The Tell-Tale Heart: And Other Stories
Category: Books,Literature & Fiction,Genre Fiction
The Tell-Tale Heart: And Other Stories Details
About the Author Greg Buzwell is Curator of Contemporary Literary Archives and Manuscripts at the British Library. He edited and introduced The Face in the Glass, a selection of Gothic tales by Mary Elizabeth Braddon; and co-curated the major exhibition Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination in 2014. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is one of the central figures of American literature. He is best remembered for his Gothic tales, his ground-breaking innovations in the new genre of detective fiction, and his poetry. Read more
Reviews
Ask any person to invent a horror story... even if that person is not used to read instinctively will try to set a tone with Poe's voice... so deep is Poe in our minds.I read Poe since kid, first in Spanish language, then when I decided to learn English an edition of his selected works by Penguin books and a dictionary was my master. Usually English writers in comparison to writers in other languages tend to be clean and direct; Poe, who was rich in many cultures and seems to have read books preferably in their original idiom and it shows: he has a unique style, not always easy but part of his special voice, he is not condescending with the reader so you have to grow to walk with him, because he has a vast culture.These tales are worldwide famous so it would unnecessary to explain the plots and stories, enough to say that Poe's world is so amazing that sometimes you would like it to be the real one; there is the temptation to not see the real Maelström to save the disappointing of being not like Poe's Maelström. They are complex and evolve to extraordinary conclusions, you can read them many times and still finding more details. I adore how U.S. is a place of marvels and the old world is an exotic place; usually in Spanish language (except the genial Borges) the writers feel that their culture is European and they are here like visitors, instead Poe feels closer because his voice and heart is in his land, there is not nostalgia of other places: he is a truly genius creating something new.Is interesting that apparently writers of his century thought little of him, those writers are being devoured by oblivion in archaic schools; instead Poe is so powerful, each little tale is so rich that pre-configures whole genres as science-fiction, horror, and detective stories as are known today; his essays materialize in music and architecture. Even more Poe is still present, as the voice that manifest our personal horrors is his.