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Poe & Fanny
In 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, published his acclaimed poem "The Raven," became the overnight darling of New York literary society, and fell in love with a beautiful—and equally famous—poet. It was the year that ruined him forever.
John May's perfectly imagined novel brings New York's giddy pre-Civil War social scene into brilliant focus as it unfolds the spellbinding story of a doomed man and the great love that sealed his fate. By the end of what should have been his crowning year, Edgar Poe was reviled by the same capricious circles that had gathered adoringly at his feet to hear him recite "The Raven" again and again. Swept up in the fervor, Frances Sargent Osgood, then separated from her husband, arranged an introduction to Poe to offer her fealty and her friendship. But what eventually transpired between them was far more than two poets' mutual admiration. Over the course of their brief liaison, the two lovers wrote and published (under pseudonyms) many not-so-veiled love poems, and soon enough, New York's literati were abuzz with their affair.
While Poe dallied, his dying wife, Sissy, and her mother were humiliated. And while he despaired, drinking himself into oblivion, Poe's dream of editing his own magazine in New York died on the vine. At the turn of the year, the Poes left New York in disgrace. Deeply in debt and spurned by former fawning admirers, including Horace Greeley, N.P. Willis, William Cullen Bryant, Richard Henry Dana, and Maria Child, American's most renowned writer was a broken man. He had wrecked two women's lives. Even so, both Fanny and Sissy loved him unremittingly to the bitter end. Poe died at the age of forty, alone and having never fathered a child. Or had he?
Told with special empathy for Fanny's warm, impulsive generosity as it shimmered alongside Poe's dark genius, Poe & Fanny follows the lovers' story to its logical Fanny Osgood's third child was Edgar Allan Poe's.
John May brings to life the drama of these lives acted out against the backdrop of nineteenth century New York's vibrant literary world.
John May's perfectly imagined novel brings New York's giddy pre-Civil War social scene into brilliant focus as it unfolds the spellbinding story of a doomed man and the great love that sealed his fate. By the end of what should have been his crowning year, Edgar Poe was reviled by the same capricious circles that had gathered adoringly at his feet to hear him recite "The Raven" again and again. Swept up in the fervor, Frances Sargent Osgood, then separated from her husband, arranged an introduction to Poe to offer her fealty and her friendship. But what eventually transpired between them was far more than two poets' mutual admiration. Over the course of their brief liaison, the two lovers wrote and published (under pseudonyms) many not-so-veiled love poems, and soon enough, New York's literati were abuzz with their affair.
While Poe dallied, his dying wife, Sissy, and her mother were humiliated. And while he despaired, drinking himself into oblivion, Poe's dream of editing his own magazine in New York died on the vine. At the turn of the year, the Poes left New York in disgrace. Deeply in debt and spurned by former fawning admirers, including Horace Greeley, N.P. Willis, William Cullen Bryant, Richard Henry Dana, and Maria Child, American's most renowned writer was a broken man. He had wrecked two women's lives. Even so, both Fanny and Sissy loved him unremittingly to the bitter end. Poe died at the age of forty, alone and having never fathered a child. Or had he?
Told with special empathy for Fanny's warm, impulsive generosity as it shimmered alongside Poe's dark genius, Poe & Fanny follows the lovers' story to its logical Fanny Osgood's third child was Edgar Allan Poe's.
John May brings to life the drama of these lives acted out against the backdrop of nineteenth century New York's vibrant literary world.
323 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
5 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
John May
1 book2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 21, 2011
Finally a book about Poe!!! I love EAP but didn't know much about his life. Granted, I could have probably just read up on his life, but reading it via novel is much more enjoyable. Reading about people's lives through works of fiction makes them seem more real to me, which is why I loved this book. May makes EAP human, not just the genius who wrote The Raven. EAP has flaws, desires and weaknesses and, more importantly, a love interest. I think May does a good job on honing in who EAP was as a man - his personality, his quirks, his interaction with other humans beings. And even if the sordid affair between Osgood and Poe didn't happen, or was "assumed" it doesn't really matter because it's a work of fiction, so May can embellish a bit. A definite read for those who love EAP!
April 29, 2018
For being historical fiction, I definitely learned something new. Very well done and sad that one of the great American writers suffered so much. I feel that is very par for the course and it is only after we die that our worth is recognized.
August 13, 2012
Loved this tale of Poe at the time he wrote "The Raven"
August 30, 2010
What bothered me most about this book is its utter lack of historical accuracy. No serious Poe scholar believes the "affair" May describes actually happened, much less that Poe fathered Osgood's youngest child. (Poe historian Michael Deas described the notion simply as "ludicrous.") Osgood's leading modern biographer, Mary De Jong, has stated that there is no evidence that Osgood and her husband were ever even estranged, or that either spouse was ever unfaithful. May has simply invented a complete fantasy, complete with characters that never actually existed (such as this fictitious "brother" of Osgood's,) and relationships that also never actually existed (for instance, Poe and Willis were not nearly as close as this novel indicates--in fact, Willis himself stated that he and Poe never socialized, and in December 1846 wrote that he had had no contact with Poe for two years.) There is no valid evidence that Poe and Osgood were ever in love--and plenty of very valid evidence to show they both deeply loved their respective spouses.
Virtually everything in this book is based solely on May's rather odd fantasies, not the known facts. He has invented a completely imaginary story, with the names of real people merely tacked on to it to make the novel more commercial. It's rather appalling to think of people who know nothing about Poe reading this book and assuming it's based on his actual biography. And to top it all off, it's a terrible novel. It is poorly written, full of trite cliches, loaded with lame and unbelievable characterizations, and awash in silly dialogue.
Real Poe fans will want to avoid this one at all costs.
Virtually everything in this book is based solely on May's rather odd fantasies, not the known facts. He has invented a completely imaginary story, with the names of real people merely tacked on to it to make the novel more commercial. It's rather appalling to think of people who know nothing about Poe reading this book and assuming it's based on his actual biography. And to top it all off, it's a terrible novel. It is poorly written, full of trite cliches, loaded with lame and unbelievable characterizations, and awash in silly dialogue.
Real Poe fans will want to avoid this one at all costs.
January 8, 2018
I loved this book! I thought it would be a slow read, but it was so easy to get drawn in. I’ve read several books about Poe, and this one was a pleasant surprise. Descriptive and sumptuous, it draws the reader in without knowing that’s what’s happened. Even if you want to put it down, you can’t.
February 17, 2018
This book took me almost a month to read because it was so utterly horrible. I'm actually angry that I took the time to read this garbage— it read like fanfiction instead of historical fiction. The author is seemingly oblivious when it comes to writing about Poe. Or love. Or anything at all.
August 6, 2008
I did not have too high of expectations for this book. However I couldn't put it down. Who knew that Poe was such a lady's man. I felt truly sorry for his wife.
July 5, 2012
Well researched and well written. While reading, it was easy to forget it was fiction, the characters and period and situations all rang so true.
May 24, 2020
Some reviewers claim author John May's portrayal of the relationship between Edgar Allen Poe and the poetess Frances Sargent Osgood during Poe's residence in New York in the mid-1800s is not historically accurate.
Had the author set out to write a biography or a verified factual account of Poe’s life, the lack of authenticity might be a serious matter. However, "Poe And Fanny" was written as a novel, which by definition is a product of the author’s imagination, and as such, author John May has written a highly absorbing and well-written account of what might have transpired between these two highly gifted artists in 1845, during a very dark period in Poe’s life.
The poetry speaks for itself, and the author has included many selections from both poets’ work throughout the story, which gives readers the opportunity to decide for themselves the true nature of the relationship. The secret language between the two lovers, as revealed in their poems, suggests to me there was more to their relationship than just a friendship or a casual flirtation. Given Poe’s tempestuous nature, and Fanny’s sensuality, it seems highly likely this pair would have “consummated” their relationship, in literature as in life.
Historically accurate or not, the author’s brilliant descriptions of mid-nineteenth century New York---pre-automobile and pre-skyscraper---when much of Manhattan was still forest and farmland, draws one into the story immediately and brings an air of authenticity to the story. Likewise, the nineteenth century public’s interest in poetry, theater, literature, and the arts, as described in the novel, are a reminder of what city life was like before the advent of television and and motion pictures.
Finally, the author’s characterizations of Poe, Fanny, Sissy, and Muddy are suberb. Poe’s alcoholism, Fanny’s sensuality, Sissy’s heartbreaking innocense, and Muddy’s devotion to her daughter, are all clearly drawn through their actions.
Had the author set out to write a biography or a verified factual account of Poe’s life, the lack of authenticity might be a serious matter. However, "Poe And Fanny" was written as a novel, which by definition is a product of the author’s imagination, and as such, author John May has written a highly absorbing and well-written account of what might have transpired between these two highly gifted artists in 1845, during a very dark period in Poe’s life.
The poetry speaks for itself, and the author has included many selections from both poets’ work throughout the story, which gives readers the opportunity to decide for themselves the true nature of the relationship. The secret language between the two lovers, as revealed in their poems, suggests to me there was more to their relationship than just a friendship or a casual flirtation. Given Poe’s tempestuous nature, and Fanny’s sensuality, it seems highly likely this pair would have “consummated” their relationship, in literature as in life.
Historically accurate or not, the author’s brilliant descriptions of mid-nineteenth century New York---pre-automobile and pre-skyscraper---when much of Manhattan was still forest and farmland, draws one into the story immediately and brings an air of authenticity to the story. Likewise, the nineteenth century public’s interest in poetry, theater, literature, and the arts, as described in the novel, are a reminder of what city life was like before the advent of television and and motion pictures.
Finally, the author’s characterizations of Poe, Fanny, Sissy, and Muddy are suberb. Poe’s alcoholism, Fanny’s sensuality, Sissy’s heartbreaking innocense, and Muddy’s devotion to her daughter, are all clearly drawn through their actions.
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February 19, 2020D.G. Martin recommended this one as one of his all-time favorites. ... Hmmm....
I am interested in some thoughts Mr. May has attributed to Fanny. She tells Poe that the cushy lives of other poets "'sap their vitality. So they are jealous of you.'" I like the idea, but of course she means "envious," not "jealous." Such little mistakes trip me up and interrupt the flow of the reading.
Then she says, "'I've cheated myself, ... I've done nothing but compromise all my life.'" Truly an interesting thought and probably very common for so many people's lives.
When Poe moves his family back out to the country: "They had no tip for [the mover] -- they were down to cheeseparings and candle ends."
I am interested in some thoughts Mr. May has attributed to Fanny. She tells Poe that the cushy lives of other poets "'sap their vitality. So they are jealous of you.'" I like the idea, but of course she means "envious," not "jealous." Such little mistakes trip me up and interrupt the flow of the reading.
Then she says, "'I've cheated myself, ... I've done nothing but compromise all my life.'" Truly an interesting thought and probably very common for so many people's lives.
When Poe moves his family back out to the country: "They had no tip for [the mover] -- they were down to cheeseparings and candle ends."
January 19, 2020
An interesting view of the personal heel Poe lived with. A dying wife, a lover who was a prolific writer herself, only to stay with Poe for a relatively short time, but affecting his own writing tremendously.
October 2, 2021
I found it entertaining. Well worth the read.
November 18, 2021
DNF. I just don’t think that I can read adult books anymore. 2 stars because it’s my boy EAP but other than that I just could not get into it.
December 8, 2025
You know a book is good when you're sad that it's over. I found a recommendation on Goodreads and had to get it. 📚
In fact, this was one of the better historical fiction books about Edgar Allan Poe I've read. Honestly, as much as I liked "Coffee With Poe" by Andrew Bargen, I liked this a bit more.
John May brings to life the personality of Fanny Osgood, as well as Muddy, Sissy, and Willis. The story is told in Fanny, Muddy, Eddy, & Willis' perspectives. 🖊
Kind of annoyed at some of the Goodreads reviews though. This is literally the third or fourth Poe book I've read that suggests Fanny Fay was Poe's child. IF the three of these authors based their books on letters and timelines, there is a gap in time that makes the probability of Fanny Fay belonging to Poe pretty high. It's not like birth control existed then. Of the Poe books I've read, Fanny's husband, Sam Osgood, is not in the picture during that time period. In other works, it's been suggested Poe's Ulalume was actually written for Fanny Fay- Fanny Osgood's child conceived during the absence of Sam Osgood.
It is also discussed in other literature that Sam Osgood painted the unfinished portrait of Poe, later owned by both Fanny Osgood and Rufus Griswold. 🎨
John May did an awesome job at painting a portrait of 19th century, pre-Civil War, pre-women's suffrage literary society. (LOL at "bonnets.") I WISH film makers would make a movie out of THIS novel. 🎬
A few other tidbits I didn't know:
-Poe earned just a total of $600 over his LIFETIME for his work. Ain't that a shitter! If an unpublished manuscript belonging to Poe were found today, Sotheby's estimates it would sell for one million dollars (in 2004 money.) 💰
-N.P. Willis went on to own a magazine called "The Home Journal"- which still exists today under the name "Town & Country Magazine." I was only able to find ONE of his published books online, which appears to be scanned in by a university of the original 1840 print. 📖 (Preserved by the University of California.)
-In contrast, Poe's magazine, The Broadway Journal, went under. There is a digital version online by LSU, which is amazing. Even though The Broadway Journal ended, most of Poe's work still survives. 💀
Loved it, highly recommend for my friends that enjoy Edgar Allan Poe mysteries or just reading in general.
NP Willis' Romance of Travel- https://archive.org/details/romancetr...
The Broadway Journal archives- https://broadway.dsl.lsu.edu/#/
In fact, this was one of the better historical fiction books about Edgar Allan Poe I've read. Honestly, as much as I liked "Coffee With Poe" by Andrew Bargen, I liked this a bit more.
John May brings to life the personality of Fanny Osgood, as well as Muddy, Sissy, and Willis. The story is told in Fanny, Muddy, Eddy, & Willis' perspectives. 🖊
Kind of annoyed at some of the Goodreads reviews though. This is literally the third or fourth Poe book I've read that suggests Fanny Fay was Poe's child. IF the three of these authors based their books on letters and timelines, there is a gap in time that makes the probability of Fanny Fay belonging to Poe pretty high. It's not like birth control existed then. Of the Poe books I've read, Fanny's husband, Sam Osgood, is not in the picture during that time period. In other works, it's been suggested Poe's Ulalume was actually written for Fanny Fay- Fanny Osgood's child conceived during the absence of Sam Osgood.
It is also discussed in other literature that Sam Osgood painted the unfinished portrait of Poe, later owned by both Fanny Osgood and Rufus Griswold. 🎨
John May did an awesome job at painting a portrait of 19th century, pre-Civil War, pre-women's suffrage literary society. (LOL at "bonnets.") I WISH film makers would make a movie out of THIS novel. 🎬
A few other tidbits I didn't know:
-Poe earned just a total of $600 over his LIFETIME for his work. Ain't that a shitter! If an unpublished manuscript belonging to Poe were found today, Sotheby's estimates it would sell for one million dollars (in 2004 money.) 💰
-N.P. Willis went on to own a magazine called "The Home Journal"- which still exists today under the name "Town & Country Magazine." I was only able to find ONE of his published books online, which appears to be scanned in by a university of the original 1840 print. 📖 (Preserved by the University of California.)
-In contrast, Poe's magazine, The Broadway Journal, went under. There is a digital version online by LSU, which is amazing. Even though The Broadway Journal ended, most of Poe's work still survives. 💀
Loved it, highly recommend for my friends that enjoy Edgar Allan Poe mysteries or just reading in general.
NP Willis' Romance of Travel- https://archive.org/details/romancetr...
The Broadway Journal archives- https://broadway.dsl.lsu.edu/#/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2015
This is the fictionalized account of Edgar Allan Poe's affair with Frances Sargent Osgood. Interwoven are excerpts from each of their poems and columns from various magazines of the time. Though he is now recognized as one of America's best writers, Poe had a bitter life and died in debt and disgrace. Knowing a bit of his history one should not expect things to end well even in a fictional account; however, I was disappointed that none of the characters elicited much of my sympathy. While I could see how tragic some of their lives were given their circumstances I was unable to like or care for any of them. The story was not compelling and did not draw me in. I am sure there are those who would enjoy this novel, and I certainly don't mean to discourage anyone from reading it. This is merely my explanation for why I say it was only OK giving it a rating of two stars.
January 28, 2009
Although I'm not quite sure how accurate the relationship between these two poets is, I especially enjoyed being swept into the world of the "ten-percenters," historic NYC's upper eschelon. Poe--as both a writer and a man--is fascinating, complex. The other main character, a woman poet, is also extraordinary. Note: the research must have delved deep since the writer includes actual poems he unearthed written by Fanny Osgood.
January 23, 2011
Interesting fictionalized take on Poe's hard-scrabble life, and his (probable) illicit romance with a fellow poet. I especially enjoyed the author's folding in actual poems, and the timing of their publication, into the plot of the story. Interesting factoid from the afterword: Poe earned ~$600 from his writing in his entire lifetime. If a new manuscript were to surface today, it would be worth millions...
May 13, 2011
I loved this book!! It's about Edgar Allen Poe and includes details about his life and loves and the life of the middle 19th century america...I don't want to say too much so I won't spoil it. But, if you are interested at all in Edgar Allen Poe then this is a book for you!!! I was kinda sad it ended so soon, but then again it's a nice price to pay for being such a great book!!
April 4, 2008
I actually didn't finish this book. Read this for by work book club, and it wasn't very good. I had hopes for this one, but was disappointed. The descriptions of 19th-century New York were excellent, but the rest of it was laborious and bland.
April 6, 2011
Fictionalized account of a real-life relationship between E.A. Poe and Fanny Osgood--a poet in the 19c. It gave insight into his life, which I enjoyed. But it doesn't end well--how could it with Poe as a central character?
April 4, 2016
I never knew about Poe's alleged affair or of the other literary connections to his world. Reading was slow; I put it down several times. For historical fiction, I expected more emotion. The ending left me unsatisfied as it was abrupt after the climax.
October 21, 2009
I have always loved Poe's work and wanted a taste of his life. His life was sad and bitter being tied to alcoholism and unfulfilled plans. I didn't love the writing, found it stiff.
June 22, 2012
Very interesting insight into an author who I knew almost nothing about. Intriguing how some of the greatest talents of all time were so unable to function outside of their craft.
November 30, 2013
He's got it in for Poe. Very disappointing.
January 29, 2016
Enjoyable study of Poe and his coterie. Lots of interesting background details.
October 18, 2016
MsW: I love a well written historical fiction tale, and have always been fascinated by Poe's stories and bio...but this one was really slow, so sorry to say, had to put it down 50 or so pages in...
June 25, 2016
I loved the way this book was written. Interesting to read into the lives of other people. Sad the way some things turned out, but love Edgar Allen Poe as an author.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews