Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Our June Short Story is The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1839, 36 pages in length.

I´m not sure what to think of this. I have this feeling that I just didn´t get it. I really liked the Tell Tale Heart and I really could feel the horror in it but with this one I couldn´t get into it.

Desertorum wrote: "I´m not sure what to think of this. I have this feeling that I just didn´t get it. I really liked the Tell Tale Heart and I really could feel the horror in it but with this one I couldn´t get into it."

I can't agree more. When compared to The Tell-Tale Heart or even The Murders in the Rue Morgue this one fell short. Thankfully its so short that I do plan on rereading it this month but I doubt I'll think much different about it.

I've never read The Tell-Tale Heart or The Murders in the Rue Morgue (I plan to though) but I did read The Fall of the House of Usher for our June read and I also feel the same as you Desertorum and Bob. It wasn't what I would call "scary" and I kind of figured out what was going to happen in the end. I was sort of disappointed. :(

Oh I'm glad it wasn't just me! I wasn't very keen on this at all, it definitely fell flat for me and is my least favourite Poe so far, although I haven't been enamoured by anything I've read of his. I think Poe just isn't for me.

Pink wrote: "Oh I'm glad it wasn't just me! I wasn't very keen on this at all, it definitely fell flat for me and is my least favourite Poe so far, although I haven't been enamoured by anything I've read of his..."

Oh my! Really Pink? Not even any of his other works?

I read this about a month ago and really didn't like it or get it. I was concerned that I was the only one but obviously I'm not. I may be willing to give it another try someday but, for right now, it's on to more entertaining and interesting reads. ;-)

I LOVE Poe, but admit, this is not one of my favorites by him. I didn't really understand it when I was younger and it still is kind of out there for me now. Not one of his better works, at least from my interpretation of it.

Oh I´m not the only one! I was little hesitant to write the first comment because this was so different experience from the the Tell-Tale Heart and also Rue Morgue (which was also entertaining!). I was looking forward to this, because it was mentioned in the The Martian Chronicles and it was (in my opinion) one of the best short stories in it.

Loretta, no I haven't been impressed by anything I've read of his, although I did quite like The Tell Tale Heart. I wasn't fussed about The Raven, The Murders in the Rue Morgue or The Pit and the Pendulum. I think I've read a couple of other very short things, but I can't remember what. I don't think I'm going to try anything else by him.

Pink wrote: "Loretta, no I haven't been impressed by anything I've read of his, although I did quite like The Tell Tale Heart. I wasn't fussed about The Raven, The Murders in the Rue Morgue or The Pit and the P..."

Thanks Pink for your thoughts on this. I feel I should read something else by him, someday, to see if another story is better, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

So people who do like Poe, which are your favourite stories? I feel like The Tell Tale Heart has been the best of the bunch, but I can see the appeal of some of the others. I find the plots are generally good, but the writing not so much to my taste and so overall I'm left disappointed.

I'll be the weird one here and say I really enjoyed this one. I liked the descriptions of over-sensitivity and the way the house became the people who became the house.

The limited Poe stories I've read have all been very different. The best overall for me has been The Murders in the Rue Morgue, a great detective story. In general, I love Poe's narrators, if you read them real slow and hear Vincent Price's voice in your head. :-)

Stephanie wrote: "Not one of my favorites by Poe either. Listening to it for the reread now. Maybe will like better in audio format!"

I read this last month and as I indicated above this story did not measure up to my expectation of Poe's work. My plan was to reread it this month, but I think you have a point about audio. I think I will try that and see if it makes a difference.

Thanks

I seem to be in the minority here.
I wasn't all that enamored of The Murders in the Rue Morgue, but I have always loved The Fall of the House of Usher. I have read it a number of times.
I enjoyed The Tell-Tale Heart too and have read it a couple of times now.

(And don't get me started on The Pit and the Pendulum. The historian in me cringed all the way through and then flat out scowled at the ending.)

I am in agreement- not my favorite of his. My favorites include The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Raven.

Kathleen wrote: "I'll be the weird one here and say I really enjoyed this one. I liked the descriptions of over-sensitivity and the way the house became the people who became the house.

The limited Poe stories I'v..."

I join in on the weird side :)

I enjoyed The Fall of the House of Usher a lot, and reread it for this group read. One of the things I like the most about this story is the description of the house, as well as the general eerie setting. Also, the creepy first and the even creepier second appearance of Lady Madeline, the mysterious behavior of Roderick, the inexplicable curse on the house and the family, the story within the story told during the stormy night with all the uncanny events... It's an awesome short story in my opinion!

I've never read The Murders in the Rue Morgue though, but would like to do so soon.

Pink wrote: So people who do like Poe, which are your favourite stories?

The Black Cat is my favorite short story, and The Raven is my all-time favorite poem!

Very well put, Jackie. Yes, those were just the things I enjoyed. Great review too (all of them!).

Can't say i thought much of this, it is dripping with atmosphere. However the atmosphere it creates is not so much one of horror as it is of lethargy and boredom.

I'm not a big Poe fan but 'Masque of the Red Death' and the 'Raven' are probably my favorites.

Kathleen wrote: "Very well put, Jackie. Yes, those were just the things I enjoyed. Great review too (all of them!)."

Thanks a lot, Kathleen!

It's a strange story. I read it and then Spark notes. I never caught the incest before. That explains the odd maladies. It's odd that Roderick and the narrator were childhood friends and he never mentioned that he had a twin. It doesn't matter that he was quiet and secretive. That's pretty major. People will tell you if they have a twin.

AnneGordon wrote: "I don't know who nominated this originally but I'm so grateful to him/her. From the get-go it's dripping in atmosphere and a feeling of a malign otherness. It's terrific."

It was me. I wanted to read it after the reference to it in The Martian Chronicles. I just finished it and thought it was wonderful. The symbolism and foreshadowing are really well done, in my opinion. We begin by learning that the house has eye-shaped windows and then later learn that it might be sentient. Then there's the crack in the facade that later tears the house apart. And who even is Madeline? Is she real? She certainly doesn't interact with the narrator at all or even show signs of noticing him.
This was my first Poe to read, so I have nothing to compare it to. I really enjoyed it and am glad you are, too.

It's very good. Poe was a master of description. It never occurred to me that Madeline might be imaginary. Insanity ruled the house of Usher so it's quite possible. The narrator becomes increasingly insane before he leaves. I think leaving the house broke the insanity for the narrator and finished the insanity of an entire family who existed because of incest.

I learned from sparknotes that the Ushers were basically from multigenerational incest. I have a hard time highlighting and copying with my iPad but it's all in this long paragraph. It explains the insanity and physical sickness and the dark and the stifling evil and heavy atmosphere of the house. The paragraph:

Although, as boys, we had been even intimate associates, yet I really knew little of my friend. His reserve had been always excessive and habitual. I was aware, however, that his very ancient family had been noted, time out of mind, for a peculiar sensibility of temperament, displaying itself, through long ages, in many works of exalted art, and manifested, of late, in repeated deeds of munificent yet unobtrusive charity, as well as in a passionate devotion to the intricacies, perhaps even more than to the orthodox and easily recognisable beauties of musical science. I had learned, too, the very remarkable fact, that the stem of the Usher race, all time-honoured as it was, had put forth, at no period, any enduring branch; in other words, that the entire family lay in the direct line of descent, and had always, with very trifling and very temporary variation, so lain. It was this deficiency, I considered, while running over in thought the perfect keeping of the character of the premises with the accredited character of the people, and while speculating upon the possible influence which the one, in the long lapse of centuries, might have exercised upon the other--it was this deficiency, perhaps, of collateral issue, and the consequent undeviating transmission, from sire to son, of the patrimony with the name, which had, at length, so identified the two as to merge the original title of the estate in the quaint and equivocal appellation of the "House of Usher"--an appellation which seemed to include, in the minds of the peasantry who used it, both the family and the family mansion.

He's not technically insane but the house and people in it drove him temporarily crazy. It would be a horrible place to go, let alone stay in for any amount of time.

I saw a movie of this story with Vincent Price. It wasn't much like the book.

I've read this one long ago but remember it very well; the descriptions and atmosphere are what impressed me. Agree with Anne, "the feeling" comes across very strongly.

Also liked Masque of the Red Death, mentioned by Wreade; but hated everything detective by Poe, overpretentious, I thought.

The Masque of the Red Death is my favorite. I've never read his detective books but I've heard that he was the first to tackle that genre. I like his poem about the bells. I don't think it's well known but I really like it.

Sherry wrote: "The Masque of the Red Death is my favorite. I've never read his detective books but I've heard that he was the first to tackle that genre. I like his poem about the bells. I don't think it's well k..."

His detective stuff is pretty short and unspectacular in my opinion.

Sidenote: there's actually an episode of startrek voyager which is an adaptation of 'Masque of the Red Death' its called The Thaw

The picture from The Thaw doesn't look familiar. I thought I'd seen them all. I'll look it up!

I re-read this for the group read last night. I've read this a few times and it is probably one of my favorite of the Poe stories I've read.

I first read this in high-school because I wanted to read Usher's Passing by Robert R. McCammon. Usher's Passing makes an alternate ending for The Fall of the House of Usher and creates kind of a sequel. At that time, I'm pretty sure I had only read the Tell Tale Heart.

As for Poe in general, I've only read the majors - The Tell Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Masque of the Red Death, and of course the Fall of the House of Usher. I've enjoyed them all but for some reason, the Fall of the House of Usher has always held an elevated place above the others.

I do think you have to enjoy the build of atmosphere as well as some open settings because he often left a lot for you to fill in on your own. I've read that he wasn't comfortable with endings and that may be why.

Chris wrote: "I re-read this for the group read last night. I've read this a few times and it is probably one of my favorite of the Poe stories I've read.

I first read this in high-school because I wanted to re..."

Thanks for your insight on this Chris!

He was good with endings though. Some of his endings made you sit up! Lol!

Sherry wrote: "He was good with endings though. Some of his endings made you sit up! Lol!"

That's true!

He was very gifted.

AnneGordon wrote: "I was struck by his description of Roderick painting..'If ever a mortal painted an idea that mortal was Roderick Usher.' He talks about Roderick's paintings growing into vagueness, It resonates bec..."

You make such a great point that Poe does that with words. I also enjoyed how he used words that were actually spooky sounding in themselves, like this example:

“which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn—a pestilent and mystic vapor, dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leaden-hued.”

I have now read this twice and listened to an audio version. I agree the writing is flowery and even poetic in an extremely wordy way. The second and third times through the story has given me a better understanding and cleared up some of my early confusion. However even after three readings I can't embrace this story and I don't get its fame, other than being written by Poe. It's still, for me, well below what I have come to expect from a Poe story.

Bob wrote: "I have now read this twice and listened to an audio version. I agree the writing is flowery and even poetic in an extremely wordy way. The second and third times through the story has given me a be..."

You have definitely give it a chance! I think that is all you can do really :)

Incest shouldn't bother Poe. He married his 16 yr old first cousin. It was such a strange era. It's well written and creepy but I don't understand why incest bothers one who married his very young cousin.

I just looked it up...she wasn't 16. She was 13 and he was 27. Ewee! I know it was a different era but 13 and his cousin...yuck.

Sherry wrote: "Incest shouldn't bother Poe. He married his 16 yr old first cousin. It was such a strange era. It's well written and creepy but I don't understand why incest bothers one who married his very young ..."

Incest between siblings is a great deal different than incest between cousins.

Melanti wrote: "Incest between siblings is a great deal different than incest between cousins.."

37.5% difference to be precise :) .

https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/e...

It's not the same but it's still not right. It's still incest but people married cousins back then.

Wreade1872 wrote: "Melanti wrote: "Incest between siblings is a great deal different than incest between cousins.."

37.5% difference to be precise :) .

https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/e......"

That's too much shared DNA. The twins in the book shared 100 percent. It's well written story any way.

In Poe's time, marriage with a cousin would not have been looked upon as incest...but a brother/sister would have been absolutely forbidden. Poe and his wife were said to be very much alike, and this experience might have been a reason why he was obsessed with overly-close relationships.

I love AnneGordon's earlier comments. I agree that it is the incest that makes it both horrible and seals the fate of the house to nothing but decay and corruption. I was interested in the connection he makes between art and madness. I wonder if he feared madness himself.

It could be. He wrote about other fears. One any way. He was afraid of being buried alive.

Sherry wrote: "It could be. He wrote about other fears. One any way. He was afraid of being buried alive."

Yes! I do think he is one of those writers that put a lot of personal information in the books, as if he were trying to purge himself or deal with a burden too heavy to carry alone.

I think that's why he was so good. He wasn't inhibited. He just gave it all.

Pink wrote: "So people who do like Poe, which are your favourite stories? I feel like The Tell Tale Heart has been the best of the bunch, but I can see the appeal of some of the others. I find the plots are gen..." I found "...Usher" very strange as well. You might like "The Black Cat", it's probably my favourite of the few I've read! :)

I found "...Usher" strange but also very intriguing as well. I think the writing was gripping especially at the end, and the descriptions were convincing too such as of the house and of Usher's features as he became more ghost-like. The writing is quite flowery, but I like this because I feel as though it gives Poe's writing an authentic quality, being written in the nineteenth century n' all. Of the Poe stories I've read "The Black Cat" has been my favourite! :) Oh, and on Poe, I would recommend checking out Christopher Lee reading "The Raven" on YouTube - it's incredible! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Befli...