Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Horror

by Mark Canada

Master storyteller. Madman. America’s dark genius. Who was Edgar Allan Poe, and why have his bizarre and fascinating works resonated with readers so strongly?

Through these 10 lectures, you will delve into the darkness of Poe’s most nightmarish stories, including “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. You’ll also learn how he invented the detective story and explored themes of love and loss in such poems as “Ulalume” and “Annabel Lee”. And you’ll discover how Poe employed symbolism, imagery, rhythm and rhyme, irony and paradox, repetition, simile, and foreshadowing to create a unique body of work that has enthralled readers and influenced writers for more than 150 years.

But our fascination with Poe is only partly his provocative, often disturbing literature. He is widely known for living an unconventional and tortured life - a life filled with loss, poverty, neglect, and self-destruction. So, in addition to the scope of his work, you’ll get captivating insights into the man himself: his tragic life and the inner workings of his curious mind. Plagued with more than his fair share of illness, conflict, misery, and death through most of his existence, Poe also notoriously exhibited bizarre behaviors that frequently undermined his quest for literary fame. Your professor, Mark Canada, draws on his own research into Poe’s psychology, including some insights from modern brain science, to understand why Poe acted and wrote as he did.

Unpack the works, the life, and the mind of Edgar Allen Poe to discover what makes him a uniquely haunting author to this day.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Horror, History, Classics, Biography Memoir

Audible Audio

Published October 20, 2020

Reviews

[Ashlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of lectures didn't tell me much that I didn't already know, but I do like the way the course is structured by topic rather than chronology. I was not a fan of the narration, specifically the affectation of the narrator when quoting Poe directly.

This short course would be a great resource for students of literature who would like more insight into Poe's literary themes, symbols, and autobiographical parallels. I would recommend this to high school students who need to analyze his short stories.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I might have enjoyed this audiobook more if the author/narrator hadn't felt compelled to do "dramatic readings" of Poe's works. The works speak for themselves - there is no need for amateur theatrics to enhance the words. Also, the book is too long.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite great courses!

I loved this course about Edgar Allan Poe: I learnt a lot about the author and his life, but I also loved that Mark Canada analysed some of his works, read some passages and talked about Poe's legacy!
The only drawback of the audiobook: the narrator decided to change his voice to read some of the extracts he chose and... it was disconcerting, to say the least! But it didn't spoil the read for me!

I'll probably reread it to take notes and it really made me want to read a biography about the author!

[Burgandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to know that much about Edgar Allan Poe. I feel like the teacher is trying to read in a lot on the pies nuts it's still nice to see someone's point of on some of his writing.

[Sarah Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I knew a lot about Poe and his writing, but I definitely learned something new with this course.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a stunning disappointment. The lecturer focused so, so much on Poe's biography and how his life influenced his writing...despite saying something like "I caution against equating literature with author's lives" to which I responded aloud, "So, stop then." That whole Poe-wrote-so-good-image-writing-because-his-right-brain-hemisphere was excruciating. The analysis and close-readings the lecturer actually did were not in areas of much interest to me or very deep. The title says MASTER OF HORROR in it, so why the hell wasn't there a more in-depth examination of his horror writing???

[rick. · Rating 3 out of 5]

With far more emphasis on the life of Poe than his works this lecture series is a little disappointing, but does succeed in touching on all the stated objectives if not in the proportion most satisfying.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to on Audible. Like a college course this was written with less opinion and a large variety of possibilities about the mystery of Edgar. His life is described through his writings and through the known experiences he had and how those experiences shaped the decisions he made and his writing. I like the way Mark Canada narrates and gathers the parts of Edgar's life into chapters that reflect the story behind major known bits like what he was doing when he wrote a certain poem or story.

[MaryAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible narrator, but I will always love Edgar Allan Poe and his works.

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful and fairly complete history on Edgar Allan Poe, his life and his work. Really well done and a great listen.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I must say that it must have been exhausting to have been a family member or friend of Mr. Poe. So many people were described as "former friend" that it became a running theme. His capacity for self destruction and self harm encompassed both his professional and his personal life. We are told that he visited Washington DC to interview for a (regular) job and when he got home he had to write letters apologizing for what he said to this person, how he acted at this location, and for getting so drunk that he acted up somewhere else.

So sad.

I do feel that Mr. Canada made a compelling argument that there was probably something chemical or physiological at work here. Was he bi-polar or did he suffer from epilepsy or a brain lesion? We won't ever know but the signs are certainly there.

I also found very interesting the idea that the possible/probable mental condition that was the source of his torment may also equally have given him that distinctive spark that lights up his fiction. He is one of those writers that if someone placed an unknown text in front of you it would take only a few lines to say--"that is Poe."

I was reading something that Lee Child wrote as a commentary on his first Jack Reacher book. Mr. Child said:

Writing a book is a bit like writing music - both things start somewhere, go somewhere, and eventually finish somewhere - and for a book the “key” is the mood, the setting, the landscape, and so on.

Mr. Child certainly knows what he is talking about and perhaps that is a good description of how we would recognize a Poe story. We enter and look around and realize we have been here before. We have experienced this mood and these desperate emotions. Poe's stories have a setting and a landscape that is familiar. Gothic, dream-like, tortured and doomed. Pretty much the landscape of the interior of Poe's mind.

I gave this lecture three stars instead of 4 for the same reason several other well written reviews have pointed out. I felt, in my humble and non-academic opinion, that Mr. Canada was reaching too far in the connections he was making and claiming them to be actual references and symbols intended by Poe. I had a literature professor in college who said to be careful consider the time and place when the book was written and not to read it with too modern eyes. I think some of that is happening here.

Interesting and erudite lectures. I love the "Great Courses" series.

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars - I liked it

In these 10 lectures, Mark Canada dissects some of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous works. With heavy focus on the symbolism, imagery, rhythm and rhyme, and foreshadowing, Canada relates that back to Poe's life and how it created such enthralling stories.

While this was very interesting, I also had a few issues with it. First, if you liked dissecting literature in English class then you will probably like this. Unfortunately, I don’t like dissecting and picking apart stories. I read them to enjoy the stories, not to pick them apart for hidden symbolisms. Another issue was that the author, and narrator, would do a specific voice any time he read from Poe’s work, and it was very unflattering and annoying.

If you have not read the majority of Poe’s works, this discussion of them will most likely spoil what happens. So I recommend reading at least The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Purloined Letter, The Raven, Ulalume and Annabel Lee before listening to this if you care about that. These are the ones that he discusses the most.

So if you are a Poe fan and you want to dive deep into the symbolism of his work and learn more about how his life influenced it, than you might enjoy this audiobook. But if you are going into this expecting a biography then look somewhere else.

[Craig Amason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of lectures serves as a fine introduction to Poe and his best work. Mark Canada includes a proper balance of biography and literary analysis to help the listener gain a greater appreciation for this "master of horror." If it is true that art is born out of suffering, then there should be no wonder that Poe became such a gifted writer. He experienced profound loss at an early age with the death of family and guardians, then the death of his young wife.

Poe was plagued by poor choices and bad habits as a young man, and then by alcoholism as he matured. He died at the age of 40 in Baltimore, possibly from alcohol poisoning in a tavern, although the actual cause of his death is a subject of much speculation and considerable debate. Professor Canada is careful to avoid the intentional fallacy in his discussion of Poe's work, but there are definite parallels with the author's life and some of his characters.

Although Poe is probably best known for the gothic and horror elements in his fiction, I found the discussion about his use of deduction in solving mysteries in his stories fascinating. He really was ahead of his time with this type of storytelling. And his poetry is on equal standing with his masterful short stories, with "The Raven" enjoying the status of the most recognized poem in American literature. Poe had a troubled mind and a wounded heart, but he employed both to create almost perfect short stories, carefully crafted poems, and well respected prose. I am now encouraged to go back and pick up his work again.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in seventh grade, I recited Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart in a speech contest and I’ve had a soft place in my own heart for the author ever since. In high school and college I read a couple more of his stories and I’ve dabbled in his work in the decades since then. Yet, I didn’t know very much about the man himself until I stumbled on this excellent Great Courses book. Put simply, Poe was a mess, yet somehow out of the often-self-created disaster of his life, he transformed world literature creating the detective story and opening up the genre of horror fiction. It’s an amazing story, filled with tragedy and self abuse, but somehow out of all of this crushing difficulty came works of literature that continue to influence the literary and popular fiction worlds today. This one is well worth your time.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

The focus on Poe‘s biographie is interesting and it has an overview of some works.
I think the author reads too much relationship between life and work (in some cases it‘s interesting, in others it felt like a stretch ) and that he attributes too much seriousness to mockery.
Overall an interesting but superficial short „reading“.

Lecture 5:
Gothic satyre:
- How to write a Blackwood article
- A predicament

Early Horror:
- Berenice

Main focus of the chapter
- Manuscript in a bottle
- The fall of the House of Usher

Mention:
- Ligea

Lection 6:
- William Wilson
- The Mask of the Red Death

Lection 7:
- The Pit and the Pendulum
- Tell Tale Heart
- Cask of Amontillado

Lection 8: mistery novel/ detective story
- Murders in the Rue Morgue
- The purloined letter
- The mistery of Marie Roget

Lection 9: poems of loss
- The raven
- Ulalume
- Annabel Lee

[Catherine Puma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series of lectures discusses Edgar Allan Poe's upbringing, social and romantic life, career, and literary success. The analyses of key works in Poe's portfolio, such as "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart", are utilized to gain insight into the author's skill and psyche. I really appreciated the concluding lecture, which highlights how influential, beloved, and approachable Poe's poetry and stories have been to the horror and detective genres, his dark aesthetic to counterculture expression (think Tim Burton and goth fashion), and readers far and wide across space and time.

Of course this isn't going to cover every piece that Poe published or every person Poe knew, but I learned a lot. I recommend this to fans and scholars of Poe's work alike. I thought about the movie "The Pale Blue Eye" a lot while listening to this.

[Becca Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5
I have been in the biggest reading slump for a while and this was my first full non-graphic novel in about a month. I wanted to dive into something short and different from from the science fiction/fantasy I usually gravitate towards in order to to kick me out of this slump. This delivered! The lectures were interesting analyses of Poe's works with a lot of focus on the man and his life. I enjoyed this look into one of my favorite classic authors that made me feel like I was back in a college lecture (in the BEST way possible). I think I'm going to continue with some more of these lectures available through Audible to see what else they offer.

[Vagabond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like these mini-courses on specific authors; it really enhances my reading experience while I read through the works discussed. I hope Audible will produce lots more of these!

This one is pretty good - Mark Canada is an engaging speaker and is clearly quite passionate about Poe's work. I much preferred the sections in which he discussed Poe's life and the historical context of his writing, as well as how Poe influenced later writers. That information was excellent and backed up with historical sources, and it definitely gave me a better understanding of and appreciation for Poe.

Then there were some bits where he goes off on tangents and starts reading tea leaves, which had me rolling my eyes. But overall there was a pretty good balance, with the lectures being mostly factual and providing an excellent historical context for Poe's work. Recommend.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really quick overview of EAP and a chunk of his most famous works. This, of course, includes some in-depth analysis so if you don't want anything spoiled read EAP first. That being said, this is really a fun lecture series. (I did take a star away because the reading on audio is so slow I cranked it up to 1.6x speed to get more of a regular dialog -- may not be the case for everyone, but this had me sleeping before I adjusted the audio speed).

Note: favorite lecture was the one on Detective Fiction and EAP.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short course of lectures gives an overview of the author's life and some of his more interesting works. The lecturer delivers this information with insight and humour, particularly when discussing Poe's legacy. Of special interest is the review of theories about Poe's brain and the possibility that he may have suffered from one or more of a number of mental illnesses while at the same time tapping the right brain for a special insight that shaped his visions and his craft.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great mind with a sad life. I truly enjoyed the author/narrator's short & brief explanation on the history of horror writing genre. Wasn't too convinced about the author's thoughts on Poe's right brain theory.

I finished this shorty audible with an urge to read more Poe and I'm betting that's a good indication of how well the subject was received by me!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who want a well constructed introduction into the background of Poe and how external factors in his early life adversely affected and consequently influenced his macabre writing this short course is a good starting point. Several of his best works are covered and comprehensively dissected by Mark Canada. Well worth the read.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Great Courses I have listened to in quite awhile, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I have long been a Poe fan and reader, so this was more like an enhanced exploration of the subject, rather than a full lesson. As such, there was quite a bit I knew, but now my general knowledge has been clarified, and I daresay I may listen to this again soon. Well done!

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll bottom line this. This is a biography of a classic author and a brief analysis of his works. The analysis was compelling. I didn't like this subject in particular, but it was so well done that I was forced to give it 4 stars.

I doubt I will listen to this audio course again, but only because of the subject. The quality was very good.

[B.L. Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was extremely well done. Being a horror author, a poet, songwriter, and so forth - I am super appreciative of the works of Edgar Alan Poe. I do feel that this lecture praised him very highly, leaving out any of the bad details about him of which I as a historian am aware. Still, it felt more like it was about his literary genius than anything else, so I give it high marks.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Not sold on the whole right-brain thing, but it was interesting, and so were the analyses of the stories and poems. As other people have commented, though, it would definitely be improved if Professor Canada (interesting name) toned down his "dramatic readings" of Poe's words, which, especially in the earlier lectures, almost verged on parody.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve never studied Poe before, this is a great place to start!

It contains a summary of his early and later (short) life, as well as a brief analysis of some of his more famous works, and explains a little how they were influenced by events he experienced.

It has whetted the appetite to delve deeper into his background, and of course read his entire collection.

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be better if he resisted the urge to read the excerpts in that terrible voice.

And he wrote some amazing stories.

I am so glad that the evil dude who tried so hard to destroy his reputation is now being rightly ignored. Plagiarising ‘Diary of an opium Eater’ shows the man’s level of pathetic.

I need to go read more Poe.

3 stars

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It was great to read about the author though it was seriously sad how troubled his life was. I find it amazing how so many authors and artists are relatively unknown or certainly unappreciated until they are dead and no longer able to produce the great works they are known for.