Scan barcode
A review by spentcello
The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
The sheer amount of material inspired by these stories and poems is staggering. Almost every story has been drawn on somewhat in something else I've read - perhaps not that surprising given the genres I tend to read, but still quite mind-boggling. I'd read a lot of these stories about a decade ago, but it was nice revisiting them as I've read a lot more widely now and appreciate the historical context more.
Complete collections are always a bit fraught, because there are very few people whose life's output is of very high quality - in other words, there's often a lot of fluff. This was true of Poe's collection and I felt bogged down in some of the longer pieces, particularly the satirical pieces as they were so profuse (made worse by most of them being clumped together in the book). I found the first couple very funny, however, after a while I decided that Poe's the kind of joker who never lets it go and just pushes and pushes a joke until it's really quite dead.
Poe's life was tragic and you can see it in his stories. In particular, his stories where alcohol is the catalyst for series of events that ruin the life of a central character were powerful considering Poe's personal history. But I also hate the narrative of the tortured artist, and the idea that it is in some measure good (or worse, necessary) for someone to suffer so that they produce deep and meaningful art. I disagree. I'm not glad Poe had awful things in his life, was an alcoholic, had his wife die horribly, and all sorts of other loss. I respect and appreciate Poe's stories and the reach of his legacy, but in no way think that his misfortune were a net gain for the world.
Complete collections are always a bit fraught, because there are very few people whose life's output is of very high quality - in other words, there's often a lot of fluff. This was true of Poe's collection and I felt bogged down in some of the longer pieces, particularly the satirical pieces as they were so profuse (made worse by most of them being clumped together in the book). I found the first couple very funny, however, after a while I decided that Poe's the kind of joker who never lets it go and just pushes and pushes a joke until it's really quite dead.
Poe's life was tragic and you can see it in his stories. In particular, his stories where alcohol is the catalyst for series of events that ruin the life of a central character were powerful considering Poe's personal history. But I also hate the narrative of the tortured artist, and the idea that it is in some measure good (or worse, necessary) for someone to suffer so that they produce deep and meaningful art. I disagree. I'm not glad Poe had awful things in his life, was an alcoholic, had his wife die horribly, and all sorts of other loss. I respect and appreciate Poe's stories and the reach of his legacy, but in no way think that his misfortune were a net gain for the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Torture, and Cannibalism
Minor: Infidelity, Racism, and Blood