Book – A Couple by Poe

Living now near the city where Poe grew up (Richmond, VA), I’ve taken the time to dig a little deeper into the works of one of the most acclaimed American authors.  If you ever find yourself in Richmond, I heartily recommend the Poe Museum.  It’s small but has a great selection of items to walk you through his childhood and young adult life before he took off for Baltimore.

It was Poe who made me fall in love with the short story.  I distinctly reading “The Cask of Amontillado” in a high school English class.  No story had ever made me feel the way it did.  Every word was a part of the overall effect, needed to build towards that awful, magnificent ending.  But I never really followed up.  I read “The Raven” and that was about it.  So recently I dug into some more of his work.

The Fall of the House of Usher – Edgar Allan Poe (1839) – A man visits with his old friend Roderick Usher.  Both Usher and his sister Madeline are ill and the guest tries to make things as pleasant as

possible.  But this is a story by Poe, so only madness will follow.  In the end, not even the house of Usher will survive.

This is the great American horror author at the peak of his ability.  Every little detail is used in building the suspense and the horror of the story.  I had always thought this was a full-length book but instead it’s just a short story.  Originally published in “Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine”, it is now commonly included in collections of Poe.  Truly stunning writing.

Rating – ***** Highest Recommendation

The Cask of Amontillado (1845) – A story of revenge.  Revenge as fine as the wines of Amontillado.  It includes one of the greatest endings to a story ever written.  After all these years, this story still holds up.

Rating – ***** Highest Recommendation