The classic poems and spine-tingling stories of an American gothic master collected in one volume
Of all the American writers, Edgar Allan Poe staked out perhaps the most unique and vivid reputation as a master of the macabre. Even today, in the age of horror movies and high-tech haunted houses, Poe remains the first choice of entertainment for many who want a spine-chilling thrill.
Born in Boston in 1809, and dead at the age of forty, Poe wrote across several fields during his life and was noted for his poetry and short stories as well as his criticism. The best of each of these is collected here, including the classic poem "The Raven," and beloved stories like "The Tell-Tale Heart." In his introduction to this volume, G. R. Thompson argues that Poe was a great satirist and comedic craftsman, as well as a formidable Gothic writer. "All of Poe's fiction," Thompson writes, "and the poems as well, can be seen as one coherent pieceas the work of one of the greatest ironists of world literature."
Great Short Works of Edgar Allen Poe includes some of these classics:
Edgar Allan Poe è nato a Boston (USA) nel 1809 da una famiglia di attori girovaghi. Non ebbe modo di conoscerli approfonditamente poiché la madre morì quando ancora era un infante e il padre, alcolizzato, abbandonò la famiglia subito dopo la morte della moglie. Il piccolo Edgar fu quindi allevato da un ricco mercante di Richmond di nome John Allan.
Anche Edgar Allan Poe era solito deliziarsi dell'uso di alcool e gioco d'azzardo, motivo per cui John Allan lo estromise dal testamento.