This is a fine collection not only of samples of Poe’s work in many genres but also of critical essays about him. While is it impossible to comment on everything contained in this volume, a few things are worth noting.Some of his poems - one thinks of “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” and “The Bells” - are so familiar and have been so parodied that one forgets how other-worldly and mesmerizing they are, how full of pathos, how autobiographical, in fact, how wonderful they are when read slowly and thoughtfully.Of the many tales contained herein, here are some that particularly struck my fancy: “The Oval Portrait” raises the conceit that for a work of art to truly come alive, the draining of life from the already living is required. “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a story of murder and revenge, and madness, too. Poe exquisitely crafts a picture of deepening guilt and madness reminding one of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. “The Black Cat” is another tale of murder and revenge, again dealing with a conscience that will not be stilled. “The Cask of Amontillado” is a classic, first read in high school English class and never outdated or surpassed. “William Wilson” - Using a doppelgänger façade, Poe masterfully explores conscience, the struggle of id and superego, producing a haunting and thought-provoking tale intense and gripping. “The Pit and the Pendulum” is another very familiar story, one of unrelenting terror; Poe uses language, especially broken phrases, to portray hysteria and unremitting tension, sustaining the mood for many pages. “The Purloined Letter” is a detective story, based on the psychology of the criminal as would be expected with Poe, reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle, complete with an explanation of the solution to the interested listener.Poe is an often under-appreciated artist, too often saddled with an undeserved reputation for alcoholism and sexual perversion that recent scholarship has seriously questioned, a master of imagination and craft, fully worthy to be read and revered.
An analysis on the house of Usher:In Poe’s short story, special emphasis is drawn to the house that the Ushers live in. In this story, there are two ways of looking at the house; the first way would be to acknowledge the house as a sentient being that shares the life-force of the inhabitants of the house. Throughout the short-story, the house mirrors the condition of its inhabitants – Roderick and Madeline Usher. The house is dilapidated and on the verge of collapse, much like the inhabitants of the house who become afflicted with a serious physical condition (in the case of Madeline Usher) and a psychological impairment (as is in the case of Roderick Usher). The house, despite its state of disrepair sustains itself up until Madeline attacks Roderick, upon which the house collapses. Once the lives of the two Ushers are extinguished the house in turn looses its life-force and crumbles.The second way of looking at the house would be as a metaphor. This time the word 'house' means lineage, and owing to the ruinous nature of the house, and the Usher household not having any enduring branches, we can conclude that the Ushers have been passing down their genes incestuously from generation to generation – when at last only the twins Roderick and Madeline Usher remain. By now a considerable amount of harm has already affected the Usher genome, and its final inhabitants display the two major symptoms of inbreeding – physical and mental impairment. The final blow to the Usher ancestry however, occurs when Madeline attacks her brother. This final act of hostility symbolizes a union between the siblings, a final union that instantly leads to the destruction of the "house" and thereby the dynasty of the ushers. One can only speculate that the story is in a way an allusion to Poe and his greatest fears – after all Poe did marry his cousin.
What do You think about The Portable Poe (1977)?
Like the handyman in my apartment building once said about our water, "Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's not." That's a good way to describe Poe ranging from the awesome to the unreadable.Noticed: Every time a beautiful woman is introduced, you wonder, "How many pages till she's wasted away/dead?" The answer is usually two.Liked: Good descriptions ("I was never made aware of her entrance into my closed study save by the dear music of her low sweet voice, as she placed her marble hand upon my shoulder.") The stories, The System Of Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether, The Black Cat, The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, Hop-Frog, The Pit And The Pendulum and Eleonora.Didn't like: His short stories that begin with overstuffed preambles. His "Why use one word to describe it when you can use 20?" approach. Even he gets impatient with himself sometimes ("Let me hurry to a conclusion").
—Adam
Read selections from this for my coursera SF/F class. And... it's made me like Poe even less, somehow. I just found his prose completely stultifying -- possibly partly because I've read most of these stories before (if not all), partly because of the period it was written, and part of it must be something to do with Poe's style specifically, because I don't find all work of that era equally boring.Whatever, I'm glad to have read Poe so I have that background knowledge, but emphasis on have read, past tense. I can't see myself voluntarily reading more of his work.
—Nikki
This is a collection of work by Edgar Allan Poe, including letters, stories, poems, criticism and opinions. I must confess that I found it hard going. Poe isn't an easy writer to read. Some of his poems are pretty difficult, and even some of his prose fiction was a slog, without even the denseness of poetry that I find personally difficult. There is a recurring theme of death and loss which grows wearing after a while and when you do encounter something with no mention of it, it's a breath of fresh air.Poe was possibly the first writer to write a detective story, with his creation C. Auguste Dupin, all three of whose stories are here, and from whom the descent to Holmes and beyond is clear. In saying that, the Dupin stories themselves aren't hugely gripping and are more interesting to see the form of the detective story developing than anything else.I'd never read any Poe before so this was a good selection of his work, but I don't think I'll particularly be looking out for any more, to be honest.
—Raj
