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I delitti di West Point – The Pale Blue Eye
1830, Accademia militare di West Point: la calma di una sera di ottobre viene sconvolta dal ritrovamento del corpo di un giovane cadetto appeso a una corda. La mattina dopo, arriva la scoperta di un dettaglio ancora più macabro, qualcuno ha prelevato il cuore dal cadavere. Augustus Landor, che ha acquisito una certa fama durante i suoi anni come detective nella polizia di New York, viene chiamato per indagare in segreto. È un caso sconcertante che Landor deve risolvere al più presto e con la massima discrezione, perché uno scandalo potrebbe compromettere la reputazione della neonata accademia, destinata a diventare una delle più prestigiose istituzioni americane. L’investigatore trova un alleato inaspettato per seguire le tracce dell’assassino: un giovane cadetto lunatico con un debole per l’alcool e un passato oscuro pieno di leggende, per il quale prova subito un affetto paterno. Quello strano e tormentato ragazzo del Sud, appassionato di poesia, ha un nome destinato a un grande successo: Edgar Allan Poe.
496 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2006
843 people are currently reading
16670 people want to read
About the author
Louis Bayard
30 books715 followersA staff writer for Salon.com, Bayard has written articles and reviews for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Nerve.com, and Preservation, among others. Bayard lives in Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,246 reviews
July 25, 2011
This book may not be for everyone. But if you are a lover of words - and in particular, the rich complex 19th Century literary (and often poetic) style of Edgar Allan Poe, this book is a treat. Yes, it's a mystery - with multiple gruesome and bloody deaths and murders at its heart - but more than that, it's an exploration of complex and dark characters, human beings....and exploration of the darkside of the psyche. The book has a slow pace - almost measured - and it takes its time developing the strands of a complex plot and subplot. If you are on the impatient side, you may find yourself occasionally wishing that Mr. Bayard would speed things up. But the good news is: when you reach the ending, the multiple strands of the complex and dark web of characters and motivations that Louis Bayard has woven....pay off supremely, in both surprising and deeply satisfying ways. Wihtout giving anything away....this is a book which you have to read literally until the last chapter and the last page and the last lines....to truly appreciate. Also - it helps to have some knowledge of Poe's writings and work - because many of the images, scenes and moments which Bayard invents - presage some of the darker and more memorable moments of Poe's future masterworks of the macabre. All in all, a deeply satisfying novel. And - Louis Bayard - if you are listening....my hat is off to you, sir....thank you.
January 9, 2023
Academia West Point en 1830.
La calma de una tarde de octubre se rompe con el descubrimiento del cuerpo de un joven cadete colgando de una cuerda justo al lado del patio de armas. Un aparente suicidio no es inaudito en un régimen tan severo como el de West Point, pero a la mañana siguiente, sale a la luz un horror aún mayor. Alguien se coló en la habitación donde yacía el cuerpo y extrajo el corazón.
Sin respuestas y desesperada por evitar cualquier publicidad negativa, la Academia recurre a los servicios de un civil local, Augustus Landor, ex detective de policía que adquirió cierto renombre durante sus años en la ciudad de Nueva York antes de retirarse a Hudson Highlands por motivos de salud.
Ahora viudo e inquieto en su reclusión, Landor accede a hacerse cargo del caso. Mientras interroga a los conocidos del muerto, encuentra un ansioso asistente en un joven cadete intrigante y malhumorado con una inclinación por la bebida, dos volúmenes de poesía a su nombre y un pasado turbio que cambia de relato en relato.
¿El nombre del cadete? Edgar Allan Poe.
Impresionado con los astutos poderes de observación de Poe, Landor está convencido de que el poeta puede resultar útil, si puede mantenerse sobrio el tiempo suficiente para poner a prueba sus agudas habilidades de razonamiento.
Trabajando en estrecho contacto, los dos hombres, separados generacionalmente pero con la misma inteligencia, desarrollan una relación sorprendentemente profunda a medida que su investigación los lleva a un mundo oculto de sociedades secretas, sacrificios rituales y más cuerpos.
Pronto, sin embargo, los macabros asesinatos y los propios secretos enterrados de Landor amenazan con destrozar a los dos hombres y su recién formada amistad.
Una muy interesante novela de investigación policial con dos personajes principales curiosos pero muy diferentes.
Su autor culpa a todos los personajes antes de saber quién había hecho qué. Una trama bien conducida. Incluso con sorpresa.
Tenemos múltiples muertes a través de asesinatos muy sangrientos como pilar y una exploración de personajes complejos, oscuros y en resumen, humanos.
La narración tiene un ritmo lento, casi medida, y se toma su tiempo para desarrollar y juntar los hilos de una trama y subtrama compleja.
Esto es una advertencia, es lento pudiendo llegar a ser exitoso para unos, decepcionante para otros.
Cuando llegas al final, los múltiples hilos de la compleja y macabra red de personajes con sus motivos son revelados, es ahí cuando sientes satisfacción. Un libro que hasta la última página es importante.
Además de contener para aquellos que lo hemos leído, escritos y obras de Poe, porque muchas escenas son guiños que dan paso a lo que serán las futuras obras macabras y maestras de Edgar Allan Poe.
Os animo muchísimo a ver la película que ha sacado Netflix, muy, muy, buena y con unas actuaciones de ambos actores de matrícula.
Recomendable sin echar cohetes a lectores de novelas policíacas y de suspense..✍️
La calma de una tarde de octubre se rompe con el descubrimiento del cuerpo de un joven cadete colgando de una cuerda justo al lado del patio de armas. Un aparente suicidio no es inaudito en un régimen tan severo como el de West Point, pero a la mañana siguiente, sale a la luz un horror aún mayor. Alguien se coló en la habitación donde yacía el cuerpo y extrajo el corazón.
Sin respuestas y desesperada por evitar cualquier publicidad negativa, la Academia recurre a los servicios de un civil local, Augustus Landor, ex detective de policía que adquirió cierto renombre durante sus años en la ciudad de Nueva York antes de retirarse a Hudson Highlands por motivos de salud.
Ahora viudo e inquieto en su reclusión, Landor accede a hacerse cargo del caso. Mientras interroga a los conocidos del muerto, encuentra un ansioso asistente en un joven cadete intrigante y malhumorado con una inclinación por la bebida, dos volúmenes de poesía a su nombre y un pasado turbio que cambia de relato en relato.
¿El nombre del cadete? Edgar Allan Poe.
Impresionado con los astutos poderes de observación de Poe, Landor está convencido de que el poeta puede resultar útil, si puede mantenerse sobrio el tiempo suficiente para poner a prueba sus agudas habilidades de razonamiento.
Trabajando en estrecho contacto, los dos hombres, separados generacionalmente pero con la misma inteligencia, desarrollan una relación sorprendentemente profunda a medida que su investigación los lleva a un mundo oculto de sociedades secretas, sacrificios rituales y más cuerpos.
Pronto, sin embargo, los macabros asesinatos y los propios secretos enterrados de Landor amenazan con destrozar a los dos hombres y su recién formada amistad.
Una muy interesante novela de investigación policial con dos personajes principales curiosos pero muy diferentes.
Su autor culpa a todos los personajes antes de saber quién había hecho qué. Una trama bien conducida. Incluso con sorpresa.
Tenemos múltiples muertes a través de asesinatos muy sangrientos como pilar y una exploración de personajes complejos, oscuros y en resumen, humanos.
La narración tiene un ritmo lento, casi medida, y se toma su tiempo para desarrollar y juntar los hilos de una trama y subtrama compleja.
Esto es una advertencia, es lento pudiendo llegar a ser exitoso para unos, decepcionante para otros.
Cuando llegas al final, los múltiples hilos de la compleja y macabra red de personajes con sus motivos son revelados, es ahí cuando sientes satisfacción. Un libro que hasta la última página es importante.
Además de contener para aquellos que lo hemos leído, escritos y obras de Poe, porque muchas escenas son guiños que dan paso a lo que serán las futuras obras macabras y maestras de Edgar Allan Poe.
Os animo muchísimo a ver la película que ha sacado Netflix, muy, muy, buena y con unas actuaciones de ambos actores de matrícula.
Recomendable sin echar cohetes a lectores de novelas policíacas y de suspense..✍️
January 8, 2023
•| ⊱✿⊰ |• 4,2 Stars •| ⊱✿⊰ |•
I have to confess, I had some mix-up feelings about this one.
I wanted to give five stars, but also three stars.
This was so good, but had some boring parts, so the four stars rate.
The main character being Edgar Allan Poe made me curious about this book.
The ending...
I was not expecting...
I'm afraid, if I write too much, I will give some spoiler, and this story should be read without one, and this coming from me, spoiler freak, is something! 😆
December 24, 2025
An atmospheric mystery most worthy of its protagonist!
In MR TIMOTHY, Louis Bayard penned an exceptional debut novel that imagined the life of one of Dickens' best known characters, Tiny Tim. His second novel, THE PALE BLUE EYE is a worthy successor - a literary masterwork that easily vaults over the high bar of expectations created by the phenomenal success of MR TIMOTHY.
THE PALE BLUE EYE, at once a richly complex gothic mystery, a psychological thriller and compelling period historical fiction, is a fictionalized re-creation of a brief segment of the life of West Point Academy cadet, horror and sci-fi author Edgar Allan Poe, as a young man in 1830.
Superintendent Thayer, commander of the Academy, engages retired New York City detective, Augustus Landor to investigate the hanging and subsequent mutilation of a cadet. Landor, in turn, recruits cadet Poe to be his "inside" man to sniff around the barracks and the social hangouts of his fellow cadets. THE PALE BLULE EYE is a creepy, well-crafted mystery with plenty of gothic horror moments worthy of the ultimate stature of a character who arguably became the godfather of the entire horror genre.
Bayard has very cleverly told the story from three different points of view - an external narrator and real-time diary style entries from both Landor and Poe. The manner in which Bayard has changed his style of writing for each of the three "narrators" is absolutely fascinating and Poe's sections in particular seem absolutely perfect for the real-life person that we know that Poe will become.
Like many of Poe's mysteries and horror stories, THE PALE BLUE EYE is not built around high speed action or thrills. It's a slow-moving atmospheric, creepy mystery that relies on the quality of its words, its conversations and the depth of its characters.
Read it, enjoy it and smile with utter delight at the ending twist that you'll never see coming!
Paul Weiss
In MR TIMOTHY, Louis Bayard penned an exceptional debut novel that imagined the life of one of Dickens' best known characters, Tiny Tim. His second novel, THE PALE BLUE EYE is a worthy successor - a literary masterwork that easily vaults over the high bar of expectations created by the phenomenal success of MR TIMOTHY.
THE PALE BLUE EYE, at once a richly complex gothic mystery, a psychological thriller and compelling period historical fiction, is a fictionalized re-creation of a brief segment of the life of West Point Academy cadet, horror and sci-fi author Edgar Allan Poe, as a young man in 1830.
Superintendent Thayer, commander of the Academy, engages retired New York City detective, Augustus Landor to investigate the hanging and subsequent mutilation of a cadet. Landor, in turn, recruits cadet Poe to be his "inside" man to sniff around the barracks and the social hangouts of his fellow cadets. THE PALE BLULE EYE is a creepy, well-crafted mystery with plenty of gothic horror moments worthy of the ultimate stature of a character who arguably became the godfather of the entire horror genre.
Bayard has very cleverly told the story from three different points of view - an external narrator and real-time diary style entries from both Landor and Poe. The manner in which Bayard has changed his style of writing for each of the three "narrators" is absolutely fascinating and Poe's sections in particular seem absolutely perfect for the real-life person that we know that Poe will become.
Like many of Poe's mysteries and horror stories, THE PALE BLUE EYE is not built around high speed action or thrills. It's a slow-moving atmospheric, creepy mystery that relies on the quality of its words, its conversations and the depth of its characters.
Read it, enjoy it and smile with utter delight at the ending twist that you'll never see coming!
Paul Weiss
January 31, 2023
Towards the second half of the book I was leaning towards 3 stars for this one. But, the last 30 or so pages did change my mind.
Knowing that Poe is a character in the book we need to go expecting Poe influences, which are definitely there.
But knowing the famous inclination towards an unreliable narrator, we need to question ourselves, do we know if we have a reliable narrator? Is what the narrator telling, the whole truth?
The literary style gives hints of rich narrative of 19th century literature. The story slowly builds up a creepy atmosphere. The setting is around the autumn and snowy winter months of 1830. A perfect scenery for a gothic mystery. We have our main narrator Augustus Landor who addresses us The Reader and tells the story of the most peculiar nature. But through letters, we also get the narration through our beloved Poet, Edgar Allan Poe.
For fans of dark-academia or gothic literature, this will be a treat!
As a work of historical fiction, and a mystery-thriller it was definitely a fascinating read. Just for the ending I will heartily (is there a pun here?) recommend it to anyone!
Knowing that Poe is a character in the book we need to go expecting Poe influences, which are definitely there.
But knowing the famous inclination towards an unreliable narrator, we need to question ourselves, do we know if we have a reliable narrator? Is what the narrator telling, the whole truth?
The literary style gives hints of rich narrative of 19th century literature. The story slowly builds up a creepy atmosphere. The setting is around the autumn and snowy winter months of 1830. A perfect scenery for a gothic mystery. We have our main narrator Augustus Landor who addresses us The Reader and tells the story of the most peculiar nature. But through letters, we also get the narration through our beloved Poet, Edgar Allan Poe.
For fans of dark-academia or gothic literature, this will be a treat!
As a work of historical fiction, and a mystery-thriller it was definitely a fascinating read. Just for the ending I will heartily (is there a pun here?) recommend it to anyone!
September 11, 2007
Mystery. This was going to get four stars, right up until twenty pages from the end, at which point it seriously pissed me off.
Augustus Landor, retired New York constable, recounts his involvement in a murder investigation that takes place at West Point in 1830. Guest starring Edgar Allan Poe. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 387 pages of this novel. It's a nice little mystery with a hint of the supernatural and lots of cold West Point atmosphere. Bayard is an engaging writer. His prose is clear and simple, with frequent moments of wonderfulness, and the story progresses at a good clip, revealing clues and hidden allegiances as it builds up a great friendship between Landor and Poe. Poe actually did spend a few months as a West Point cadet, that much is true, but his character could have been any pale, self-aggrandizing, heartbroken, slacker-intellectual; there's really nothing about the book or Poe that requires his presence. I liked this Poe a lot, but, beyond the bare details, I saw little to connect him to the Poe that history left us.
Okay, so that's the first 387 pages, then on page 388, there's a Surprise Twist, and I got all riled up and started accusing Bayard of wasting my time. The way the story is written leaves no room for this kind of obfuscation and the narrative doesn't even attempt to justify it. It pissed me off and completely took away from my enjoyment of the book. I'm not against a fabulous surprise ending, but this was done badly and with no textual support.
This is getting three stars and a big stink-eye.
Augustus Landor, retired New York constable, recounts his involvement in a murder investigation that takes place at West Point in 1830. Guest starring Edgar Allan Poe. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 387 pages of this novel. It's a nice little mystery with a hint of the supernatural and lots of cold West Point atmosphere. Bayard is an engaging writer. His prose is clear and simple, with frequent moments of wonderfulness, and the story progresses at a good clip, revealing clues and hidden allegiances as it builds up a great friendship between Landor and Poe. Poe actually did spend a few months as a West Point cadet, that much is true, but his character could have been any pale, self-aggrandizing, heartbroken, slacker-intellectual; there's really nothing about the book or Poe that requires his presence. I liked this Poe a lot, but, beyond the bare details, I saw little to connect him to the Poe that history left us.
Okay, so that's the first 387 pages, then on page 388, there's a Surprise Twist, and I got all riled up and started accusing Bayard of wasting my time. The way the story is written leaves no room for this kind of obfuscation and the narrative doesn't even attempt to justify it. It pissed me off and completely took away from my enjoyment of the book. I'm not against a fabulous surprise ending, but this was done badly and with no textual support.
This is getting three stars and a big stink-eye.
January 5, 2023
OK, this turned from interesting mystery I wanted to read in preparation of the Netflix movie to a slog I desperately wanted/needed to finish today just so it would be over. *sighs*
A cadet has been found. Everything looks as if he had hung himself. Not too unrealistic a scenario. Were it not for the fact that after he has been taken down, someone breaks into the room where his body is kept and cuts his heart out.
The authorities therefore enlist a former detective. He, in turn, meets another cadet who helps him investigate. This cadet is none other than Edgar Allen Poe.
What sounds like a good little mystery in Poe‘s style, failed to capture me almost entirely. I could see what the author was trying to do but it just didn‘t work for me.
Instead, the book was droning on and on and on until I was desperate to get to the final resolution. I wasn‘t even mildly interested. Which is a pity because anything involving Edgar Allen Poe is, by nature, fascinating. If only for the mystery that is the author‘s actual life!
As it was, while the setting was OK, it wasn’t fleshed out enough. The characters were almost bland even! I mean, OF COURSE the detective has to have demons in his past because otherwise he‘s not „edgy“ enough. *rolls eyes* And that is just the most prominent example (Poe himself doesn‘t count).
I don’t usually skim books or even DNF them, but I did skim this one. Which says it all. My only hope is that the movie will be (much) better. Meh.
A cadet has been found. Everything looks as if he had hung himself. Not too unrealistic a scenario. Were it not for the fact that after he has been taken down, someone breaks into the room where his body is kept and cuts his heart out.
The authorities therefore enlist a former detective. He, in turn, meets another cadet who helps him investigate. This cadet is none other than Edgar Allen Poe.
What sounds like a good little mystery in Poe‘s style, failed to capture me almost entirely. I could see what the author was trying to do but it just didn‘t work for me.
Instead, the book was droning on and on and on until I was desperate to get to the final resolution. I wasn‘t even mildly interested. Which is a pity because anything involving Edgar Allen Poe is, by nature, fascinating. If only for the mystery that is the author‘s actual life!
As it was, while the setting was OK, it wasn’t fleshed out enough. The characters were almost bland even! I mean, OF COURSE the detective has to have demons in his past because otherwise he‘s not „edgy“ enough. *rolls eyes* And that is just the most prominent example (Poe himself doesn‘t count).
I don’t usually skim books or even DNF them, but I did skim this one. Which says it all. My only hope is that the movie will be (much) better. Meh.
February 3, 2023
2.5 to 3 for me. I’ve had this on a shelf for many years and seeing it’s now a movie I figured I better get it read. This was a tough one for me to get through. The voice of Poe was a struggle -too flowery and I had to think too hard! I was not in the mood for that 😁. Plus the print was quite small and so a lot on a page. Kind of felt like a chore to read. Enough of me complaining! The plot was excellent! The last several pages contain a twist I did not see coming. I love when an author can do that to me.
April 26, 2023
3.5 Stars Rating may change after it marinates. (***update, it did)
Pissible Triggers: Sexual Assault, Physical Assault, Murder by Hanging, Death by Crushing, Bloodletting, Seizures, Mental Health Distress alluded, Self Termination, Alcohol Consumption
Here's the deal, I came so close to DNFing this book so many times; put it down & read something else (the only way I pushed thru); Alternated physically reading with audiobook & sometimes both at same time; and slumped from reading anything (many times) but I did finally finish so that I could watch the Netflix adaptation. For once I wanted to read the book before watching the movie...I picked the wrong one to start. I should have eased into this personal challenge of mine...hindsight.
I'll give it to you short & sweet (unlike the book). Set in 1830s Hudson Valley, NY, Gus Landor is conscripted to investigate the death of a cadet at West Point Academy in its infancy. They rule out suicide because he didn't cut his own heart out now did he? At the start of Landor's investigation he meets a lyrically verbose cadet by the name Edgar A. Poe, whom he then conscripts to be his mole within the ranks. In the course of investigation, Poe becomes infatuated with the sister of a fellow cadet, gets beat up, writes up reports to Landor on his observations of his fellow cadets, threatens to kill another cadet who later turns up dead and gets himself kidnapped. Landor meanwhile tries to decipher the first cadet's encoded diary, visits with a professor of the arcane & occultism, drinks excessive amounts of whiskey, "visits" with the bar wench, deals with the bureaucracy of a military academy, is physically assaulted multiple times and deals with Poe's shenanigans & speculations in a lyrical format. This book is densely and rhapsodically loquacious and though the flow of the dialogue is both beautiful and most probably historically accurate in its verbage, it's also exhausting AF. This story should have been edited down another 30-40% imho because it's really the last few chapters that made it. Most of what's between the beginning & end is just meanderings sprinkled with clues. So if you're looking for a concise historical mystery, move along. This is definitely a niche category of a story that one has to be prepared for the long haul (of which I wasn't).
Pissible Triggers: Sexual Assault, Physical Assault, Murder by Hanging, Death by Crushing, Bloodletting, Seizures, Mental Health Distress alluded, Self Termination, Alcohol Consumption
Here's the deal, I came so close to DNFing this book so many times; put it down & read something else (the only way I pushed thru); Alternated physically reading with audiobook & sometimes both at same time; and slumped from reading anything (many times) but I did finally finish so that I could watch the Netflix adaptation. For once I wanted to read the book before watching the movie...I picked the wrong one to start. I should have eased into this personal challenge of mine...hindsight.
I'll give it to you short & sweet (unlike the book). Set in 1830s Hudson Valley, NY, Gus Landor is conscripted to investigate the death of a cadet at West Point Academy in its infancy. They rule out suicide because he didn't cut his own heart out now did he? At the start of Landor's investigation he meets a lyrically verbose cadet by the name Edgar A. Poe, whom he then conscripts to be his mole within the ranks. In the course of investigation, Poe becomes infatuated with the sister of a fellow cadet, gets beat up, writes up reports to Landor on his observations of his fellow cadets, threatens to kill another cadet who later turns up dead and gets himself kidnapped. Landor meanwhile tries to decipher the first cadet's encoded diary, visits with a professor of the arcane & occultism, drinks excessive amounts of whiskey, "visits" with the bar wench, deals with the bureaucracy of a military academy, is physically assaulted multiple times and deals with Poe's shenanigans & speculations in a lyrical format. This book is densely and rhapsodically loquacious and though the flow of the dialogue is both beautiful and most probably historically accurate in its verbage, it's also exhausting AF. This story should have been edited down another 30-40% imho because it's really the last few chapters that made it. Most of what's between the beginning & end is just meanderings sprinkled with clues. So if you're looking for a concise historical mystery, move along. This is definitely a niche category of a story that one has to be prepared for the long haul (of which I wasn't).
August 4, 2016
When retired constable Gus Landor is summoned out of his upstate New York retirement to investigate a strange death at the not-yet-permanent West Point, he encounters a charismatic, brilliant cadet named Edgar Allen Poe. The two team up to solve the mystery, using the techniques the estimable Mr. Poe would apply in helping establish the murder mystery genre. Bayard is up to his usual tricks here, delving into literary history for characters and notions and coming up with a rollicking good time. You know that somewhere in the story you will come across the word tintinnabulation, and that ravens will appear. The small details make this an enjoyable read, so you might want to brush up on your Edgar Allen to enhance the experience.
I have a large “but” to toss in here, though. I found Bayard’s explanation for the mystery (well, one of them anyway) noisy and unconvincing. It took away from my enjoyment. But if you can tolerate that, the ride is a fun one, and life is about the journey, right, not necessarily the destination.
Other Bayard titles I have enjoyed include:
The Black Tower
Mr. Timothy
The School of Night
I have a large “but” to toss in here, though. I found Bayard’s explanation for the mystery (well, one of them anyway) noisy and unconvincing. It took away from my enjoyment. But if you can tolerate that, the ride is a fun one, and life is about the journey, right, not necessarily the destination.
Other Bayard titles I have enjoyed include:
The Black Tower
Mr. Timothy
The School of Night
Read
April 19, 2022Ein Osterei für meine Frau, dass nur eine Stunde bei uns beheimatet war. Ein spontaner Zufallskauf, die Handlung klang unterhaltsam und es schien, als könne ich nicht allzu viel falsch machen: Ein Krimi / Thriller, bei dem die Sprache gelobt wird.
Schon auf der ersten Seite runzelte die beste aller Ehefrauen mehrfach die Stirn, dann las sie mir ein paar Seiten vor und ich runzelte mit. Die von anderen Rezensenten gelobte Sprache fand die unglückliche Besitzerin des neuesten Buches genauso unselig wie ich. Ich würde doch hier mehr von Nebelbomben als von Sprachmagie sprechen, und an Poes Prosa reicht Bayard nicht nur nicht heran, sondern scheitert beim Versuch, sie nachzubilden.
Eine Stunde später gab es zum Glück schon den ersten Bieter auf eBay ...
Schon auf der ersten Seite runzelte die beste aller Ehefrauen mehrfach die Stirn, dann las sie mir ein paar Seiten vor und ich runzelte mit. Die von anderen Rezensenten gelobte Sprache fand die unglückliche Besitzerin des neuesten Buches genauso unselig wie ich. Ich würde doch hier mehr von Nebelbomben als von Sprachmagie sprechen, und an Poes Prosa reicht Bayard nicht nur nicht heran, sondern scheitert beim Versuch, sie nachzubilden.
Eine Stunde später gab es zum Glück schon den ersten Bieter auf eBay ...
March 18, 2024
When I was younger, I used to follow and love cinema and television almost as much as I (still) love reading and music. Then, life got in the way, and I realised that with increasingly limited leisure time, I needed to be selective in my (then) eclectic interests. And, so, unfortunately, I am now much less up-to-date with what is happening on the silver (or flat) screen, and you’re more likely to find me reading a book or listening to music.
This is all a convoluted way of saying that although I first learnt of Louis Bayard and his novel “The Pale Blue Eye” thanks to the publicity generated by the eponymous Netflix movie, I haven’t watched the film. I have, however, bought and read the book. And what an enjoyable experience it turned out to be.
The protagonist and narrator of Bayard’s novel is one Augustus Landor, an ex-New York detective who, in the fall of 1830, is unwillingly drawn out of his grumpy retirement to investigate a horrific crime at the elite West Point Academy. The victim, a young cadet, apparently died by suicide but, following his death, someone ripped out his heart, raising the spectre of either murder or occult ritual or both. Alas, this will not be the last of these dark desecrations, and Landor finds himself under mounting pressure to solve the mystery which threatens to dismantle the Academy. He enlists an unlikely companion to help him navigate the claustrophobic confines of the Academy. This is none other than the young Edgar Allan Poe, a cadet with literary ambitions who also turns out to be no mean sleuth.
A Pale Blue Eye is an engrossing pastiche of 19th century mystery/Gothic fiction, with several references to the works – and dark moods – of Poe’s own works and a good dollop of grand guignol. It is strong on atmosphere and I can imagine why this proved a good subject for a movie – certain scenes are “cinematic” in the sense that even while reading them it is not difficult to imagine them being rendered on screen. Admittedly, the novel calls for much suspension of disbelief, especially in the final chapters. But, I guess, that comes as part of this dark, blood-soaked package.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
This is all a convoluted way of saying that although I first learnt of Louis Bayard and his novel “The Pale Blue Eye” thanks to the publicity generated by the eponymous Netflix movie, I haven’t watched the film. I have, however, bought and read the book. And what an enjoyable experience it turned out to be.
The protagonist and narrator of Bayard’s novel is one Augustus Landor, an ex-New York detective who, in the fall of 1830, is unwillingly drawn out of his grumpy retirement to investigate a horrific crime at the elite West Point Academy. The victim, a young cadet, apparently died by suicide but, following his death, someone ripped out his heart, raising the spectre of either murder or occult ritual or both. Alas, this will not be the last of these dark desecrations, and Landor finds himself under mounting pressure to solve the mystery which threatens to dismantle the Academy. He enlists an unlikely companion to help him navigate the claustrophobic confines of the Academy. This is none other than the young Edgar Allan Poe, a cadet with literary ambitions who also turns out to be no mean sleuth.
A Pale Blue Eye is an engrossing pastiche of 19th century mystery/Gothic fiction, with several references to the works – and dark moods – of Poe’s own works and a good dollop of grand guignol. It is strong on atmosphere and I can imagine why this proved a good subject for a movie – certain scenes are “cinematic” in the sense that even while reading them it is not difficult to imagine them being rendered on screen. Admittedly, the novel calls for much suspension of disbelief, especially in the final chapters. But, I guess, that comes as part of this dark, blood-soaked package.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
September 7, 2025
A Raven's Shadow on the Human Heart
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
My Rating: 4.95 stars
The best gothic and atmospheric historical fiction I have read yet<3
It is a chillingly elegant murder mystery... and I'd say... the perfect revenge by a father for his daughter...❤️
The revelations at the end was so beautifully delivered... I completely teared up at the end💙💙💙
Augustus Landor, a disillusioned constable haunted by personal tragedy is called upon to investigate the grotesque murder of a young cadet whose heart has been surgically removed. The academy... a symbol for discipline and decorum... proves to be a crucible of secrets.
Landor, an outsider by choice and circumstance, finds an unlikely and utterly captivating ally in a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe... yes.. you read it correct... the same Edgar Allan Poe💕 – a figure then just beginning to forge the dark poetic sensibility that would define his legacy.
And the portrayal of Poe in the book🤌🤌🤌... is the chef's kiss... Like I literally fell in love with him MORE!!!
He is a burgeoning wordsmith with a morbid fascination that serves both as a compass and a liability in their grim investigation.
The prose is a work of art💖
The mystery was crafted meticulously🪶
Throughout the novel, we find-
☆grief
☆the search for meaning in a chaotic world
☆the elusive nature of truth
As Landor and Poe peel back the layers of deception, they uncover not just a murderer... but a tragic shade of ambition, betrayal and the crushing weight of past transgressions.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery, crime and psychological thrillers
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
My Rating: 4.95 stars
The best gothic and atmospheric historical fiction I have read yet<3
It is a chillingly elegant murder mystery... and I'd say... the perfect revenge by a father for his daughter...❤️
The revelations at the end was so beautifully delivered... I completely teared up at the end💙💙💙
Augustus Landor, a disillusioned constable haunted by personal tragedy is called upon to investigate the grotesque murder of a young cadet whose heart has been surgically removed. The academy... a symbol for discipline and decorum... proves to be a crucible of secrets.
Landor, an outsider by choice and circumstance, finds an unlikely and utterly captivating ally in a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe... yes.. you read it correct... the same Edgar Allan Poe💕 – a figure then just beginning to forge the dark poetic sensibility that would define his legacy.
And the portrayal of Poe in the book🤌🤌🤌... is the chef's kiss... Like I literally fell in love with him MORE!!!
He is a burgeoning wordsmith with a morbid fascination that serves both as a compass and a liability in their grim investigation.
The prose is a work of art💖
The mystery was crafted meticulously🪶
Throughout the novel, we find-
☆grief
☆the search for meaning in a chaotic world
☆the elusive nature of truth
As Landor and Poe peel back the layers of deception, they uncover not just a murderer... but a tragic shade of ambition, betrayal and the crushing weight of past transgressions.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery, crime and psychological thrillers
August 25, 2008
Kudos to Louis Bayard for this unique and cleverly crafted murder mystery set in the early days of The US Military Academy at West Point, an unlikely setting, but not as unusual as the casting of Cadet Fourth Class Edgar Allan Poe in a lead role. Poe indeed attended West Point - albeit briefly - a historical fact which the talented Bayard uses to full advantage in spinning a tale that apes Poe's macabre, eerie, surrealist style, while at the same time capturing intrigue and enigma that could pass for Arthur Conan Doyle.
When a cadet is found hanged - an apparent suicide. But as if that is not enough, the corpse is posthumously desecrated with the removal of the young man's heart. West Point Superintendent Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, fearing political fallout for the fledging institution, calls in Augustus Landor, local resident and former New York City police detective of some renown, to investigate, hoping to keep the situation under control before Army bureaucrats descend. The wily Landor meets and is impressed with an intellectual and keenly observant young cadet - Poe of course - and reluctantly is granted permission to have Poe clandestinely assist in the investigation. It is a task Poe relishes and rises to with aplomb, setting for the stage for a Gothic tale of uncommon depth, where the opposing images of the New York's Hudson Valley's majestic splendor and unrelenting desolation provide the perfect backdrop to Bayard's chameleon prose.
But there is so much more to "The Pale Blue Eye" than the author's clever spins on Poe, Doyle, and Washington Irving. This is an extensively researched labor of love with well-drawn characters, an atmosphere as moody as the reclusive Poe, and an illuminating slice of American culture in 1830. But most of all, it is simply a terrific story - one that takes twists and turns along the way, and just when you think you've got it figured out, turns around and jars you out of any self-congratulating complacency like West Point's reveille on those cold and damp winter mornings of the Hudson heights. Unlike Matthew Pearl's excellent but wordy "The Poe Shadow", "The Pale Blue Eye" moves quickly, dodging and weaving through deepening depravity to a climax as shocking and unexpected as anything Hitchcock has rendered. If I had a complaint, it is Bayard's subtle but condescending view of the cadets and administration of West Point - an unnecessary and unfair slight to the fine men (and women) of this venerable institution - but only a minor distraction not sufficient to curb my enthusiasm for this refreshingly original yarn.
In short, one of those rare books that will keep you turning the pages way past the time you know you should be asleep - a true triumph of fiction in a historical setting. Well done, Mr. Bayard!
When a cadet is found hanged - an apparent suicide. But as if that is not enough, the corpse is posthumously desecrated with the removal of the young man's heart. West Point Superintendent Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, fearing political fallout for the fledging institution, calls in Augustus Landor, local resident and former New York City police detective of some renown, to investigate, hoping to keep the situation under control before Army bureaucrats descend. The wily Landor meets and is impressed with an intellectual and keenly observant young cadet - Poe of course - and reluctantly is granted permission to have Poe clandestinely assist in the investigation. It is a task Poe relishes and rises to with aplomb, setting for the stage for a Gothic tale of uncommon depth, where the opposing images of the New York's Hudson Valley's majestic splendor and unrelenting desolation provide the perfect backdrop to Bayard's chameleon prose.
But there is so much more to "The Pale Blue Eye" than the author's clever spins on Poe, Doyle, and Washington Irving. This is an extensively researched labor of love with well-drawn characters, an atmosphere as moody as the reclusive Poe, and an illuminating slice of American culture in 1830. But most of all, it is simply a terrific story - one that takes twists and turns along the way, and just when you think you've got it figured out, turns around and jars you out of any self-congratulating complacency like West Point's reveille on those cold and damp winter mornings of the Hudson heights. Unlike Matthew Pearl's excellent but wordy "The Poe Shadow", "The Pale Blue Eye" moves quickly, dodging and weaving through deepening depravity to a climax as shocking and unexpected as anything Hitchcock has rendered. If I had a complaint, it is Bayard's subtle but condescending view of the cadets and administration of West Point - an unnecessary and unfair slight to the fine men (and women) of this venerable institution - but only a minor distraction not sufficient to curb my enthusiasm for this refreshingly original yarn.
In short, one of those rare books that will keep you turning the pages way past the time you know you should be asleep - a true triumph of fiction in a historical setting. Well done, Mr. Bayard!
November 28, 2023
Louis Bayard junta un buen puñado de elementos en la coctelera y crea esta genial novela policial y de intriga, muy bien ambientada y siendo fiel a su tiempo.
Un policía retirado ayuda a la academia de West Point a descubrir los posibles asesinatos y sacrificios de varios cadetes de la Academia y tendrá como ayudante nada más y nada menos que al mismísimo Edgar Allan Poe. Esas dos mentes combatirán con los grandes retos que les desafiarán y la impaciencia de los oficiales de la Academia.
Te tienen en vilo hasta el final y en un giro inesperado se resuelve el caso. Y aquí paz y después gloria.
Recomendadisimo
Un policía retirado ayuda a la academia de West Point a descubrir los posibles asesinatos y sacrificios de varios cadetes de la Academia y tendrá como ayudante nada más y nada menos que al mismísimo Edgar Allan Poe. Esas dos mentes combatirán con los grandes retos que les desafiarán y la impaciencia de los oficiales de la Academia.
Te tienen en vilo hasta el final y en un giro inesperado se resuelve el caso. Y aquí paz y después gloria.
Recomendadisimo
May 9, 2008
The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard is, like the writings of one of his characters, a tale of mystery and imagination. Set at West Point in the 19th Century, the novel has all the flavor and ambiance befitting such a setting. I love reading books that fictionalize real people. Bayard fictionalizes the leadership of West Point at that time, as well as one of the most eccentric writers in American history.
The chief investigator of this mystery/detective novel enlists one Cadet Edgar Allen Poe to assist him in his investigation. Bayard brings Poe to life to a greater extent than he does with any of his other characters. Reading the chapters of Poe's reports to Gus Landor, the chief investigator of this creepy, mysterious case, I couldn't help but think that Bayard was having a lot of fun at Poe's expense. Bayard does an excellent job of writing Poe's reports to Landor in a tongue-in-cheek faux-Poe.
Even though the story line has every creepy element conceivable, mysterious murders, hearts stolen from corpses, villains stealing through the darkness in cloaks, mysterious strangers, disappearing cadets and a graveyard of other things, whenever Poe walked off the page, it all turned dull. Bayard tried to make his protagonist interesting. Gus Landor, an ex-New York detective with a mysterious past (I'm getting tired of using the word mysterious) and a bend toward alcoholism leads the investigation. Throughout the book, Landor looked up at me from the page, wanting me to care about him. I just couldn't. He wasn't likeable or interesting.
The Pale Blue Eye feels like a guy book. If we have Chick-Lit, here is an example of Dick-Lit. Distinctive brown cover, technical tools on the cover, and mahogany tones and pipe smoke throughout. All of the women characters are difficult to bring into focus. They're silly little things, panting for attention and totally oblivious about how trivial they are. Even the one with the biggest part to play didn't place a shred of passion on the side of sanity. Landor has a cookie-cutter girl friend, a barmaid who is sleeping with scores of others. She is there so that we can have bosoms swaying to the rhythm of pot scrubbing and because we need someone who looks at him with distain and tells him to quit the case because it's killing him.
And then there's the end. Don't worry. I won't give it away. But I will tell you that there's a twist. And it's not foreshadowed to an extent where it is warranted. In other words, Bayard broke the cardinal rule of novel writing. I felt manipulated. The twist comes from so far out of the court that I was beginning to wonder if I'd get through the book without having aliens land and tell us they were just there to serve man.
But then there's Poe. He plays his part unflinchingly. The Pale Blue Eye is fun for anyone who wants to be prompted to read a biography about Poe. I know I want to get one. The details Bayard supplies about him are crisp, humorous and fascinating. Was he ever a cadet at West Point? Did he dedicate his first book of poems to the Academy because he'd manipulated the cadets into buying a copy? Considering all that the book has given me to think about, I guess I'm glad I read it. But I'm even more glad that it's over.
The chief investigator of this mystery/detective novel enlists one Cadet Edgar Allen Poe to assist him in his investigation. Bayard brings Poe to life to a greater extent than he does with any of his other characters. Reading the chapters of Poe's reports to Gus Landor, the chief investigator of this creepy, mysterious case, I couldn't help but think that Bayard was having a lot of fun at Poe's expense. Bayard does an excellent job of writing Poe's reports to Landor in a tongue-in-cheek faux-Poe.
Even though the story line has every creepy element conceivable, mysterious murders, hearts stolen from corpses, villains stealing through the darkness in cloaks, mysterious strangers, disappearing cadets and a graveyard of other things, whenever Poe walked off the page, it all turned dull. Bayard tried to make his protagonist interesting. Gus Landor, an ex-New York detective with a mysterious past (I'm getting tired of using the word mysterious) and a bend toward alcoholism leads the investigation. Throughout the book, Landor looked up at me from the page, wanting me to care about him. I just couldn't. He wasn't likeable or interesting.
The Pale Blue Eye feels like a guy book. If we have Chick-Lit, here is an example of Dick-Lit. Distinctive brown cover, technical tools on the cover, and mahogany tones and pipe smoke throughout. All of the women characters are difficult to bring into focus. They're silly little things, panting for attention and totally oblivious about how trivial they are. Even the one with the biggest part to play didn't place a shred of passion on the side of sanity. Landor has a cookie-cutter girl friend, a barmaid who is sleeping with scores of others. She is there so that we can have bosoms swaying to the rhythm of pot scrubbing and because we need someone who looks at him with distain and tells him to quit the case because it's killing him.
And then there's the end. Don't worry. I won't give it away. But I will tell you that there's a twist. And it's not foreshadowed to an extent where it is warranted. In other words, Bayard broke the cardinal rule of novel writing. I felt manipulated. The twist comes from so far out of the court that I was beginning to wonder if I'd get through the book without having aliens land and tell us they were just there to serve man.
But then there's Poe. He plays his part unflinchingly. The Pale Blue Eye is fun for anyone who wants to be prompted to read a biography about Poe. I know I want to get one. The details Bayard supplies about him are crisp, humorous and fascinating. Was he ever a cadet at West Point? Did he dedicate his first book of poems to the Academy because he'd manipulated the cadets into buying a copy? Considering all that the book has given me to think about, I guess I'm glad I read it. But I'm even more glad that it's over.
February 10, 2023
2 1/2 stars
I forgot to mention in my "why I'm reading this." that I enjoyed Bayard's Mr. Timothy, another motivator to try this one. Bayard tells us in an afterward that he so enjoyed hanging out with author Charles Dickens while writing Mr. T that he sought another author that he could use in a future book. Hence, Edgar Allan Poe in this book.
In a nutshell, a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point is found hanging. It looks like a suicide, but a complicating factor is that a few hours after being discovered, his body now lays in the infirmary with his heart cut out. This is terrible news for the head of the Academy - it's 1830 and the current president does not believe in the USMA. Desperate for what to do, the head then calls in a retired NYC investigator, Gus Landor, to get to the heart (hehe) of this heinous crime. He agrees and moves from his local cottage to a newly built hotel nearer to the Academy.
I'm not remembering how Landor met E. A. Poe, but he asks the Commandant if he can engage Poe, a first year cadet, to be his eyes and ears among the ranks. After deciding that this could not possibly be a suicide, the story of finding the killer or killers kicks off from there.
What I liked: the repartee between Landor and Poe, the palpable atmosphere, the many who were suspects, the tension-filled relationship between Landor and the Commandant, Poe and Landor's rule-breaking efforts, a minor love story for Poe, and the ebb and flow of Landor's efforts to figure this out.
What I disliked: the ending! I felt it came out of nowhere. I can't think of any clues that Bayard gave us. I almost threw my book across the room! A caveat . . . many reviewers liked this twist, so don't let me dissuade you from reading this book. Also, I think that Bayard could have made this a tighter story with a hundred or so fewer pages, pages to begin with that were in teeny tiny print.
Now I'm eager to see the movie.
Why I'm reading this: I thought I'd read the book before seeing the movie on Netflix. Ratings are all over the place, so we'll see!
I forgot to mention in my "why I'm reading this." that I enjoyed Bayard's Mr. Timothy, another motivator to try this one. Bayard tells us in an afterward that he so enjoyed hanging out with author Charles Dickens while writing Mr. T that he sought another author that he could use in a future book. Hence, Edgar Allan Poe in this book.
In a nutshell, a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point is found hanging. It looks like a suicide, but a complicating factor is that a few hours after being discovered, his body now lays in the infirmary with his heart cut out. This is terrible news for the head of the Academy - it's 1830 and the current president does not believe in the USMA. Desperate for what to do, the head then calls in a retired NYC investigator, Gus Landor, to get to the heart (hehe) of this heinous crime. He agrees and moves from his local cottage to a newly built hotel nearer to the Academy.
I'm not remembering how Landor met E. A. Poe, but he asks the Commandant if he can engage Poe, a first year cadet, to be his eyes and ears among the ranks. After deciding that this could not possibly be a suicide, the story of finding the killer or killers kicks off from there.
What I liked: the repartee between Landor and Poe, the palpable atmosphere, the many who were suspects, the tension-filled relationship between Landor and the Commandant, Poe and Landor's rule-breaking efforts, a minor love story for Poe, and the ebb and flow of Landor's efforts to figure this out.
What I disliked: the ending! I felt it came out of nowhere. I can't think of any clues that Bayard gave us. I almost threw my book across the room! A caveat . . . many reviewers liked this twist, so don't let me dissuade you from reading this book. Also, I think that Bayard could have made this a tighter story with a hundred or so fewer pages, pages to begin with that were in teeny tiny print.
Now I'm eager to see the movie.
Why I'm reading this: I thought I'd read the book before seeing the movie on Netflix. Ratings are all over the place, so we'll see!
June 20, 2021
Very interesting novel of police investigation of two curious but very different main characters. I threw guilt at all the characters in turn before I knew who had done what. This is the sign of a well conducted plot.
I recommend it to all fans of crime novels, thrillers and even fantasy novels.
I would have liked to give it 4½ stars, but since that's impossible, so I'm rounding up to 5.
I recommend it to all fans of crime novels, thrillers and even fantasy novels.
I would have liked to give it 4½ stars, but since that's impossible, so I'm rounding up to 5.
September 13, 2023
Loved this book… right up my alley. Dark, brooding, mysterious and poetic. Edgar Allen Poe is my favourite poet, and his gothic romanticism style sets the tone throughout. highly recommended. Page tuner that picks up right in the first chapter.
November 9, 2022
In the fall of 1831, the body of a young West Point cadet is found hanging from a tree. Although at first it was thought to be a suicide, horror strikes the academy when, the next morning, it appears that someone has stolen into the room where the body was being kept and removed the victim's heart. Academy commanders commission Gus Landor, a retired police officer living along the Hudson River Valley, to investigate the death and desecration, hoping to keep the whole affair as quiet as possible. Gus agrees and enlists as his assistant a moody, nonconforming young cadet - none other than Edgar Allen Poe.
That plot synopsis just touches the surface of everything this book has to offer. It's wonderfully atmospheric, full of intrigue, and glimmering with well-drawn characters, ulterior motives, shifting alliances, and hints of shadowy Gothic horrors. A terrific who-done-it that I found impossible to put down until I finished it. Definitely all the stars for this one.
That plot synopsis just touches the surface of everything this book has to offer. It's wonderfully atmospheric, full of intrigue, and glimmering with well-drawn characters, ulterior motives, shifting alliances, and hints of shadowy Gothic horrors. A terrific who-done-it that I found impossible to put down until I finished it. Definitely all the stars for this one.
November 10, 2022
Pora Bayardo knygų jau ne vieneri metai dulkėjo kažkuriame kietojo disko sektoriaus kamputyje, seniai aptraukti voratinkliais. Ir būtų ten ir suėstos pelėsio (nes kažkodėl buvau įsitikinęs, kad tai labai jau popsiškas ir trečiarūšis skaitalas, tai knygos gulėjo sektoriuje „Jeigu jau visai bėda“), jei ne Netflixas. Paanonsavo knygos ekranizaciją, parodė treilerį, kuris visai sudomino – nusprendžiau: kada, jei ne dabar. Imsiu ir perskaitysiu, kol nepasirodė ekranizacija, kad paskui galėčiau raukytis ir visiems aiškint, kad „ne taip viskas buvo iš tikrųjų“.
O kaip buvo iš tikrųjų? 1830-ieji, West Pointo karinėje akademijoje pasikorė kadetas. Būna, neatlaiko jautrios jaunuolių sielos karinio muštro. Bet va, kitą dieną kažkas išpjauna nabašnikui širdį. O čia jau kažkaip negražu ir akademijai ne prie veido. Tai vadovybė išsikviečia kaimynystėje gyvenantį policijos detektyvą atsargoje Augustusą Landorą – išsiaiškink, kas per velniava vyksta, girdi, ir kas vagia kadetų atsargines dalis. Bet akademija – sava teritorija su savom taisyklėm ir Landorui labai praverstų joje savos akys ir ausys. Ir štai tomis akimis bei ausimis tampa kadetas Edgaras Allanas Poe. Ir štai ta porelė, tai suartėdama, tai nutoldama, tai pasipykdama, tai besižavėdama vienas kitu, imasi tyrimo.
Aišku, vienu beširdžiu nabašniku veiksmas neapsiribos, o ir link pabaigos, kai jau manysit, kad viską žinot, ir viską supratot, autorius begėdiškai jus apgaus. Ne jis pirmas, ne jis paskutinis, bet nespoilinsiu.
Ne itin skubrus, bet nenuobodus istorinis detektyvas. Valau dulkes ir nuo antros Bayardo knygos. O šitai – keturi iš penkių.
O kaip buvo iš tikrųjų? 1830-ieji, West Pointo karinėje akademijoje pasikorė kadetas. Būna, neatlaiko jautrios jaunuolių sielos karinio muštro. Bet va, kitą dieną kažkas išpjauna nabašnikui širdį. O čia jau kažkaip negražu ir akademijai ne prie veido. Tai vadovybė išsikviečia kaimynystėje gyvenantį policijos detektyvą atsargoje Augustusą Landorą – išsiaiškink, kas per velniava vyksta, girdi, ir kas vagia kadetų atsargines dalis. Bet akademija – sava teritorija su savom taisyklėm ir Landorui labai praverstų joje savos akys ir ausys. Ir štai tomis akimis bei ausimis tampa kadetas Edgaras Allanas Poe. Ir štai ta porelė, tai suartėdama, tai nutoldama, tai pasipykdama, tai besižavėdama vienas kitu, imasi tyrimo.
Aišku, vienu beširdžiu nabašniku veiksmas neapsiribos, o ir link pabaigos, kai jau manysit, kad viską žinot, ir viską supratot, autorius begėdiškai jus apgaus. Ne jis pirmas, ne jis paskutinis, bet nespoilinsiu.
Ne itin skubrus, bet nenuobodus istorinis detektyvas. Valau dulkes ir nuo antros Bayardo knygos. O šitai – keturi iš penkių.
December 17, 2021
Very imaginative plot, characters and finale. Netflix is filming this as a movie about 25 miles away from me. Christian Bale, Robert DuVall and other recognizable names in cast. I tried to get on as an extra but wrong age and body type so no luck. A bit hard to read because it takes place a decade after the Revolutionary War and tries to use the language at the time, making for some difficult idioms.
Set at early days of West Point Military Academy and provides a lot of historical insight.
Set at early days of West Point Military Academy and provides a lot of historical insight.
November 12, 2008
Audio. There are many well-written reviews of this book on Goodreads. I loved reading the reviews and seeing why people liked this book. I just didn't like it that well. I haven't read a lot of Edgar Allen Poe and although I understand that the language in this book was supposed to be indicative of his style, it was just too wordy and flowery for me. It dragged in too many places and the fun parts were few and far between. It would have been better for me had it all been more like this;
"Oh, Leah, let me play!" Screamed Mrs. Marquis. Leah needed no more injunction than that; quit her place at the piano, and hied herself straight to the back of the column, wrapped her hands around Artemis' waist and set to swaying. Mrs. Marquis, proudly perched on the piano bench, pounded out a dance tune recently imported from Vienna playing it double time with an almost frightening virtuosity. And there I sat smiling, coatless and damp asking myself; "Which of the people in this room just tried to kill me?"
Because Poe was a real person I expected this to be a historical novel but the details of his life, his words and his character traits (the story taking place when he is a young man) were completely fabricated by the author. Even the crux of the story - a murder at West Point Academy never happened. I like a little history with my history whenever possible.
If you like 18th and 19th century literature, the gothic genre in general, or are a big fan of Poe, read on. This whodunnit didn't really do it for me.
"Oh, Leah, let me play!" Screamed Mrs. Marquis. Leah needed no more injunction than that; quit her place at the piano, and hied herself straight to the back of the column, wrapped her hands around Artemis' waist and set to swaying. Mrs. Marquis, proudly perched on the piano bench, pounded out a dance tune recently imported from Vienna playing it double time with an almost frightening virtuosity. And there I sat smiling, coatless and damp asking myself; "Which of the people in this room just tried to kill me?"
Because Poe was a real person I expected this to be a historical novel but the details of his life, his words and his character traits (the story taking place when he is a young man) were completely fabricated by the author. Even the crux of the story - a murder at West Point Academy never happened. I like a little history with my history whenever possible.
If you like 18th and 19th century literature, the gothic genre in general, or are a big fan of Poe, read on. This whodunnit didn't really do it for me.
January 9, 2023
Okay, finished " The Pale Blue Eye" by Louis Bayard. An outstanding piece, and with a surprising end !! Excellent mystery! I was happily lost in 1830s West Point.
June 13, 2021
It doesn't happen to me very often. Usually I can tell who was the killer/s by the middle of the novels. But here, I was fooled to the core.
There will be a movie based on this story with Scott Cooper, director (he filmed "Hostiles"), and ,b>Christian Bale, my favorite actor (who was Batman in Nolan's trilogy). Christian Bale will play Gus Landor.
I suggest Thomas Brodie-Sangster to play E.A. Poe. (he played in The Queen's Gambit) and Anya Taylor-Joy to play Lea Marquis (she played the chess player in The Queen's Gambit too). Frances McDormand could wonderfully play Mrs. Marquis. And why not Ana de Armas to play Pattie.
I recommend this book to every reader who loves good historical thrillers.
https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news...
There will be a movie based on this story with Scott Cooper, director (he filmed "Hostiles"), and ,b>Christian Bale, my favorite actor (who was Batman in Nolan's trilogy). Christian Bale will play Gus Landor.
I suggest Thomas Brodie-Sangster to play E.A. Poe. (he played in The Queen's Gambit) and Anya Taylor-Joy to play Lea Marquis (she played the chess player in The Queen's Gambit too). Frances McDormand could wonderfully play Mrs. Marquis. And why not Ana de Armas to play Pattie.
I recommend this book to every reader who loves good historical thrillers.
https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news...
February 12, 2009
I find myself on a Louis Bayard binge. I quite enjoyed The Black Tower, and just finished this one and was impressed as well. In the historical fiction crime mystery genre (which I often find myself gravitating towards a la Matthew Pearl and Caleb Carr), these are excellent. The Pale Blue Eye includes a young Edgar Allen Poe during his short time at West Point. Always read to the very last page with Bayard.
August 21, 2008
Let me preface this by saying that I'm not an avid reader of mystery novels in their pure "detective" form. I've read most of Sherlock Holmes. I've also read numerous "juvenile" mysteries over time (Hardy Boys and the like). I've also read numerous short stories including the "first" detective story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" by E.A.Poe.
That said, I'm a big fan of a good mystery that really puzzles and gets you pondering. I've also always been a good fan of Poe and the themes and tones in his stories. So, on reading the "back of the book" blurb for "The Pale Blue Eye", I knew I had to read it.
Writing Style
The writing style in this book was phenomenal. Many will claim that it's too wordy and over the top, but I personally felt it was a fairly good homage to early 19th century literature and to the literature of Poe. The language used was well crafted and flowed wonderfully. Even at the moments when the pacing was slow and the text dragged a bit, there were intriguing turns of phrase that gave me a grin.
The flowery verbosity of Poe was humorous at times and felt a little too constructed at moments. This is, after all, an earlier version of the Poe with which we are all familiar and while it's true that much of his style may have remained unchanged, there were bits that left him seeming aged beyond his years. Granted, this was possibly intended since the many trials of Poe's life did create the pensive and morbid Poe responsible for the writings we have today...and who's to say that he wasn't already deeply entrenched in that persona during his time at West Point.
Characterization
As I mentioned, the Poe character felt perhaps a bit too stylized and pat, but generally speaking I found him to be a very full and intriguing character. Distancing him from the historical Poe and just using him as a fictional character, he stands on his own. His main inconsistency seemed to be the struggle between the morbid, brooding Poe and the head-over-heels-in-love Poe. These character traits didn't reconcile well within him and left me a little disconcerted.
Although I do have some complaints about the Landor character, I'll to address later (hopefully without spoiling the ending too much). His character has had a troubled life as well and that angst carries over into his mannerisms and dialogue. I rather enjoyed Landor's character and had a lot of fun being inside his head for most of the novel. I would really enjoy seeing perhaps a spin off series outlining some of his New York cases (although that would put him pre-troubles, so he might not be as interesting)
Many of the other characters were less full but they weren't quite flat. The West Point faculty and cadets that we interact with were each imbued with their own personalities, though sometimes these overlapped more than I would have liked. I often found myself confused between Hitchcock and Thayer, for example. Doctor Marquis and his family were also well crafted but felt a little hollow behind the facade. Patsy was another intriguing character who I felt was actually better crafted than some of the other primary players despite her character being relatively minor.
Still, I was very impressed with the characterization work done in this novel and applaud Bayard his efforts in fleshing out a full cast of characters.
Story/Plot/Pacing
My wife Lynette is a more avid mystery reader than me, so I'm eager to get her perspective on this. But with my level of mystery reading and my enjoyment of 18th and 19th century literature left me thoroughly enjoying the story line and having a lot of fun with the way it played out.
The pacing was slowed down perhaps a little too often by overreaching internal monologue. The pace definitely picks up as you near the end of the story...so much so that the last hundred pages raced by. The speed of the last section of the book was almost too fast when compared with the rest of the novel.
As with any mystery novel, I was playing along with the detective and trying to solve the crime before he did. Bayard appropriately threw out plenty of red herrings and extraneous details to muddle the waters, but he also kept the primary suspects in the forefront and made sure the reader was aware of them. While I had made the appropriate jumps and deduced the criminal before Landor explicitly acknowledged his theories (and was put in imminent danger in their vicinity), I felt a little obtuse for "figuring things out" only slightly before Landor revealed his findings.
And now for the potential SPOILER. I'll try to keep it spoiler free while also voicing my annoyance.
I really enjoy twists and turns in a novel, especially a mystery novel. It's great fun to be proven wrong. However, the degree with which this novel twisted was a little too extreme. Let's just say that in the climatic confrontation with the murderer, my eyes kept drifting to the page number and wondering why there were still 30-40 pages left in the book even though everything was about to wrap up.
I thought that perhaps the author would just become more verbose and would spend 30 pages rambling through the resolutions with minor characters.
I was very wrong. While there was a degree of "resolution" to be had, that wasn't the reason the novel was over. The novel continued so the author could raise the curtain on another aspect to the mystery that hadn't even been hinted throughout the novel. Our expert narrator Landor had obscured from the reader every possible key point that could have allowed a reader to guess at the "true" ending of the book.
I really enjoyed the conclusion and found the capstone to the story to be an intriguing and fun ending. What I didn't like was the feeling that I had been so painstakingly manipulated by the author & narrator. As one of my creative writing professors mentioned when talking about the mystery genre: "The reader wants to feel as smart or smarter than the detective. If the reader feels stupid or duped, s/he won't leave happy." I still left happy...but I left feeling a little cheated.
Overall
I would heartily recommend this book to any fan of a good mystery or of late romantic or gothic era literature from the 18th and 19th centuries. The descriptions and characterizations are exquisitely presented through wonderful use of language. The intrigue and details of the mystery are very entertaining and engrossing and make for an immersive read. My one caution would be to those of a more squeemish nature. The climactic confrontation scene is a bit gruesome. I physically shuddered at one of the descriptions. It wasn't much more gruesome than something from a prime time CSI or Law & Order show, but it was definitely a bit over the top considering the rest of the novel.
Still, if you're a fan of Poe, mysteries, or early American literature, I think you'll enjoy this dark mystery.
****
4 stars
That said, I'm a big fan of a good mystery that really puzzles and gets you pondering. I've also always been a good fan of Poe and the themes and tones in his stories. So, on reading the "back of the book" blurb for "The Pale Blue Eye", I knew I had to read it.
Writing Style
The writing style in this book was phenomenal. Many will claim that it's too wordy and over the top, but I personally felt it was a fairly good homage to early 19th century literature and to the literature of Poe. The language used was well crafted and flowed wonderfully. Even at the moments when the pacing was slow and the text dragged a bit, there were intriguing turns of phrase that gave me a grin.
The flowery verbosity of Poe was humorous at times and felt a little too constructed at moments. This is, after all, an earlier version of the Poe with which we are all familiar and while it's true that much of his style may have remained unchanged, there were bits that left him seeming aged beyond his years. Granted, this was possibly intended since the many trials of Poe's life did create the pensive and morbid Poe responsible for the writings we have today...and who's to say that he wasn't already deeply entrenched in that persona during his time at West Point.
Characterization
As I mentioned, the Poe character felt perhaps a bit too stylized and pat, but generally speaking I found him to be a very full and intriguing character. Distancing him from the historical Poe and just using him as a fictional character, he stands on his own. His main inconsistency seemed to be the struggle between the morbid, brooding Poe and the head-over-heels-in-love Poe. These character traits didn't reconcile well within him and left me a little disconcerted.
Although I do have some complaints about the Landor character, I'll to address later (hopefully without spoiling the ending too much). His character has had a troubled life as well and that angst carries over into his mannerisms and dialogue. I rather enjoyed Landor's character and had a lot of fun being inside his head for most of the novel. I would really enjoy seeing perhaps a spin off series outlining some of his New York cases (although that would put him pre-troubles, so he might not be as interesting)
Many of the other characters were less full but they weren't quite flat. The West Point faculty and cadets that we interact with were each imbued with their own personalities, though sometimes these overlapped more than I would have liked. I often found myself confused between Hitchcock and Thayer, for example. Doctor Marquis and his family were also well crafted but felt a little hollow behind the facade. Patsy was another intriguing character who I felt was actually better crafted than some of the other primary players despite her character being relatively minor.
Still, I was very impressed with the characterization work done in this novel and applaud Bayard his efforts in fleshing out a full cast of characters.
Story/Plot/Pacing
My wife Lynette is a more avid mystery reader than me, so I'm eager to get her perspective on this. But with my level of mystery reading and my enjoyment of 18th and 19th century literature left me thoroughly enjoying the story line and having a lot of fun with the way it played out.
The pacing was slowed down perhaps a little too often by overreaching internal monologue. The pace definitely picks up as you near the end of the story...so much so that the last hundred pages raced by. The speed of the last section of the book was almost too fast when compared with the rest of the novel.
As with any mystery novel, I was playing along with the detective and trying to solve the crime before he did. Bayard appropriately threw out plenty of red herrings and extraneous details to muddle the waters, but he also kept the primary suspects in the forefront and made sure the reader was aware of them. While I had made the appropriate jumps and deduced the criminal before Landor explicitly acknowledged his theories (and was put in imminent danger in their vicinity), I felt a little obtuse for "figuring things out" only slightly before Landor revealed his findings.
And now for the potential SPOILER. I'll try to keep it spoiler free while also voicing my annoyance.
I really enjoy twists and turns in a novel, especially a mystery novel. It's great fun to be proven wrong. However, the degree with which this novel twisted was a little too extreme. Let's just say that in the climatic confrontation with the murderer, my eyes kept drifting to the page number and wondering why there were still 30-40 pages left in the book even though everything was about to wrap up.
I thought that perhaps the author would just become more verbose and would spend 30 pages rambling through the resolutions with minor characters.
I was very wrong. While there was a degree of "resolution" to be had, that wasn't the reason the novel was over. The novel continued so the author could raise the curtain on another aspect to the mystery that hadn't even been hinted throughout the novel. Our expert narrator Landor had obscured from the reader every possible key point that could have allowed a reader to guess at the "true" ending of the book.
I really enjoyed the conclusion and found the capstone to the story to be an intriguing and fun ending. What I didn't like was the feeling that I had been so painstakingly manipulated by the author & narrator. As one of my creative writing professors mentioned when talking about the mystery genre: "The reader wants to feel as smart or smarter than the detective. If the reader feels stupid or duped, s/he won't leave happy." I still left happy...but I left feeling a little cheated.
Overall
I would heartily recommend this book to any fan of a good mystery or of late romantic or gothic era literature from the 18th and 19th centuries. The descriptions and characterizations are exquisitely presented through wonderful use of language. The intrigue and details of the mystery are very entertaining and engrossing and make for an immersive read. My one caution would be to those of a more squeemish nature. The climactic confrontation scene is a bit gruesome. I physically shuddered at one of the descriptions. It wasn't much more gruesome than something from a prime time CSI or Law & Order show, but it was definitely a bit over the top considering the rest of the novel.
Still, if you're a fan of Poe, mysteries, or early American literature, I think you'll enjoy this dark mystery.
****
4 stars
February 14, 2023
It’s kind of ironic that I finished this book today (Valentine’s Day). I won’t be specific, but if you know Edgar Allan Poe, you know he had a fondness for love and…hearts.
So, this is a very interesting novel. I came to it through the film, which I’d stopped watching relatively early on because I sensed that I was missing a considerable amount of the story that probably lay in the novel. I was correct - but I had no idea *how much*. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, read the book first. There’s no way the film version can relate this story appropriately.
I was drawn in because of the gothic premise - a murdered West Point cadet whose heart had been torn out, and the haunted former detective brought in to solve the case. Edgar Allen Poe as a character seemed to be icing on the cake.
The book moved slowly, which I didn’t mind at first - but in retrospect, it was necessary to set up the final act.
Once I hit the climax of the book, things moved rapidly. …and once the climax subsided, there was a significant development which made me like the book that much more.
It’s a tragic novel in multiple ways, and is an enjoyable addition to the fictional myth is of Edgar Allan Poe.
So, this is a very interesting novel. I came to it through the film, which I’d stopped watching relatively early on because I sensed that I was missing a considerable amount of the story that probably lay in the novel. I was correct - but I had no idea *how much*. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, read the book first. There’s no way the film version can relate this story appropriately.
I was drawn in because of the gothic premise - a murdered West Point cadet whose heart had been torn out, and the haunted former detective brought in to solve the case. Edgar Allen Poe as a character seemed to be icing on the cake.
The book moved slowly, which I didn’t mind at first - but in retrospect, it was necessary to set up the final act.
Once I hit the climax of the book, things moved rapidly. …and once the climax subsided, there was a significant development which made me like the book that much more.
It’s a tragic novel in multiple ways, and is an enjoyable addition to the fictional myth is of Edgar Allan Poe.
January 2, 2023
I had this book on my TBR Kindle shelf. I saw the ads for the movie and thought I would take a look at it...and kept reading.
I was in junior high when I discovered a complete works of Edgar Allan Poe on my grandfather's book shelf, a set from his college days in 1926. I borrowed the books so often, he gave them to me! Gothic...horror...19th c writing style...solving a mystery with deductive reasoning...It was a win win win win for me!
The twisty plot included a series of murders at West Point in 1831, involving hearts carved out of the victims. Young cadet EAP impresses the retired police inspector who enlists him as his eyes and ears on the inside. Poe falls in love with the sister of a cadet. The portrayal of the young Poe is quite believable.
Perhaps having read the novel I will better tolerate anything gruesome in the movie, lol. This was a read out of my usual fare and one that I enjoyed.
I was in junior high when I discovered a complete works of Edgar Allan Poe on my grandfather's book shelf, a set from his college days in 1926. I borrowed the books so often, he gave them to me! Gothic...horror...19th c writing style...solving a mystery with deductive reasoning...It was a win win win win for me!
The twisty plot included a series of murders at West Point in 1831, involving hearts carved out of the victims. Young cadet EAP impresses the retired police inspector who enlists him as his eyes and ears on the inside. Poe falls in love with the sister of a cadet. The portrayal of the young Poe is quite believable.
Perhaps having read the novel I will better tolerate anything gruesome in the movie, lol. This was a read out of my usual fare and one that I enjoyed.
October 14, 2017
19th Century West Point
Wonderful characters and creative story that involves cadets gone missing and then found dead with hearts cut out. On the first instance, Mr. Landor, a retired constable who lived close by was recruited by the academy to solve the death -suicide or murder?
"Sylvanus Thayer had just asked me to save the honor of the U.S. Military Academy by once more taking up the work I had sworn off for good..."
Landor asks permission to have inside help and speaks with candidates. Among them, Edgar Poe. "'I believe it is incumbent upon me and the honor of this institution to divulge some of the conclusions which I have reached regarding l'affaire Fry.' He threw back his head as he said it. I remember thinking that anyone who used a phrase like 'l'affaire Fry' should probably throw back his head. Exactly like that."
Poe and Landor make quite the interesting team, conducting investigations in the dark and on the quiet. Poe falls in love with a young woman, sister to one of the individuals under suspicion. Both Poe and Landor discover separately she is subject to the falling disease. Her father is the resident physician for the academy, but is a weak man, subject to whims of his wife, son and daughter.
To say more could spoil the plot.
I learned of this writer from someone's review on Amazon of a Stephen Gallagher book, a writer I enjoy.
Wonderful characters and creative story that involves cadets gone missing and then found dead with hearts cut out. On the first instance, Mr. Landor, a retired constable who lived close by was recruited by the academy to solve the death -suicide or murder?
"Sylvanus Thayer had just asked me to save the honor of the U.S. Military Academy by once more taking up the work I had sworn off for good..."
Landor asks permission to have inside help and speaks with candidates. Among them, Edgar Poe. "'I believe it is incumbent upon me and the honor of this institution to divulge some of the conclusions which I have reached regarding l'affaire Fry.' He threw back his head as he said it. I remember thinking that anyone who used a phrase like 'l'affaire Fry' should probably throw back his head. Exactly like that."
Poe and Landor make quite the interesting team, conducting investigations in the dark and on the quiet. Poe falls in love with a young woman, sister to one of the individuals under suspicion. Both Poe and Landor discover separately she is subject to the falling disease. Her father is the resident physician for the academy, but is a weak man, subject to whims of his wife, son and daughter.
To say more could spoil the plot.
I learned of this writer from someone's review on Amazon of a Stephen Gallagher book, a writer I enjoy.
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