Author's Spotlight: Edgar Allan Poe

[TSG]

Now this one should get some response going. Edgar Allen Poe was a poet, writer, editor, and literay critic during the American Romantic Movement during the 1800's. He is revered as one of the most influential, greatest, and famous writers of his time, and of all time. He has created such works as The Cask of Amontillado, The Masque of the Red Death, Annabel Lee, Lenore, The Murders in the Rue Morgue and perhaps most famously The Raven and The Tell-Tell Heart. He was the innovator of short stories and detective-fiction genre. He is best known for tales of mystery, darkness, and fiction, and his genius poetic work. He also wrote about lost love and women.

I would suggest any of Poe's work for somebody to read, as most of his work was sheer genius, and I have enjoyed all that I have read by the man. The most recent work by him I have read was The Cask of Amontillado, which I enjoyed deeply. If you are looking to find some of his work, I'm sure much of it can be found in many short story collections, and if you are looking to read any one author any time soon, this man would be the one I suggest. His works are truly classics, something to read and behold.

 

[The Doctor]

I highly enjoy Edgar Allen Poe when I'm in the mood for him. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of him has been tainted by the fact that we read, discussed, and dissected The Tell-Tale Heart almost every year in middle school.
The Pit And The Pendulum and The Cask of Amontillado are probably my favorites of his, as being buried alive has always been very creepy to me and Amontillado was written extremely well. The Raven is obviously another good read but it may lose its impact for the same reasons as The Tell-Tale Heart.

 

[TSG]

I highly enjoy Edgar Allen Poe when I'm in the mood for him. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of him has been tainted by the fact that we read, discussed, and dissected The Tell-Tale Heart almost every year in middle school.
The Pit And The Pendulum and The Cask of Amontillado are probably my favorites of his, as being buried alive has always been very creepy to me and Amontillado was written extremely well. The Raven is obviously another good read but it may lose its impact for the same reasons as The Tell-Tale Heart.

I wish we would get more of Poe in school. I've only read two of his works as school assignments. He is uch and inteeligent and brilliant author, I would hope schools would teach more of him. But I guess not.

The Cask of Amontillado was a very good story, I like the plot and storyline of it very well. I also enjoyed the ending much, there is just something about being buried alive (or trapped without air, I guess could be used also) that makes for a great ending for the story. I loved the part at the end where the character (I forget his name right now;the one who Montresor, the narrator, had the grudge against) yells out "For the love of God, Montresor" and Montresor yells back "Yes, for the love of God." Perfect ending, right there, for sure.

 

[The Doctor]

Absolutely agreed, one hundred percent. The story gives me chills, especially the ending. Out of all his stories, Amontillado is probably the one I can read over and over aain and not get tired of.

...I'm surprised there aren't more people in here. I thought we had quite a few Poe fans around here. Huh.

 

[X]

First off, let me just say, Poe really wasn't a Romantic. There really weren't any American Romantics, the American version of the European Romantic movement was known as the Transcendentalist movement and was spearheaded by men like Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Poe was definitely not a Romantic, not his literary work atleast.

What he was however, was one of the greatest writers ever. The man had a way of capturing your attention from the get-go and never letting go, all the way through the horrifying ride you knew he'd take you on. Stories like The Black Cat, The Cask of Amontillado (my personal favorite Poe story), The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Masque of Red Death (another favorite of mine) to this day remain as horrifying and macabre as the day they were written.

It should also be noted that Poe basically invented the entire genre of detective fiction (not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), so his impact really can't be underplayed. Without Poe, who knows how American literature develops.