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The Murders in the Rue Morgue
**This edition includes: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Murder of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter”**
In 1841, Edgar Allan Poe invented the genre of detective fiction when he brought forth from his pen, a young, eccentric man he named Detective C. Auguste Dupin. Intelligent detective sleuthing made its debut into the realm of literature, and together with his macabre prose and the application of a reasoning mind to solve crime, these tales brought Poe fame and fortune. Years later, Dorothy Sayers would describe “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” as “almost a complete manual of detective theory and practice.” Poe’s literary invention and collection of short mysteries were instrumental in the creation of other famed fictional geniuses, including the notorious Sherlock Holmes. Although lesser known than the detective tales of the modern era, the flagship Dupin Stories are engaging and exhilarating must-read mysteries. These tales are the original reference point for the mystery-solving phenom that has become widespread in literary, and popular culture. Edgar Allan Poe is a foundational figure of American literary studies across the educational sphere, and instrumental in the development of 19th-century criminology that has even made its way onto movie and television screens. This collection of three stories written between 1841 - 1844, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Murder of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter”, are not easily found elsewhere in one edition. ART STORIA Literary Classics is a collection of influential books that have transformed storytelling and philosophical thinking while remaining relevant to the modern reader. Certain titles in the series are lesser-known, but all have had a great impact on forming entire genres and modes of thought. Our selected works are considered inception points for definitive narrative styles and writing techniques. In the realm of literary arts, some authors truly displayed ingenuity in their craft, and their stories and ideas have had an enduring cultural influence on humanity.
In 1841, Edgar Allan Poe invented the genre of detective fiction when he brought forth from his pen, a young, eccentric man he named Detective C. Auguste Dupin. Intelligent detective sleuthing made its debut into the realm of literature, and together with his macabre prose and the application of a reasoning mind to solve crime, these tales brought Poe fame and fortune. Years later, Dorothy Sayers would describe “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” as “almost a complete manual of detective theory and practice.” Poe’s literary invention and collection of short mysteries were instrumental in the creation of other famed fictional geniuses, including the notorious Sherlock Holmes. Although lesser known than the detective tales of the modern era, the flagship Dupin Stories are engaging and exhilarating must-read mysteries. These tales are the original reference point for the mystery-solving phenom that has become widespread in literary, and popular culture. Edgar Allan Poe is a foundational figure of American literary studies across the educational sphere, and instrumental in the development of 19th-century criminology that has even made its way onto movie and television screens. This collection of three stories written between 1841 - 1844, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Murder of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter”, are not easily found elsewhere in one edition. ART STORIA Literary Classics is a collection of influential books that have transformed storytelling and philosophical thinking while remaining relevant to the modern reader. Certain titles in the series are lesser-known, but all have had a great impact on forming entire genres and modes of thought. Our selected works are considered inception points for definitive narrative styles and writing techniques. In the realm of literary arts, some authors truly displayed ingenuity in their craft, and their stories and ideas have had an enduring cultural influence on humanity.
132 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1841
18 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Allan Poe
9,789 books28.7k followersThe name Poe brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. His works have been in print since 1827 and include such literary classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. This versatile writer’s oeuvre includes short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and hundreds of essays and book reviews. He is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the modern detective story and an innovator in the science fiction genre, but he made his living as America’s first great literary critic and theoretician. Poe’s reputation today rests primarily on his tales of terror as well as on his haunting lyric poetry.
Just as the bizarre characters in Poe’s stories have captured the public imagination so too has Poe himself. He is seen as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles. This is the Poe of legend. But much of what we know about Poe is wrong, the product of a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to defame the author’s name.
The real Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Edgar was the second of three children. His other brother William Henry Leonard Poe would also become a poet before his early death, and Poe’s sister Rosalie Poe would grow up to teach penmanship at a Richmond girls’ school. Within three years of Poe’s birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe’s siblings went to live with other families. Mr. Allan would rear Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had dreams of being a writer in emulation of his childhood hero the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in a young Poe’s handwriting on the backs of Allan’s ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_al...
Just as the bizarre characters in Poe’s stories have captured the public imagination so too has Poe himself. He is seen as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles. This is the Poe of legend. But much of what we know about Poe is wrong, the product of a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to defame the author’s name.
The real Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Edgar was the second of three children. His other brother William Henry Leonard Poe would also become a poet before his early death, and Poe’s sister Rosalie Poe would grow up to teach penmanship at a Richmond girls’ school. Within three years of Poe’s birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe’s siblings went to live with other families. Mr. Allan would rear Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had dreams of being a writer in emulation of his childhood hero the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in a young Poe’s handwriting on the backs of Allan’s ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_al...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 7, 2023
This is considered the first modern detective story and I definitely wasn't expecting that ending but I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by this one. I wanted an 'emo' lyrical horror of a detective story but this is more Sherlock than Constantine. Still great, but lacking that definitive Poe-ness.
April 11, 2025
Really confusing. Shocking but funny but also really random. Idk
March 6, 2014
Loved these 'back the'. Maybe time to squeeze in a re-read this year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 4, 2025
LOVED IT!!!
Can't believe that Doyle had taken the inspiration for his Sherlock Holmes from thisss!!!
Can't believe that Doyle had taken the inspiration for his Sherlock Holmes from thisss!!!
January 10, 2025
It was fun and I really liked Dupin. He reminds me a lot of Sherlock (which makes sense since this short story is considered one of the first detective fictions) which really charmed me. I really like casually smart characters like him but the reveal wasn’t that amazing to me. I did enjoy the story but I like mysteries where I slowly figure out what happened as clues are discovered. The Murders in the Rue Morgue’s twist was so shocking that there’s no way I would’ve even thought of that. I thought it was super fun, but it wasn’t my type of mystery. It’s a three star for me. Entertaining but not memorable. It was also a bit slow 😅😅
September 16, 2025
A sometimes dry and difficult read. Things tend to get overexplained in such detail that I sometimes had trouble to not drift off with my thoughts. The second story about a real, unsolved murder case from 1841 was particularly boring (yes, I was suprised, too). But I really liked the fourth story "The Gold Beetle" which is about the deciphering of a message. All in all, it was historically interesting, but nothing someone absolutely has to read - no, not even a diehard detective fan.
August 30, 2025
Sorprendentemente gore para la época en la que fue escrito, el plot twist sigue siendo uno de los mejores en los cuentos policiacos. Sobretodo porque, más allá de lo sobrenatural, hombre vs. naturaleza es el tema narrativo por excelencia.
December 14, 2021
Dupin seems to follow in the footsteps of Sherlock!!
Read
January 29, 2025I am so deeply and inexcusably sorry but I just could not finish this
April 6, 2025
gordy’s home!
January 3, 2011
Reading in 2011 has gotten off to a great start with Crime Masterwork's collection of five Poe crime stories. The first, The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), is widely considered the first detective story and introduces C. Auguste Dupin (who is clearly the template for Sherlock Holmes, created more than 40 years later in 1887). Dupin's talents are such that he is more mind-reader than deductive logician. Poe's style is rather didactic and abstruse but this serves to punctuate the gruesome and bizarre deaths at the heart of the tale. The solution is not at all satisfactory to modern readers** but is interesting in the exposition of discordant ear-witness testimony and in being the first locked room mystery.
The Mystery of Marie Roget (1842) is a fictionalised account of the death of Mary Cecilia Rogers in New York, relocated to Paris. The story is an attempt at armchair detection, with Poe disputing, via Dupin, theories of the popular press and suggesting several unexplored avenues of investigation but not actually naming the murderer. It's a fascinating logical exercise but doesn't make for thrilling reading.
The Purloined Letter (1844) again features Dupin, who is consulted by a police official stumped in his attempts to recover a letter of unspecified importance. The solution to the purloined letter has been variously referenced in popular culture as things being "hidden in plain sight", although Poe's actual solution is more cunning. There is more than a passing resemblance between The Purloined Letter and Doyle's "A Scandal in Bohemia" (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) also involving royalty, a stolen article of some import, the detective in disguise and a distracting ruse.
The Gold Bug (1843) is a search for treasure and purportedly the inspiration for Stevenson's Treasure Island. It is notable for the use and decoding of a cipher.
"Thou Art the Man" (1844) revolves around the disappearance of a man and the suspicions of the community, lead by his best friend and neighbour, that his nephew is responsible for the murder. It is deficient as a story, except perhaps for the macabre way in which the "least likely suspect" is exposed.
The skeleton plot appears to have been copied by Doyle in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes).
At times, reading Poe requires a dictionary in one hand and a classical education in the other, but the range and depth of his knowledge as reflected in his writing is impressive. As an enthusiast of crime fiction, I found most striking the fact that Poe laid down the fundamentals of crime fiction in these short works over 160 years ago. And amen to him for doing so!
** Spoiler: In my mind, the story is entitled "Death by Orang-utan".
The Mystery of Marie Roget (1842) is a fictionalised account of the death of Mary Cecilia Rogers in New York, relocated to Paris. The story is an attempt at armchair detection, with Poe disputing, via Dupin, theories of the popular press and suggesting several unexplored avenues of investigation but not actually naming the murderer. It's a fascinating logical exercise but doesn't make for thrilling reading.
The Purloined Letter (1844) again features Dupin, who is consulted by a police official stumped in his attempts to recover a letter of unspecified importance. The solution to the purloined letter has been variously referenced in popular culture as things being "hidden in plain sight", although Poe's actual solution is more cunning. There is more than a passing resemblance between The Purloined Letter and Doyle's "A Scandal in Bohemia" (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) also involving royalty, a stolen article of some import, the detective in disguise and a distracting ruse.
The Gold Bug (1843) is a search for treasure and purportedly the inspiration for Stevenson's Treasure Island. It is notable for the use and decoding of a cipher.
"Thou Art the Man" (1844) revolves around the disappearance of a man and the suspicions of the community, lead by his best friend and neighbour, that his nephew is responsible for the murder. It is deficient as a story, except perhaps for the macabre way in which the "least likely suspect" is exposed.
The skeleton plot appears to have been copied by Doyle in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes).
At times, reading Poe requires a dictionary in one hand and a classical education in the other, but the range and depth of his knowledge as reflected in his writing is impressive. As an enthusiast of crime fiction, I found most striking the fact that Poe laid down the fundamentals of crime fiction in these short works over 160 years ago. And amen to him for doing so!
** Spoiler: In my mind, the story is entitled "Death by Orang-utan".
December 19, 2021
While it was an intriguing murder mystery (Dupin being much like Sherlock Holmes), I found the resolution to be quite arbitrary.
July 20, 2023
It's always interesting to peer into the dark corridors of EAP's mind. I wonder how he spent his time when he wasn't writing macabre fiction. This is pretty horrifying in its description of a couple of seriously disturbing murders that took place in an apartment. Never having read this before, and not caring for horror movies, I assumed that the action actually took place in a morgue but apparently that is simply the name of the street where the murders took place.
It is a very well known tale and I was vaguely familiar with the solution to the case, since the plot line has made its way into the general discourse. I have even seen it referenced in "Frasier". This doesn't plumb the depths of supernatural activity, and whilst the denouement and the discovery of the culprit is somewhat farfetched, it doesn't stretch credibility too far. The story does introduce elements of plot that are compelling and have been used throughout literature since, although EAP is widely credited with introducing them with this tale. Namely: baffling murders in a locked room where there is no obvious means of ingress or egress. Strange elements to the nature of the murders that speak of savagery but with no additional elements such as robbery involved. It's a detective story that introduces us to detection and allows us to follow the lines of thought of those investigating.
As always with EAP, this is a dark and disturbing story but perhaps more rooted in the real world than much of his horror genre defining work.
It is a very well known tale and I was vaguely familiar with the solution to the case, since the plot line has made its way into the general discourse. I have even seen it referenced in "Frasier". This doesn't plumb the depths of supernatural activity, and whilst the denouement and the discovery of the culprit is somewhat farfetched, it doesn't stretch credibility too far. The story does introduce elements of plot that are compelling and have been used throughout literature since, although EAP is widely credited with introducing them with this tale. Namely: baffling murders in a locked room where there is no obvious means of ingress or egress. Strange elements to the nature of the murders that speak of savagery but with no additional elements such as robbery involved. It's a detective story that introduces us to detection and allows us to follow the lines of thought of those investigating.
As always with EAP, this is a dark and disturbing story but perhaps more rooted in the real world than much of his horror genre defining work.
March 17, 2024
This is often considered to be the first true detective story. One can see how it leads to Sherlock Holmes and other stories, including an eccentric investigator and a sidekick servicing as a useful sounding board and narrator.
As a short story, it is mostly quick moving, with a tight plot and without multiple red herrings.
However, there are two places where I think it breaks down a bit, leading to me giving it a 3-star as opposed to 4-star rating.
First, it is heavy into exposition, especially at the beginning. This is unusual for a short story but may be a sign of the times in which it was written: many authors were paid by the word and Poe was not a wealthy man so this could be a reason for that.
The second is a bit more egregious. There is no way, with the clues given, that the reader would have been able to determine the actual culprit. Even when revealed, without giving away any spoilers, it is quite preposterous.
So 3-stars for me, with the strengths being the pacing and introducing us to a detective story, with the offsets being the exposition and the actual outcome.
The detective appears in two additional Poe stories, which I will eventually read, so hoping those are a bit better.
As a short story, it is mostly quick moving, with a tight plot and without multiple red herrings.
However, there are two places where I think it breaks down a bit, leading to me giving it a 3-star as opposed to 4-star rating.
First, it is heavy into exposition, especially at the beginning. This is unusual for a short story but may be a sign of the times in which it was written: many authors were paid by the word and Poe was not a wealthy man so this could be a reason for that.
The second is a bit more egregious. There is no way, with the clues given, that the reader would have been able to determine the actual culprit. Even when revealed, without giving away any spoilers, it is quite preposterous.
So 3-stars for me, with the strengths being the pacing and introducing us to a detective story, with the offsets being the exposition and the actual outcome.
The detective appears in two additional Poe stories, which I will eventually read, so hoping those are a bit better.
September 6, 2023
I’ve been reading Edgar Allan Poe for as long as I can remember. I like that his stories can be read in one short sitting because I want to know whodunit 😊 In this story the person narrating befriends a man who is for reasons unknown down on his luck. The two end up renting a broken down old mansion, allow no visitors, and go strolling around town only at night. This short story is interesting from beginning to end. And as for this being my rereading after having read it many moons ago and having read many detective stories by different authors in the years in between, this story is still exceptional and surprising.
October 13, 2023
Giving it 4 stars since it was the first modern detective story, a genre I do love. That said, I did enjoy it, but do not anticipate a reread. I enjoy certain other Poe stories and poems much more than this one.
January 14, 2024
Poe sometimes makes me blank out. The wording can be difficult to follow, but it is good once you get the hang of his style. It's an interesting story, and the ending wasn't what I was expecting. Good for those who like Poe's unique style. Short story and worth the read.
Read
February 15, 2022I like unexpected ends, but not this one
July 17, 2022
When your sick you read / listen
January 30, 2024
I thought the core mystery was compelling and the pacing was done well, but there wasn’t enough foreshadowing for the twist at the ending.
February 14, 2024
"It's fine, I'll see myself out"
October 7, 2024
Esa no me la esperaba
August 13, 2025
i think poe cheated a little with this one ngl.... still thank u for inventing the detective story great job king
August 22, 2025
There is a twist that actually surprised me. Although the middle part was a bit too long. Still I liked this one.
August 28, 2025
I have submitted this review after listening to the audio book of this title from within the series set box.
A locked door murder mystery, similar to some Sherlock Holmes works.
A locked door murder mystery, similar to some Sherlock Holmes works.
August 4, 2023
monke
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2024
The story itself is is super engaging. I loved having Easter eggs to look up and appreciated being brought along as an active participant in his overarching argument.
The singular thing I would change is that I wish more evidence was brought to bear from the beginning. I think there is a way the author could have placed more information on the table without compromising the answer. Instead, Dupin releases clues in a very measured way that unfairly advantages him in questioning elements of the riddle before the reader. For example, I wish the nails and hair had been mentioned previously. I would have had no way of knowing the truth without the intervention of Dupin; However, it would have afforded me the opportunity to see if I myself would have asked similar questions.
While I can see how this exact asymmetry of info could bolster his argument that we ignore the evidence that contradicts with our own axioms, the argument may have been even more effective if all of the evidence was witnessed and simply dismissed.
And selfishly I just really wanted a fair shot at solving the riddle haha.
The singular thing I would change is that I wish more evidence was brought to bear from the beginning. I think there is a way the author could have placed more information on the table without compromising the answer. Instead, Dupin releases clues in a very measured way that unfairly advantages him in questioning elements of the riddle before the reader. For example, I wish the nails and hair had been mentioned previously. I would have had no way of knowing the truth without the intervention of Dupin; However, it would have afforded me the opportunity to see if I myself would have asked similar questions.
While I can see how this exact asymmetry of info could bolster his argument that we ignore the evidence that contradicts with our own axioms, the argument may have been even more effective if all of the evidence was witnessed and simply dismissed.
And selfishly I just really wanted a fair shot at solving the riddle haha.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews