Book

My Thoughts

It saddens me that I had this novel in my library for two years before I even opened it. I'm in awe of how masterfully written this story was and to learn that Matthew Lewis was only 20 years old upon writing it... simply astonishing. Comedic, terrifying, romantic, disturbing, shocking, gravitational, intriguing, and profound are just a few of the words I would use to describe this masterpiece. Rarely have I ever delved into a book and felt such a magnetic attraction from page to hand that rendered me unable to put it down.

My Thoughts

The Purloined Letter is probably my favorite short story by Edgar Allan Poe that featured C. Auguste Dupin. This story was particularly interesting to me due to the fact that it focused on the analysis of the personality of people to solve the mystery. Dupin easily solved the enigma by focusing on the behavior of the assailant, which was known in this case. He was perceived to be a fool by the police which is exactly why he outsmarted them in hiding a letter that was being used as blackmail against an aristocrat.

My Thoughts

The Fall of the House of Usher is among the most popular stories by Edgar Allan Poe. I believe this story contains a lot of symbolism that I didn't quite pick up in other stories by Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher symbolizes not only the house falling but the legacy of the entire Usher family all in a single moment. There are three deaths at exactly the same time!

My Thoughts

The Mystery of Marie Roget is the second story by Edgar Allan Poe featuring the brilliant acumen of C. Auguste Dupin. The story is based on an actual local mystery at the time and Poe decided that he would try to solve it by using the ingenious deduction of Dupin.

Dupin/Poe brilliantly unravel different scenarios, but alas it isn't enough to make the story too interesting. The ending is never concluded and this, in my opinion, ruins the build-up of suspense.

After

My Thoughts

The Murders in the Rue Morgue was the first of three stories featuring the sharp and witty C. Auguste Dupin, who also happens to be the inspiration for almost every detective story ever written. His unbelievable deduction methodology and acumen is second to none as he never seems to struggle when attempting to solve the most impossible of mysteries. My favorite example of this is the very first example. When Dupin continues a conversation that the protagonist was thinking after fifteen minutes of silence.

My Thoughts

Eh, this story wasn't quite my cup of tea. I enjoyed how the stories were all old-time descriptions of modern day (in the 1840s) technologies and discoveries, but it wasn't enough to make me enjoy the entire story.

My Rating

I rate this story a 2.3 out of 5. It did make me put 1001 nights on my reading list which, I suppose, is an overall win.

My Thoughts

I loved this story! Of all of Edgar Allan Poe's stories that I have read so far I believe that this is my favorite. At this point, I have only read about half of his work so this may change in the not so distant future. The mood is of an eldritch sort and it is ever so creepy! I believe that The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar would be a story that I would greatly enjoy reading under a blanket while holding a flashlight.

My Thoughts

This was my first introduction into Poe's use of deductive reasoning and I simply could not put the book down. The story focuses on an eldritch gold beetle discovered on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, but egresses far beyond the direction expected. Poe's detailed writing allows the acumen of William Legrand to slowly become apparent through profound deduction. At the very start, Poe brilliantly leads you to believe that Mr.

My Thoughts

I believe this, at the time, was a modern take on the old myth of transmuting simple materials, especially lead, into gold through the use of alchemy. It was widely believed and thus experimented, that there was a combination of alchemy that could cause a chemical reaction resulting in the transmutation of gold. Today it actually can happen, but not through alchemy. Luckily, chemistry took over and with the help of manipulating a few select charged particles, we can turn lead into gold, but at a cost that proves to be less than optimal.

My Thoughts

A Descent into the Maelstrom is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe about a very elderly looking man who relays a story regarding an enormous maelstrom that appears like clockwork off of the coast of Scandinavia. The story details the man and how he was one day horrifically sucked into the Maelstrom. While he managed to survive, he lost both of his brothers.