Grudgingly four stars. Granted Poe was brilliant, and modern literature would not be where it is today without his influence. But Poe was not a great writer, and probably the only writer for whom I would say his writing is brilliant precisely because it is so bad. He understood something about the human psyche. We all know his writings, but I for one will be happy never to read them again. ( )

Reading "The Complete Stories and Poems" will be a hell of a time-consuming project, but as I can feel honored to call Edgar Allan Poe one of my favorite authors, the only option to give his writing abilities justice is to read his stories and poems in their entirety. My intention is to update this review with my thoughts on all the stories and poems Poe has ever written constantly until I've completed my way through (however, I'll probably not always add it to my update feed in order to not spam other feeds), but it will be sporadic and infrequent due to my unpredictable reading moods.

Tales (listed in chronological order)

Metzengerstein: (4/5 stars)
Being the first short story Poe has ever published, [b:Metzengerstein|1467621|Metzengerstein|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1183907544s/1467621.jpg|1458541] includes all the well-known aspects of his writing style which he has become so popular for. Quite disturbing, relying on speculative thoughts due to the narrative, a thought-provoking turning point and a deeper meaning which appears when thinking more precisely about the story. Poe has excellently explored the interesting concept of metempsychosis through this interesting short story which focuses on the feuds of two rivaling Hungarian families. [Please don't read the synopsis on the Goodreads book edition, since it spoils the story and its apparent meaning in their entirety.]

The Duc de L'Omelette: (1/5 stars)
Somehow, I find myself being glad that Edgar Allan Poe also came up with terribly-written stories like this one, so that I can still find reasons to criticize him. The fact that this was written partly in English, partly in French, was not so irritating as was the lack of anything resembling a plot.

A Tale of Jerusalem: (1/5 stars)
It's interesting to see how pointless some of Poe's early stories were. Trying to read them chronologically enables the reader to look behind Poe's writing process, and it definitely accentuates how much he improved his writing skills in the course of time.

Morella: (4/5 stars)
[b:Morella|10835604|Morella|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328322587s/10835604.jpg|15749728] is one of Poe's most memorable stories so far. A short tale of love, studies, death, identity and dread, Poe managed to integrate me into the story and fix my attention on his words, only to leave me shattered and thunderstruck upon the final twist.

Four Beasts in One - The Homo-Cameleopard: (1/5 stars)
I have no idea what to think of [b:Four Beasts In One: The Homo-Cameleopard|19552513|Four Beasts In One The Homo-Cameleopard|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387656197s/19552513.jpg|49751781]. It was boring, ridiculous and did not even include a message of its own. A story which can definitely be skipped without regretting it.

Ligeia: (4,5/5 stars)
One of my favorite Poe stories. In [b:Ligeia|419520|Ligeia|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1174584969s/419520.jpg|408663], it appears as though Poe wants his reader to know that not only does he masterfully write chilling horror stories, but also is he a romantic at heart. Combining elements of romance and horror, Poe wove a suspenseful story focusing on the mental health of a protagonist who has lost the love of his life.

The Fall of the House of Usher
[b:The Fall of the House of Usher|175516|The Fall of the House of Usher|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387708966s/175516.jpg|15570703] is a story I don't remember a lot of, so I'll definitely re-read it soon.

A Descent into the Maelstrom (3/5 stars)
With the creepy title and the horrifying premise - the narrator talking about a fishing trip with his two brothers which ended in chaos and turmoil years ago - I expected this story to be a little more frightening and engaging than it ultimately ended up to be. You will find Poe's classic style, though nothing extraordinary.

The Oval Portrait (3,5/5 stars)
One of the shortest stories of Poe's writing, [b:The Oval Portrait|2183989|The Oval Portrait|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312742245s/2183989.jpg|2189682] focuses on a protagonist who finds a certain painting of a beautiful woman in an abandoned castle and discovers the frightening as well as disturbing background of this painting. Precise and meaningful, Poe's prose masterfully explores the sacrifices of art.

The Masque of the Red Death (4/5 stars)
[b:The Masque of the Red Death|204779|The Masque of the Red Death|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1172667858s/204779.jpg|15568908] is no story about plot or characters. It's a story about atmosphere, about mood, about the symbolisms of colorful descriptions. That's what Poe was able to write perfectly, and that's what I can recommend this story for.

The Tell-Tale Heart: (5/5 stars)
[b:The Tell-Tale Heart|899492|The Tell-Tale Heart|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317724096s/899492.jpg|19034527] was the story through which I have had the pleasure to meet Edgar Allan Poe some years ago, and it proved to become one of the best short stories I've ever read. Basically, it's a murderer's confession, creating the impression of a mad narrator and raising the reader's interest in his arguments he builds up as part of his defense. As the story continues, Poe cleverly turns his reader from a witness of the events into a judge of guilt and innocence, a narrative structure admired by me.

The Black Cat: (4/5 stars)
[b:The Black Cat|391724|The Black Cat|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387720896s/391724.jpg|15570126] represents an exceptionally well-written, shocking and frightening story dealing with madness and human abysses. Being the most terrifying story I've read so far from Poe, this one can be highly recommended to be read.

The Sphinx: (3/5 stars)
One of his shortest works, "[b:The Sphinx|3336860|The Sphinx|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342704747s/3336860.jpg|3375000]" deals with the cholera epidemic and its influence. Not too disturbing or compelling, but definitely worth a glimpse.

The Cask of Amontillado: (3,5/5 stars)
[b:The Cask of Amontillado|261240|The Cask of Amontillado|Edgar Allan Poe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327936575s/261240.jpg|1405544], the first story I've read as part of my intention to read all of Poe's works, deals with a man's creepy revenge upon an earlier friend who seemingly infuriated the narrator, motivating him to perform his fatal scheme of revenge. This one is not so much about the characters, but more about the atmosphere and the climax itself. Poe focuses on what happens down there in the catacombs, not establishing why it happens. The message: Do never, never, never be so naive to enter some dark, creepy catacombs on another person's request without any witnesses. It might not end too well for your health.


Poems (listed in chronological order)

The Raven: (5/5 stars)

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door —
Only this, and nothing more."

Do I need to add anything else to this quote?

Annabel Lee: (4/5 stars)

“It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

As short as Poe's poems are, he always succeeds with breathing life into his words.


[Updated: 02/19/16]

Poe cannot be overstated. If you can overlook the idiotic manner the goth kid generation attempts to represent his work and see it for the true brilliance it is then you are going to walk away with some chilly stories. Dig deep into his stories and come out truly appreciating his brilliance.

The stories and poems you have heard of are the strongest of the collection by a mile. I didn't particularly enjoy the stories that were infighting between critics. ( )

Case 15 shelf 2