Edgar Allan Poe was born on this day, January 19, in 1809. He died in 1849.
My father-in-law was buried this morning, a cold and windy morning, so today is a good day to read Poe. But which Poe?
I got to thinking about this a few nights ago on an extended drive with my son. I asked what they were reading in English this six weeks, and he said they had a variety of short stories to choose from, including “Harrison Beregeron”, “The Veldt”, some other Bradbury stories, and some by Poe. My son had read “The Cask of Amontillado”, so we got to talk about that one.
But how many other Poe stories are still widely-read today? “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Raven”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, and “The Tell-Tale Heart” are all probably still widely read. But what about “The Purloined Letter”,” Hop-Frog”, “The Gold Bug”, or “The Premature Burial”? “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”? “A Descent into the Maelstrom”?
I don’t know. Stories wax and wane in popularity. What are your favorite Poe stories? I’m going to try to read something I’ve not read before.
More on the whimsical side, “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether”
Morella, Annabelle Lee, EL Dorado, The Bells are also favorites of mine. But The Raven will always be his best work, in my opinion.
“William WIlson”, “Never Bet the Devil Your Head”, and “The Man in the Crowd” would be my nominees for more obscure Poe stories.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I’ll work in as many of these as I can in the next few days.
I discovered this remarkable gem a week or so ago: William S. Burroughs reading Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death”. Awesome!
Cool! Thanks for the link.