Mesmeric Revelations

My Thoughts

Mesmeric Revelations is an extremely thought-provoking short story. It focuses on a dying man, Mr. Vankirk, who calls on the protagonist to mesmerize him shortly before his departure from life. Mr. Vankirk is a rather simple character, but under the effects of mesmerism becomes extremely eloquent and articulate, conversing in the most advanced matters.

I thought this story was very interesting. It is one of many tales of mesmerism written by Poe, along with one of my favorite Poe stories, "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar". I personally thought the ending was shocking. When revealed that Mr. Vankirk had been dead long before he finished talking I felt a chill down my spine. It was a hair-raising moment indeed! This is the kind of Gothic Horror I enjoy reading. It is chilling but at the same time it is profound.

My Rating

I would rate this story a 3.5 out of 5. It was quite surprising and kept me in constant thought for a while afterwards.