A Quiet Madness: A biographical novel of Edgar Allan Poe

by John Isaac Jones

John Isaac Jones’s new biographical novel on Edgar Allan Poe brings the turbulent life of America’s most famous poet to life in vivid, captivating detail.

His time - 1810-40s America; Lewis and Clark have returned from their great adventure; the Monroe doctrine takes effect, the War of 1812; Andrew Jackson's tempestuous presidency; the train, the steamship and the graphite pencil were still being improved; the Mexican-American War, the trail of tears, the California gold rush.

His loves - His frail, devoted stepmother who tried to protect him against his cruel foster father; Jane Stanard, his stepmother’s best friend who initiated him first into poetry, then into manhood; the violet-eyed, mysterious Lenore whose death inspired The Raven; Virginia Clemm, his first cousin and great love of his life whom he married one day after her 13th birthday.

His genius - Edgar Allan Poe, poet and short story writer who penned the classics The Raven and Annabel Lee; single-handedly created the detective mystery genre; wrote some of the most enduring horror stories in all literature including The Fall of The House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart and the Pit and The Pendulum.

Poe lives again in the tempestuous, powerful pages of John Isaac Jones’ towering work. These pages deliver a compelling portrait of one of the greatest men of letters the world has ever known.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

398 pages, ebook

Published August 18, 2020

About the author

John Isaac Jones is a retired journalist currently living and writing at Merritt Island, Florida. For more than thirty years, "John I.," as he prefers to be called, was a reporter for media outlets throughout the world. These included local newspapers in his native Alabama, The National Enquirer, News of the World in London, the Sydney Morning Herald, and NBC television. He is the author of ten novels, two short story collections and five novellas.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Yes. Edgar. That’s a good name. It has a certain ring of nobleness to it. His name will be Edgar Poe. We’ll call him Eddie.”

A Quiet Madness by John Isaac Jones is a fictionalized version of an Edgar Allan Poe biography. Edgar Allan Poe is one of my all time favorite authors. I have read other biographies about him, and was excited to learn more. Honestly though this book fell very flat. The writing was very basic, especially the dialogue which read in a very childish way to me. And I truly believe a lot the story and timing of events was very off at least in comparison to the other biographies i have read. I do have a tendency to no enjoy “fictionalized history” books as much as actual history so I do admit that this could have some to do with my lack of enjoyment. But given the basic writing, and the inaccuracy I can only give this book 2 stars.

[Louise Viera · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very disappointing.
The writing is juvenile. The conjectured dialogue lacks authenticity of the period.I cannot understand why this book received so much hype.

[Robert Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a tragic life. As I read this book I went back and reread a few short stories and poems. Reading this book made the stories and poems come alive. I do understand some reader’s criticism of the ‘made up’ parts of the story. For me, they added interest and vividity to the story. Would rather read a book like this than a longer, fact only biography of Poe. Kindle Venice FL

[Justine]

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC!

[Kolton Passmore · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Quiet Madness? Nevermore!

John Isaac Jones' biographical novel of Edgar Allan Poe is about as fundamentally flawed as its subject matter. Its narrative is written with the same skill set as a college freshman. A completely generic composition style with far too much use of the sentence, "he [or] she studied him for a moment." I've never been so annoyed reading that sentence before.

The historical timeline is second-rate at best with blatant retcons of Poe's life. Jones openly admits a postscript to conjecture. While I understand the use of creative liberties used in historical fiction, some seemed completely unnecessary, such as giving Poe's foster father John Allan an extra decade of life he didn't live, the blatant disregard of Poe's younger sister, the complicated correspondence with his older brother, and the acidic antagonism with his former colleague Rufus Griswold.

There are, however, segments that have potential, such as Poe meeting former President Thomas Jefferson while attending the University of Virginia as well as his hobnobbing with other literary giants such as Charles Dickens. But Jones, more or less, squanders these opportunities.

While some passages in this work are tolerable, I find this bland pseudo-work to be a tell-tale with some heart yet little mind that I will not be visiting again anytime soon.

[ᛚᚨᚱᚲᚨ × ᚠᛖᚾᚱᛁᚱ (Semi hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.”

And the life of Edgar Allan Poe was, indeed, full of suffer and misfortune. But as the great misconception carries, would have he ever even become an icon without the trials and pain of life?
What we can see from this narrative on his life is a beautiful and captivating retelling of the famous cliché Poe is sadly part of: all great minds come from a dark and twisted place. But as we get to intimately know him, we quickly recognize how such a brilliant mind was capable of casting light to the furthest and darkest corner of existance, and how joy and love can be found everywhere.
I love how the narrator portraits his life, a well-balanced mix of historical facts, setting, and intimate drama. The author's voice is fluid without be simplistic, and the dialogues and emotions are true and pure.
Surely a great introduction to the life of this writer and poet, and to me also an introduction to John Isaac Jones.

Rating: ★★★★


***Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

[Susan Cleveland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could have given this book a higher rating if someone had bothered to clean up the grammatical errors, missing words, repeated words, transposed words, and general sloppiness. And the birth on the embalming table seemed just a bit contrived, which of course it was. A mediocre book that could have been a very good one.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just say, this book had been sitting on my Kindle for years! I finally got around to it and it is one of those books that educates, saddens, inspires. Poe led a difficult life, struggling financially and being cheated out of the income he should have enjoyed from his stories and poems. His beloved wife suffered from tuberculosis, which was running rampant in her family, and he had to watch as she slowly faded and died. He ended his life in abject poverty not even having the funds to pay for his own burial. The book includes much of his poetry and it served as a contrast to his dismal life. The poetry is so profoundly musical and appropriate in tone to the subject. He was a masterful writer. Part of the gothic movement, his writings explore themes of death, horror, and psychological twists and turns. PS to self - read what you have before collecting more.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: In the city by the River Charles, the winter of 1808 proved to be one of the most brutal in its history. While October and November had been relatively mild, two savage nor’easters had blown through in late December and dumped more than nine feet of snow on hapless residents in less than a week.

Premise/plot: A Quiet Madness is a biographical novel (aka fictionalized) of Edgar Allen Poe. It opens with his birth--in a funeral parlor--and ends soon after his death. It is always dramatic, sometimes melodramatic, never ever boring. At its best, it shows Poe as he is inspired and in the act of writing his poems and short stories. For example, readers "witness" Poe's very act of creating The Raven, perhaps his best known poem. At its worst, it is a bit graphic in depicting Poe's sex life.

My thoughts: It was a quick read for actually being close to four hundred pages. Perhaps this is due to all the melodrama and drama. It keeps you turning pages--even if it's more like watching a train accident. (The train accident not being necessarily the author's writing style, technique, or craft--but the events unfolding in Poe's life.) That being said, I think the dialogue was probably the weakest aspect of this one. There were times the dialogue just got to be so off-putting because it was unnatural. It didn't feel appropriate to his times...or appropriate to our times. Still, there were moments of great interest. So I don't regret spending time with this one.

One thing I didn't realize before reading this one was his marriage to his TWELVE YEAR OLD first cousin. It's unimaginable to me to think that twelve is young enough and mature enough--physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically for marriage. And the narrative does its best--in my opinion--to make this as normal and ordinary as possible. Another instance is when a fifteen year old Poe is seduced (he is quite quite willing) by his best friend's mother--an adult.

Poe's life--as I hinted at earlier--was full of tragedies, semi-failures, and missed opportunities.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I highly recommend it. I know this is a novel, but the facts are blended in well with the prose making it an enjoyable read. It is about Edgar Allan Poe starting with his birth. His mother gave birth to him on funeral slab where they usually prepare bodies for burial. Eliza Poe his mother was a famous actress, and the owner of the funeral place's wife had seen her perform, so she gave her a place to have her baby. One of my favorite parts in the book is the scene where Jones describes how Edgar grieving for his lost lover Lenore who has died, decides to write a poem about how he feels. We see he begins to write, "Once upon a midnight dreary... and writes that first verse. Then, in his grief he gets up and begins pacing the floor and he weeps for her. Again, he returns to his writing table and continues the poem that is probably one of his most famous poems "The Raven." For me, it just made that poem so much more vivid as l as a reader watched him compose it in his grief.
Now this may be a spoiler I'm not sure, but Poe later goes to different venues to read "The Raven." The patrons attending are not seated in chairs as for an audience, but rather gathered around small tables. When Poe reads it, all the lights are out, and he passes between the tables giving a dramatic reading of it, carrying one a candlestick for light. Wow! Can you imagine how creepy that would have been. I knew before reading this book, that Edgar had had a rough and sad life, but Jones' details about it make it to life. Thanks to the author John Isaac Jones, the publisher, and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read it as an early read. I have not read books by John Isaac Jones, but I do want to read more now.

[Carol Macarthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

While some conjecture is involved, a great deal of the novel sticks to the facts. Jones's writing assuredly humanizes Edgar Allan Poe.

[Julia Simpson-Urrutia · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Isaac Jones is a good writer and his novelized account of Edgar Allen Poe, starting with the actor parents (the father will grate on your nerves, but that is part of the story) is a page turner. Most Poe aficionados would probably have been happier not to see or read modern vernacular, but that is a bump one can get used to. (Deadwood the film series demonstrated similar peculiarities of speech not true to era for reasons its viewers may have taken the trouble to research.) No doubt the modern turns of phrase were chosen to distinguish American culture from British, yet any reader who is familiar enough with the writing of Poe himself will probably find the "Sure" and "thanks" era-inappropriate. Be that as it may, this story is one Poe fans will appreciate and it is well told.#AQuietMadness #NetGalley

[Ken Dilella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. Ignore the high brow smarter than thou “intellectuals” who question the grammar and sentence structure. Is it an easy read? Yes. Is that a bad thing considering reading Poe is challenging for some? Absolutely not.

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Poe from an early age. Recently I enjoyed a Reading of Four of his Poems; The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat, The Red Mask and The Raven. It reawakened my appreciation for the Poet and Author.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a dramatization of Edgar Allan Poe'S life. I enjoyed it and it has made me look for a more biography of Poe. I have several books of Poe's works. I plan to get them and to re read his work.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written story; beautifully combining fact and fiction

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything that you wanted to know about Edgar Allan Poe is in this book! OH MY GOODNESS, this is perfect for any fan of Poe.

Get this book now, you will NOT be disappointed!

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent writing style with good factual plot for a biographical novel.

[Conchita Matson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was a fictional biography until a quarter of the way through. I should have known as it was poorly written

[Chris Montez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the expected "creepy EAP" story, but a look at the real deal.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this title via NetGalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review
I expected this book to feel a lot more factual. Unfortunately with the way it was written, I feel like a lot of the "facts" are made up. I can't tell what is true and what isn't. It also felt unnecessarily long. It was really slow for the first half but thankfully picked up. It read more as a historical fiction/romance than a biographical piece.

[Claire Pickett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky to have the old comprehensive biography of Poe by Hobson Quinn handy while I read this "biographical novel!" So much of it is not true. He even has daffodils blooming in October in Baltimore! As a historical novel aficionado, I rely on authors to be meticulously careful with research. This one misses the mark.

That being said, the writing itself is not good. The author is a journalist, not a novelist and it shows. There is no art to the way he plots the story, none at all. If the family, Poe, Muddy and Virginia decide to move, the next sentence has them moving.

That said, I liked the novel somewhat b/c it introduced me to aspects of Poe I had never studied. His prose poem "Eureka," which describes the Big Bang Theory and so many future scientific advancements in electricity and even computers, was unknown to me. He was indeed a genius, though broke and even hungry most of his life. The iconic "The Raven" earned him a paltry $9.00. When e performed its dramatic reading in several cities, the promoter cheated him out of the profits. Yet his chief goal was to leave a legacy of great fame. Indeed he has accomplished that, ranking high in the field of American writers. Even non-readers know and enjoy his poems and stories from film and TV.

[Kitty Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the blend of historical facts and storytelling. Combine these with Poe and you're onto a winner. This is a fantastic take on exploring Poe and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the dark...

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eACR of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Lisa Finefrock · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I understand that this was a fictional telling of EAP's life, but it has no regard for any accuracy. His younger sister does not exist at all in this book. His relationship with his brother is completely manufactured. By chapter 6, I realized that I can't trust this author at all.

[Felicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get past page 23. I love the concept, but the writing style did not vibe with me, personally.

[Conni Neiswinger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible writing, I do not understand how this book received so much hype! Very disappointing.

[Rick Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written at about a fourth grade level. Dates are wrong in many cases - just not a professionally written book.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

A Quiet Madness: A biographical novel of Edgar Allan Poe by John Isaac Jones is a fictional biography of the famous poet. Mr. Jones is a published author and a renowned journalist.

I have read the works of Edgar Allen Poe in a collection many years ago. It was a very nice book I bought, hard cover, great quality, which I promptly gave to the local library when I moved. I enjoyed the book, the stories, and the obvious talent, however my main outtake from it was the Mr. Poe was absolutely insane.

In A Quiet Madness: A biographical novel of Edgar Allan Poe by John Isaac Jones the author novelizes the life of Mr. Poe, and uses conjecture to fill in the blanks (for example: how Poe died). The book is well written, but it is in short bursts which move the story along. When I first started it I thought it was going to be more literary, the narrative quickly changed though. I was surprised because for a somewhat long book that is mostly consists of short segments.

I don’t know much about Poe’s life, besides the bullet points many people are familiar with. I thought the author did a good job re imagining his life, habits, and most of all motivations. I especially enjoyed the chapter in which Poe wrote his most famous poem “The Raven” and how it came to be. There are several chapters which deal with how Poe came up with the ideas to several of his stories and poems, not all of them of course. I found these chapters to be the most enjoyable, interesting, and fascinating. There are many aspects of Poe’s history I never knew about, his soldering days and talent in boxing, just to name two of them, which were fascinating to read about.

The novel is written in a simple language, almost a YA type of narrative. I found it a bit strange because some of the subject matter is not simple and I found the width between the short, poignant writing and racy subjects somewhat strange, but somehow fitting with Poe’s life and writing.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. Historical fiction done well, interweaving both historical facts and historical figures to tell of the sad life of a mad genius.

[doretta martelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

So…what did I think about the book? There are many opinions vacillating between brilliant and awful.

As many before me have stated, the writing itself is juvenile. The dialogue reads like something an elementary school student would produce. It’s actually so bad, it’s ridiculous. I thought, at first, that would be my harshest criticism.

But no, as I read, knowing FULL-WELL (because the author is upfront about it) that this was a fictionalized account of Poe’s life, I was put off by some of the easily-refuted “facts” being distorted.

Timelines are off, dates don’t fit with the truth of Poe’s life, and the fact that his sister was completely removed are troublesome. Additionally, although I understand that beauty is, most definitely, in the eye of the beholder, and I’m not convinced that Poe would have been considered the “handsome man” he’s called in these pages, HEIGHT is not in the eye of the beholder shoulder. Described as standing over six feet tall? Why do that to yourself, John? Anyone who knows anything about EAP knows he was not a tall man…

I fear that there are gullible people out there who will accept these fabricated facts as proven truths. (Much like those poor people buying into Jodi Piccoult’s drivel about Shakespeare and Emilia Bassano — clearly possibly the most talented and prolific writer of her time, but exaggerated in the book about a play based on her life.)

Considering the quality of Poe’s writing and his extraordinary ability to turn a phrase, I’d have hoped a “biography,” fictionalized or not, would have been better written…

Now, with that said, I did find the story part fascinating and the characters interestingly drawn. Knowing as much about Poe’s life and death as I do, I have read several theories surrounding his mysterious death, I enjoyed trying to figure out which of the many men (and women) Poe angered, wronged, stole from, cheated, etc. in this novel actually killed him. Bravo to you for winding so many potential candidates throughout the pages.

I wouldn’t consider this “must reading” for the masses, but I would heartily recommend it to fellow Poe fans…I do just wish the writing was set at a higher level and the dialogue didn’t sound like what can be heard on an elementary school playground.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quiet Madness is a well balance historical novel that focuses on the man and not just his problems. When it came to writing, Edgar Allen Poe was as brilliant as he was ambitious. A Quiet Madness, was written by John Isaac Jones who is the author of eight novels, two short story collections and five novellas.

Poe was born in stormy weather and in the midst of a stormy relationship between his mother and father. It appears as though this foreshadowed his entire life. He was an ambitious man when it came to his writing. He was forced into various occupations but always felt he should make his living by writing. Whenever given the opportunity he was very productive and wrote many well-known short stories poems. He was also somewhat of a performer which lead to the increased fame of his writings, particularly his poem “the Raven”. His love life was complex but very interesting.

Jones does a brilliant job of bringing Poe into our homes. Many of us know and have followed Poe’s literature for some time. However, this book lets us know about the man. I imagine it is somewhat fictionalized but it is based on Jones research of Poe’s correspondence so I expect we are getting a fairly clear picture of who Poe was.

Jones writing is every clear and direct. The dialogue is strange and somewhat out of step with the times, but the storyline was highly entertaining and well worth the read.

I would like to ask the author why he chooses to change some events in Poe’s lifeline. Particularly the fact that Poe’s nemesis, Griswold, dies before Poe in the book. Isn’t documented that Griswold wrote a defamatory biography about Poe after he died? This account was thought to be true for close to a century before many of the facts were shown to be untrue. It seems to me, depicting Griswold in this light elevates the importance of this account.

I recommend this book everyone likes a free flowing and easy to read biography. I give it a 4 on 5. I want to thank NetGalley and the author, John Isaac Jones, for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.