The only full-length novel by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" was first published in 1838. It is the story of a boy from Nantucket, Arthur Gordon Pym, who stows away aboard a whaling ship, the "Grampus", with the help of his friend Augustus, the ship captain's son. Pym and Augustus experience many unexpected adventures and misfortunes at sea, including mutiny, violent storms, cannibalism, and the destruction of the ship. Eventually, only Pym and another sailor, Dirk Peters, have survived and are clinging to the debris when they are rescued by the "Jane Guy", a fishing ship headed to the southern seas. Pym becomes fascinated by the interesting birds and wildlife to be found near the Antarctic and convinces the captain to sail even further south. Pym's adventures continue as the sailors meet aggressive natives and strange new lands. Rich with symbolism and allegory, Poe who sought to make the novel full of believable details, was heavily inspired by many popular travel journals of his time. "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" greatly influenced writers such as Herman Melville and Jules Verne and remains to this day an exciting nautical adventure. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
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.