Edgar Allan Poe
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5 Classics for November
In this series, I recommend five classics each month that remind me of that particular time of the year. Although most people seem to dislike November (at least in New England where I live) because all of the pretty leaves die and everything is dead, it’s actually my favorite month of the year. This might… Continue reading
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saying goodbye to Poevember.
Alas! It is once again that time of year when we must say farewell to our friend Poevember. I had so much fun reading and reviewing EdgarAllan Poe’s work, and I hope it sparked a bit of interest for Poe’s writing in you all. It’s hard to pick a favorite piece of writing, so I’ll… Continue reading
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Poevember: THE RAVEN
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…” So begins one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous works, “The Raven.” This poem tells the tale of a man who is visited by a talking raven, who only speaks one unsettling word again and again. As the narrator gradually descends into insanity, the… Continue reading
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Poevember: THE GOLD-BUG
“Many years ago, I contracted an intimacy with a Mr. William Legrand.” When the narrator hears that his friend William Legrand has been bitten by a mysterious gold bug, he is eager to know more. However, he soon realizes that this bug is driving Legrand to the point of obsessive insanity, as he attempts to… Continue reading
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Poevember: THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE
“The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in themselves, but little susceptible of analysis.” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is an intriguing short story about a brilliant detective and an unsettling mystery. When two women are horrifically murdered, the authorities immediately begin to investigate the case. Several witnesses offer accounts of their experiences… Continue reading
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Poevember: THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
“The ‘Red Death’ had long devastated the country.” The Red Death, a brutal disease that refuses to stop spreading, does not stop the rich from having a good time. In the midst of the chaos of fighting this plague, Prince Prospero decides to host an enormous party for his wealthy noble friends. After all, don’t… Continue reading
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Poevember: THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
“I was sick — sick unto death with that long agony; and when they at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my senses were leaving me.” During the Spanish Inquisition, our unfortunate narrator is sentenced to death and put in a chamber of imprisonment. Through darkness, confinement, rats, and… Continue reading
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Poevember: LIGEIA
“I cannot, for my soul, remember how, when, or even precisely where, I first became acquainted with the lady Ligeia.” As the first sentence suggests, this short story is about the narrator’s lover, Ligeia. After describing precisely why he loves her so much, he reveals the unfortunate circumstance that has befallen their love: Lady Ligeia… Continue reading
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Poevember: THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR
“Of course I shall not pretend to consider it any matter for wonder, that the extraordinary case of M. Valdemar has excited discussion.” The narrator of Poe’s short story “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” is fascinated by mesmerism, an early form of hypnotism. His ultimate goal is to attempt to mesmerize someone… Continue reading
About ME, Holly
former english major, current twenty-something book lover, allergic to nuts. drop me a line at nutfreenerd@gmail.com or on instagram.
nut free nerd 