Edgar Allan Poe: Poetry, Tales, and Selected Essays: A Library of America College Edition

Edgar Allen Poe is one of the most memorable and respected writers of our time. He is not well known for his big, long and thick books, but rather for his short, interersting and mysterious stories. Poe goes down as one of the best writers because he understands people and he can also communicate with his reader. Versatitlity is a sign of a good writer and Edgar Allen Poe is a perfect example of this. Three of his stories "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Gold Bug" and "The Stolen Letter" are very well written and logical stories, but unless Poe's name was on the front page of the story, you wouldn't be able to tell that the stories were written by the same author.In "The Pit and the Pendulum", Poe brings out depression and gives the reader a feel of being locked up like the charater in his story. He also makes you feel like you (the reader) is also facing the possibility of death and its your job to break free from the ropes so you won't be killed by a razor sharp, decending pendulum. In "The Stolen Letter" Edgar ALlen Poe switches his dark demented side, to a more light and curious theme. It is said that Poe is one of the first people to ever write a mystery. In this he has a detective and his buddy that try to find out about a mysterious letter that a high ranking government official has stolen from the princess. Through a series of events the mystery unravels and is solved. "The Gold Bug" is probably one of the best short stories that I have ever read. This story has a little bit of everything in it, from mystery to adventure, to even a quick history lesson. Edgar ALlen Poe delivers every time with his use of words and expressions.

In an age defined by its thist for material glamour and financial success, "Edgar Allan Poe: Poetry, Tales, and Selected Essays" is a refreshing reclamation of class and importance. Indeed, one rarely finds a volume more indicative of artistic essence, or more faithful to the memory of great literary genius than this unassuming compendium. Moreover, "Poetry, Tales, and Selected Essays" demonstrates a peerless selection of Poe's greatest work. The seasoned Poe-reader will find cause, after sufficient perusal, to conclude that few works are able to illustrate Poe in so honest a light. Perhaps most admirable is the pursuit of fusion between Poe's fiction and nonfiction. Where many publications approach the mixture in unbecoming fashion, "Poetry, Tales, and Selected Essays" achieves an equilibrium wherein the literature may be viewed as a consequence of the principles discussed in each literary essay. In this way, the essays dovetail with the fiction beautifully, and the reader comes away blessed with a more catholic concept of Poe's genius. This effort at capturing Poe's essence is both commendable and enjoyable. Truly, it is an indispensable purchase for the avid Poe-reader.