly false, claiming the murder to be solved and Poe to have guessed correctly), and I went ahead and read a Wikipedia synopsis after I finished the story to fill in the details. I can’t say I’ve ever read anything quite like it. I wish I could find more regarding the public reaction to his story at the time it was published.
“Thou Art The Man!”:
This is one of two stories in the collection that does not feature C Auguste Dupin. It reads quite a bit like a Robert Louis Stevenson mystery, and made me wonder if Stevenson was a Poe fan. I found myself enjoying it quite a bit.
The Purloined Letter:
The last, and shortest, of three C Auguste Dupin stories included in this collection. Reminds me greatly of ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, of which it certainly had great influence. This is perhaps my favorite of the three Dupin stories presented.
The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall:
This story doesn’t exactly fit with the others, but is fun nonetheless. I enjoyed putting myself in the mind of a 1840’s Englishman, reading the thrilling fantasy of moon travel and un-discovered science.
Overall, it is fun to see the inception of a mode of story telling I love so much, and much of the minute elements of the stories are very clear principles upon which the future of the genre is based.
The one thing that was distinctly different was also distinctly Edgar Allan Poe — he is pretty graphic in describing some of these murders. Christie in particular tends to gloss over the bloody details, but Poe certainly doesn’t. He describes the murder scene in all its gorey glory.
Here are some quick thoughts on the six individual stories presented in this collection.
The Murder in the Rue Morgue:
This story is remarkable exclusively by its claim as the first detective story in fiction. It’s amazing to see how many aspects of your favorite Sherlock or Poirot novels are coped directly from this narrative. Even the brilliant-yet-odd nature of the detective, and the clueless-yet-endearing partner/narrator is there from the jump. The inspection scene and the climactic scene in particular feel like they could have been written yesterday.
The Mystery of Marie Rôget:
This one is particularly cool because of its relation to the real-life mystery of Mary Rogers. My copy of the book had a preface explaining it (which was blatantly false, claiming the murder to be solved and Poe to have guessed correctly), and I went ahead and read a Wikipedia synopsis after I finished the story to fill in the details. I can’t say I’ve ever read anything quite like it. I wish I could find more regarding the public reaction to his story at the time it was published.
“Thou Art The Man!”:
This is one of two stories in the collection that does not feature C Auguste Dupin. It reads quite a bit like a Robert Louis Stevenson mystery, and made me wonder if Stevenson was a Poe fan. I found myself enjoying it quite a bit.
The Purloined Letter:
The last, and shortest, of three C Auguste Dupin stories included in this collection. Reminds me greatly of ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, of which it certainly had great influence. This is perhaps my favorite of the three Dupin stories presented.
The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall:
This story doesn’t exactly fit with the others, but is fun nonetheless. I enjoyed putting myself in the mind of a 1840’s Englishman, reading the thrilling fantasy of moon travel and un-discovered science.
August 4, 2023
Doyle is a better writer, but Poe's form isn't bad for having no examples. I can see where Holmes might have got his impetus. I do prefer Poe's horror and suspense, though. Thou Art The Man was a very good story. I really did enjoy it. The Purloined Letter was really well done just because you can hold it up to A Scandal in Bohemia and say that they both are well told stories, and yet I do know which I prefer, though my reasons are not good.
Poe never names his narrators that I want to have names.They can be stand up guys, like the one in The Fall of the House of Usher, but no name! The same with Dupin's roommate. Also, he has very little part, and here Doyle made a change. Doyle has John Watson. A name matters.
I did not finish with Hans Pfall because of the cats. You never do that to the cat.
Poe never names his narrators that I want to have names.They can be stand up guys, like the one in The Fall of the House of Usher, but no name! The same with Dupin's roommate. Also, he has very little part, and here Doyle made a change. Doyle has John Watson. A name matters.
I did not finish with Hans Pfall because of the cats. You never do that to the cat.
May 29, 2022
I loved the first short story, you can see how much Dupin inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes.
However, the four other short stories within this collection I found to be disappointing.
However, the four other short stories within this collection I found to be disappointing.
February 25, 2023
After previously taking a gothic and mystery literature class, my ability to engage with and understand these 5 short stories as the beginning of the detective fiction genre — even predating Sherlock Holmes — was the primary level of enjoyment here.
The plots for these stories were slow and overly obscured by long, roundabout detective-reveal-logic monologues and long, dry descriptions of evidence. There are the clear beginnings of plot and character and twist to the detective fiction genre, but it seems half-baked, as the beginning of any genre is bound to feel after I’ve read the products of a much more fully developed, advanced genre.
Cool to see though, the sleuth C. Auguste Dupin is a perfect predecessor of Sherlock Holmes. To their mannerisms, to their habits, to their style, to their general demeanor — Sherlock Holmes was nearly plagiarized from Poe, it seems.
The plots for these stories were slow and overly obscured by long, roundabout detective-reveal-logic monologues and long, dry descriptions of evidence. There are the clear beginnings of plot and character and twist to the detective fiction genre, but it seems half-baked, as the beginning of any genre is bound to feel after I’ve read the products of a much more fully developed, advanced genre.
Cool to see though, the sleuth C. Auguste Dupin is a perfect predecessor of Sherlock Holmes. To their mannerisms, to their habits, to their style, to their general demeanor — Sherlock Holmes was nearly plagiarized from Poe, it seems.
December 30, 2023
Classic Tales of Detection and Adventure ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Book review by David C.
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, MA on 1/19/1809. He had a turbulent life, and he became fascinated with death, tragedy and violence. It would be an understatement to say that he was an influential writer.
Classic Tales of Detection and Adventure is a collection of the following five of his works, which we will now have a closer look at.
~The Murders in the Rue Morgue~
This story was written in 1841, and by doing so, Edgar Allan Poe essentially invented the detective mystery genre. After about nine pages of perfectly fine reading, we finally arrive at the true start of the story, as we learn that in the evening edition of the Gazette des Tribunaux, there was the mention of ‘extraordinary murders.’ This not only marks the start of the story truly capturing the attention of the reader, but it also marks the start of more dramatic and captivating storytelling. The details are not only gruesome, but they also make you feel like you’re watching a crime television show in which you’re trying to figure out what kind of horror has just taken place. After the horrific scene of crime had been described, we got to read some additional information about the home and the people involved. This part is also able to keep the reader completely immersed in the story, wanting to know more details about the situation, to the point that you, as a reader, would almost like to help out solve this mysterious crime.
I will not reveal much of the plot here, as I don’t want to spoil anyone’s reading experience, but I will say that Edgar Allan Poe truly was in his element as a writer during these passages in which the horror and drama was described in great detail. We learn about the witnesses and their accounts of what they witnessed. The main characters started their own investigation in order to try to solve this mysterious and grotesque crime. The story takes an unexpected turn, and eventually reaches an unusual reveal. It is truly an excellent story that was told in an excellent manner!
~The Mystery of Marie Roget
This story was first published in 1842, and it’s based on an actual murder. The whole story is basically details of the crime scene followed by the unnamed narrator trying to solve the crime. It’s an interesting and well-written story, but it’s slightly less thrilling than “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Part of the reason is that this already short story has quite an abrupt ending.
~”Thou Art the Man!”
This story, first published in 1844, is somewhat of a similar type compared to Poe’s previous story. However, this story lacks the intriguing mystery aspect of his previous stories. It’s a very good story overall, but the plot itself is rather simple, and it seems that Poe focused more on the way he wrote this story as opposed to what he was writing in this story.
~The Purloined Letter
A big part of this story, first published in December 1944, is an overly lengthy explanation of how the stolen letter was found. The idea behind it is good and interesting, but the execution is that of a slightly disappointing story. The final conclusion of the story is quite a good one though, as it’s true that sometimes things are simply hidden in plain sight.
~The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
This is quite a crazy story, first published in 1835. A man named Hans Pfaall claims to have ascended to the moon in a balloon and has supposedly sent a manuscript to earth in which he requests to be pardoned for the crimes he committed. In the manuscript, there is a detailed description of all the troubles and pains Pfaall went through during his ascension into the sky. Once the excellencies read the manuscript, they are so astonished by what they read, that they declare that Pfaall should be pardoned. However, it turns out it was all a hoax. The story is interesting and keeps the reader intrigued at all times. On one hand, it seems that for a hoax story that perhaps too much text was spent talking about the made-up details, but on the other hand, that helped make the hoax seem more effective.
Edgar Allan Poe was someone I first heard of when I was introduced to his wonderful poem ‘The Raven,’ which features the famous words: “Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore.’” However, I had never read the stories I reviewed here before. In these stories collected in 'Classic Tales of Detection and Adventure, Poe shows the imaginative power of his mind that sometimes could be described as overactive imagination. However, he also shows that his stories often are getting lost in their own vocation to be clever tales that therefore end up feeling more far-fetched than clever.
Poe really has the ability to launch himself into the characters to the point he almost loses himself into the infinite field of imagination. This makes his writing be more about style and not so much about content per se.
Conclusion…
~The Murders in the Rue Morgue ****¼ .
~The Mystery of Marie Roget ***¾.
~”Thou Art the Man!” ***½.
~The Purloined Letter ***¼
~The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall ***¾
The Murders in the Rue Morgue is the best story, and it is an excellent classic. The other stories collected here range from good to very good but fail to reach the excellence of the first story. That being said, Poe's excellent talent as a writer was pellucidly clear in all these stories.
Rating: Very Good. 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Book review by David C.
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, MA on 1/19/1809. He had a turbulent life, and he became fascinated with death, tragedy and violence. It would be an understatement to say that he was an influential writer.
Classic Tales of Detection and Adventure is a collection of the following five of his works, which we will now have a closer look at.
~The Murders in the Rue Morgue~
This story was written in 1841, and by doing so, Edgar Allan Poe essentially invented the detective mystery genre. After about nine pages of perfectly fine reading, we finally arrive at the true start of the story, as we learn that in the evening edition of the Gazette des Tribunaux, there was the mention of ‘extraordinary murders.’ This not only marks the start of the story truly capturing the attention of the reader, but it also marks the start of more dramatic and captivating storytelling. The details are not only gruesome, but they also make you feel like you’re watching a crime television show in which you’re trying to figure out what kind of horror has just taken place. After the horrific scene of crime had been described, we got to read some additional information about the home and the people involved. This part is also able to keep the reader completely immersed in the story, wanting to know more details about the situation, to the point that you, as a reader, would almost like to help out solve this mysterious crime.
I will not reveal much of the plot here, as I don’t want to spoil anyone’s reading experience, but I will say that Edgar Allan Poe truly was in his element as a writer during these passages in which the horror and drama was described in great detail. We learn about the witnesses and their accounts of what they witnessed. The main characters started their own investigation in order to try to solve this mysterious and grotesque crime. The story takes an unexpected turn, and eventually reaches an unusual reveal. It is truly an excellent story that was told in an excellent manner!
~The Mystery of Marie Roget
This story was first published in 1842, and it’s based on an actual murder. The whole story is basically details of the crime scene followed by the unnamed narrator trying to solve the crime. It’s an interesting and well-written story, but it’s slightly less thrilling than “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Part of the reason is that this already short story has quite an abrupt ending.
~”Thou Art the Man!”
This story, first published in 1844, is somewhat of a similar type compared to Poe’s previous story. However, this story lacks the intriguing mystery aspect of his previous stories. It’s a very good story overall, but the plot itself is rather simple, and it seems that Poe focused more on the way he wrote this story as opposed to what he was writing in this story.
~The Purloined Letter
A big part of this story, first published in December 1944, is an overly lengthy explanation of how the stolen letter was found. The idea behind it is good and interesting, but the execution is that of a slightly disappointing story. The final conclusion of the story is quite a good one though, as it’s true that sometimes things are simply hidden in plain sight.
~The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
This is quite a crazy story, first published in 1835. A man named Hans Pfaall claims to have ascended to the moon in a balloon and has supposedly sent a manuscript to earth in which he requests to be pardoned for the crimes he committed. In the manuscript, there is a detailed description of all the troubles and pains Pfaall went through during his ascension into the sky. Once the excellencies read the manuscript, they are so astonished by what they read, that they declare that Pfaall should be pardoned. However, it turns out it was all a hoax. The story is interesting and keeps the reader intrigued at all times. On one hand, it seems that for a hoax story that perhaps too much text was spent talking about the made-up details, but on the other hand, that helped make the hoax seem more effective.
Edgar Allan Poe was someone I first heard of when I was introduced to his wonderful poem ‘The Raven,’ which features the famous words: “Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore.’” However, I had never read the stories I reviewed here before. In these stories collected in 'Classic Tales of Detection and Adventure, Poe shows the imaginative power of his mind that sometimes could be described as overactive imagination. However, he also shows that his stories often are getting lost in their own vocation to be clever tales that therefore end up feeling more far-fetched than clever.
Poe really has the ability to launch himself into the characters to the point he almost loses himself into the infinite field of imagination. This makes his writing be more about style and not so much about content per se.
Conclusion…
~The Murders in the Rue Morgue ****¼ .
~The Mystery of Marie Roget ***¾.
~”Thou Art the Man!” ***½.
~The Purloined Letter ***¼
~The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall ***¾
The Murders in the Rue Morgue is the best story, and it is an excellent classic. The other stories collected here range from good to very good but fail to reach the excellence of the first story. That being said, Poe's excellent talent as a writer was pellucidly clear in all these stories.
Rating: Very Good. 3.75 out of 5 stars.
June 3, 2024
3.5 out 5
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
4/5
I thoroughly enjoyed the inception of C. Auguste Dupin and his prowess for deduction. Poe's prose made it a treat to read. Aside from the slow start, the characters and plot were engaging.
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
2/5
My least favorite Dupin story. Though, I was intrigued enough by the mystery and Dupin's observations. The ending and some of the side-room conspiracies made the story end with me sighing in frustration.
"Thou Art the Man!"
4.5/5
I surprisingly liked this story most in the book. It was likely because it was more fast-paced and the narrator had a more active role in the story.
The Purloined Letter
2.5/5
Thankfully short. The story is bland, making me less fond of the recurring detective. Prose remains enjoyable enough to give it an extra star and a half.
The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
2/5
It was whimsical in nature and fun here and there. By not taking the scientific details seriously, it overall became a somewhat funny story. It just takes its sweet time getting there.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
4/5
I thoroughly enjoyed the inception of C. Auguste Dupin and his prowess for deduction. Poe's prose made it a treat to read. Aside from the slow start, the characters and plot were engaging.
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
2/5
My least favorite Dupin story. Though, I was intrigued enough by the mystery and Dupin's observations. The ending and some of the side-room conspiracies made the story end with me sighing in frustration.
"Thou Art the Man!"
4.5/5
I surprisingly liked this story most in the book. It was likely because it was more fast-paced and the narrator had a more active role in the story.
The Purloined Letter
2.5/5
Thankfully short. The story is bland, making me less fond of the recurring detective. Prose remains enjoyable enough to give it an extra star and a half.
The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
2/5
It was whimsical in nature and fun here and there. By not taking the scientific details seriously, it overall became a somewhat funny story. It just takes its sweet time getting there.
August 6, 2022
i dnf this book. there is so much wordiness. however his descriptions were really good.
November 14, 2018
There are few persons who have not, at some period of their lives, amused themselves in retracing the steps by which particular conclusions of their own minds have been attained.
December 12, 2024
There are 5 stories in this book. One being ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’, which is often heralded as the pioneer mystery that started the amateur sleuth locked room mystery trend. ‘The Mystery of Marie Roget’, the prequel to The Murder in the Rue Morgue was based on an actual murder case in America. ‘The Purloined Letter’ is yet another well-known mystery tale by Poe. ‘Thou Art the Man!’, to me, was very enjoyable because it reminded me so much of the vibe in the short stories in one of my favourite short story collections, Penny Dreadful. The same could not be said of ‘The Unparalleled Adventure of one Hans Pfaall’ though. Perhaps because it was not a tale of mystery, but rather an adventure. It was such a snoozefest, I was tempted to rate this book even lower!
But alas, the other short stories were okay. Not your typical mystery shorts but hey, Poe inspired many mystery writers after him so I'm not mad at him. I did like his lonesome debates against certain deductions (like in The Mystery of Marie Roget) and the discussions about deduction skills. But I just personally prefer his darker horror stories :)
But alas, the other short stories were okay. Not your typical mystery shorts but hey, Poe inspired many mystery writers after him so I'm not mad at him. I did like his lonesome debates against certain deductions (like in The Mystery of Marie Roget) and the discussions about deduction skills. But I just personally prefer his darker horror stories :)
February 11, 2021
DNF. I plowed through Rue Morgue. I just couldn’t wade through anything else in this collection. French and Latin phrases without translations. The solution in Rue was SO fantastic.
June 11, 2024
📖 𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶: 𝟺.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
⚠️ 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶: 𝙿𝙶-𝟷𝟹.
“Nothing is more vague than impressions of individual identity. Each man recognizes his neighbor, yet there are few instances in which anyone is prepared to give a reason for his recognition.” —C. Auguste Dupin, “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt”
💜 (𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙴𝚁𝙰𝙻) 𝙾𝙿𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 💜
This was a brilliant collection of short stories from Edgar Allan Poe! Apart from “The Raven” and having already read “The Purloined Letter” in The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries, this was my first taste of Poe, and it was brilliant! Its analytical nature and essay-like treatises on deduction and observation were so Sherlockian in their nature that I would've declared the series a Holmes rip-off if I hadn't known it was published long before the Holmes books. 😂 Indeed, on that note, I saw a great deal of whence Conan Doyle got his influence for Holmes and even the narrative structure when I read Poe's Dupin stories.
For the most part, these are exceedingly fascinating stories! The first story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” was riveting, and the ending was so unexpected but perfectly written (again reminding me a great deal of a Doyle story).
Some of these, I will admit, were a bit bogged down by their technicality that we lose sight of the story. I do love technicality, but sometimes breaking a narrative to introduce what feels like a thesis on concepts of logic rather than how that logic was used in context can take a reader out of the story.
The last story, “The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall,” is SO wildly different from the other stories in genre and style that I was amazed, but I was absolutely enchanted. Despite it not having anything to do with Dupin, it was genuinely my favorite story in the series! 😆 If you like aeronauts, hot-air balloons, and Jules Verne-reminiscent attempts at visiting the moon, you're in luck. This was much less a mystery than an adventure story (which makes me understand why the title is Classic Tales of Detection and Adventure, not Mystery), but it contains a great deal of scientific precision and technicality for its time. Indeed, I felt absolutely like I was reading a Verne story! I wonder if there was any influence there.... 🧐
📚 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈 𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 📚
• “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• “Thou Art the Man!”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
• “The Purloined Letter”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• “The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️ 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 ⚠️
I rate this collection PG-13 for depictions of blood, violence, murder, and mentioned suicide, as one would expect with any mystery. The descriptions are a bit more graphic here than many of the Sherlock Holmes stories, if that's what you're used to (likely because Dupin solved more specific murder cases than Holmes did). Overall, pretty clean on profanity from my knowledge.
💜 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙲𝙻𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽 💜
All in all, these stories were magnificent and charming. If you like good mystery and adventure books, if you're interested in seeing one of the original inspirations for Sherlock Holmes at work, or if you would like to step into the world of the famous French detective and watch in awe as he logically gathers his clues, look no further than the Dupin stories!
⚠️ 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶: 𝙿𝙶-𝟷𝟹.
“Nothing is more vague than impressions of individual identity. Each man recognizes his neighbor, yet there are few instances in which anyone is prepared to give a reason for his recognition.” —C. Auguste Dupin, “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt”
💜 (𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙴𝚁𝙰𝙻) 𝙾𝙿𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 💜
This was a brilliant collection of short stories from Edgar Allan Poe! Apart from “The Raven” and having already read “The Purloined Letter” in The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries, this was my first taste of Poe, and it was brilliant! Its analytical nature and essay-like treatises on deduction and observation were so Sherlockian in their nature that I would've declared the series a Holmes rip-off if I hadn't known it was published long before the Holmes books. 😂 Indeed, on that note, I saw a great deal of whence Conan Doyle got his influence for Holmes and even the narrative structure when I read Poe's Dupin stories.
For the most part, these are exceedingly fascinating stories! The first story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” was riveting, and the ending was so unexpected but perfectly written (again reminding me a great deal of a Doyle story).
Some of these, I will admit, were a bit bogged down by their technicality that we lose sight of the story. I do love technicality, but sometimes breaking a narrative to introduce what feels like a thesis on concepts of logic rather than how that logic was used in context can take a reader out of the story.
The last story, “The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall,” is SO wildly different from the other stories in genre and style that I was amazed, but I was absolutely enchanted. Despite it not having anything to do with Dupin, it was genuinely my favorite story in the series! 😆 If you like aeronauts, hot-air balloons, and Jules Verne-reminiscent attempts at visiting the moon, you're in luck. This was much less a mystery than an adventure story (which makes me understand why the title is Classic Tales of Detection and Adventure, not Mystery), but it contains a great deal of scientific precision and technicality for its time. Indeed, I felt absolutely like I was reading a Verne story! I wonder if there was any influence there.... 🧐
📚 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈 𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 📚
• “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• “Thou Art the Man!”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
• “The Purloined Letter”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• “The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️ 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 ⚠️
I rate this collection PG-13 for depictions of blood, violence, murder, and mentioned suicide, as one would expect with any mystery. The descriptions are a bit more graphic here than many of the Sherlock Holmes stories, if that's what you're used to (likely because Dupin solved more specific murder cases than Holmes did). Overall, pretty clean on profanity from my knowledge.
💜 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙲𝙻𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽 💜
All in all, these stories were magnificent and charming. If you like good mystery and adventure books, if you're interested in seeing one of the original inspirations for Sherlock Holmes at work, or if you would like to step into the world of the famous French detective and watch in awe as he logically gathers his clues, look no further than the Dupin stories!
April 4, 2024
I typically don't write reviews but I made an exception.
Often being the first person to do something means being the worst person to do it, and this is absolutely the case here.
Poe's narration was bland, repetitive and tedious. His characters were infuriating and often lacked character —sans the narrator of the third story who was delightfully straightforward and crafty. Dupin in particular was egoitistical and prone to lecture, and his narrator acquaintance barely existed.
The inclusion of the newspaper articles for information was creative but quickly grew tiresome. The language was labouring and repetitive. It often felt like being led down a long, rambling road only to quickly have to make a left turn. In other words, the conclusions were interesting but unsatisfying because of the pages and pages of repetitive waffling that came before it.
I understand that a lot of my issues stem from it being written in the 19th century and being the first of its kind. However, unless you truly want to know where the detective genre began, I'd recommend giving this a miss and choosing something you'll enjoy.
Often being the first person to do something means being the worst person to do it, and this is absolutely the case here.
Poe's narration was bland, repetitive and tedious. His characters were infuriating and often lacked character —sans the narrator of the third story who was delightfully straightforward and crafty. Dupin in particular was egoitistical and prone to lecture, and his narrator acquaintance barely existed.
The inclusion of the newspaper articles for information was creative but quickly grew tiresome. The language was labouring and repetitive. It often felt like being led down a long, rambling road only to quickly have to make a left turn. In other words, the conclusions were interesting but unsatisfying because of the pages and pages of repetitive waffling that came before it.
I understand that a lot of my issues stem from it being written in the 19th century and being the first of its kind. However, unless you truly want to know where the detective genre began, I'd recommend giving this a miss and choosing something you'll enjoy.
February 12, 2026
Extreme disappointment. Not that I had such high regards, but I expected more from someone as famous as Poe.
The only reason why it gets a 2 and not a 1 from me is because the man did 'start' the crime genre and his stories are indeed very original. But that's all they are. They are not interesting, they are not witty and they are either way too short or way too stretched out. His writing style is awful and I hated every second I spent reading it.
I thought maybe I was too harsh on my first attempt, or that the latter part of the book will get better eventually, but even after a second chance, I could not get through more then 10 pages in one go.
PS. Was it laziness or stupidity that convinced this man to just forgo the need for names and dates? I swear, every time I saw that "-" instead of a name or date or location, I wanted to rip out the page and eat it.
The only reason why it gets a 2 and not a 1 from me is because the man did 'start' the crime genre and his stories are indeed very original. But that's all they are. They are not interesting, they are not witty and they are either way too short or way too stretched out. His writing style is awful and I hated every second I spent reading it.
I thought maybe I was too harsh on my first attempt, or that the latter part of the book will get better eventually, but even after a second chance, I could not get through more then 10 pages in one go.
PS. Was it laziness or stupidity that convinced this man to just forgo the need for names and dates? I swear, every time I saw that "-" instead of a name or date or location, I wanted to rip out the page and eat it.
July 15, 2022
I can appreciate that Poe was a mad genius for his time, and it is remarkable how he first designed the mystery/crime thriller; however, this collection is wordy and dry. Knowing that this is not a book from my preferred genre, I did not expect to love it, but I was still disappointed at the lack of engagement I felt with each story.
June 5, 2025
Extremely repetitive writing. All the stories are told through dialogue or a letter. They introduce the narrator and Dupin (in most of the stories) doing something mundane, then something happens and they investigate. We’re presented with evidence. Then it cuts to Dupin just explaining the entire crime and his solution for 20+ pages. It’s just rather convenient and lazy storytelling.
January 14, 2026
Yes, Poe overwrites, but that's part of the indulgent fun here as his mind veers in so many more interesting directions than the ones we're most familiar with. It's also a pleasure to see the kernel of much of what was to come in detective fiction. I understand why this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I loved reading this.
January 26, 2021
Mysteries by Edgar Allen Poe. An entertaining collection of short stories.
1. The Murders in the Rue Morgue
2. The Mystery of Marie Roget
3. Thou Art the Man
4. The Purloined Letter
5. The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
1. The Murders in the Rue Morgue
2. The Mystery of Marie Roget
3. Thou Art the Man
4. The Purloined Letter
5. The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
May 29, 2021
DNF. I was starting the second story in the collection but couldn't find myself to enjoy and follow along with the mystery. Tried skipping to the next story and found my lack of enjoyment to be the same.
April 29, 2024
This was... not very good. I'm hoping I enjoy his horror stories more because these were really dry and unnecessary, and especially too short. The plots aren't the worst, but they would have done well as a film or show (and I rarely ever say that about a book).
2.4 stars.
2.4 stars.
May 14, 2024
It’s creative when you understand his mystery character Dupin was the prototype for so many writers who followed. But the stories, except Murders in the Rue Morgue, wander or are too strange. It was written in the 1840s so I give him credit for being a trailblazer
November 6, 2020
If Hans Pfall doesn't stop having episodes that compell him to leave earth and fly to the moon I'm going to have to offer my hand in marriage
January 21, 2022
Ratings:
Murders In The Rue Morgue - 3.5
The Mystery Of Marie Roget - 2.5
Thou Art The Man - 3.5
The Purloined Letter - 3
The Unparelled Adeventure of One Hans Pfaall - 2.5
Murders In The Rue Morgue - 3.5
The Mystery Of Marie Roget - 2.5
Thou Art The Man - 3.5
The Purloined Letter - 3
The Unparelled Adeventure of One Hans Pfaall - 2.5
May 28, 2022
it wasn't bad but it wasn't good
July 14, 2022
Bone chillingly detailed and scary on your toes. A great writer to start a whole genre for all to love based on mysteries, horror, truth, fiction, and tragedy.
January 7, 2023
3 ⭐️
I prefer Poe's horror works to these detective stories. They seem a bit unrefined and too predictable.
I prefer Poe's horror works to these detective stories. They seem a bit unrefined and too predictable.
April 30, 2024
I’d never read any Poe and saw this collection on sale. I have to believe there are better examples of his writing - I found these tales quite tedious and even clumsy.
January 3, 2026
1 star for the first stroy only.
and it's the first book of the year 😭
and it's the first book of the year 😭
February 11, 2017
These stories of Poe's are not what I had come to expect from Poe. The detective stories are very much a study in a rational detection of the truth from facts. Dupin as a character is not developed extensively. Instead we get an insight into how his mind works. Many of the stories take newspaper reports and analyze them for faults in logic.
The last story, The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall, is an interesting tale of a trip to the moon in a balloon. There are so many details that we know now are inaccurate, but at the time would be logical jumps to make that I was constantly fascinated by the story. The tone itself is one of banter and not trying to be a serious hoax, but it does cause one to think about how space travel was views in the 1840s.
The last story, The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall, is an interesting tale of a trip to the moon in a balloon. There are so many details that we know now are inaccurate, but at the time would be logical jumps to make that I was constantly fascinated by the story. The tone itself is one of banter and not trying to be a serious hoax, but it does cause one to think about how space travel was views in the 1840s.
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