Customer Reviews

Coffee With Poe

5 star:		(4)
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2 star:		(1)
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Certainly not a new concept of combining fact and fiction, this really is an enjoyable, quick read on Edgar Allan Poe. Barger has some interesting theories on Poe's mysterious life and writes in a very engaging style that keeps you reading. I admire how clear the author is in showing what text comes from Poe's actual letters and where he has filled in the gaps with fiction. Recommended!

Coffee with Poe combines actual Poe letters to weave the tale of his life. The gothic writter was as much a master of letters as he was poetry or short stories. Who knew he loved so many women or that he married his 13 year-old first cousin? Poe's interaction with other literary figures of the day such as Dickens and Hawthorne is also interesting. From cradle to grave this is the tragic account of 'America's first poet' and it should not be missed.

Coffee with Poe is the story of Poe's life and although it is a novel, seamlessly includes many actual letters from his many romances and literary figures of the time. I especially liked the chapter where Poe meets Dickens. Anyone wanting a great read or anyone with interest in Poe will be interested in this book.

I bought this book after reading a straighforward book on Poe, and I enjoyed it immensely. Being from Australia, I found that Mr Barger's colourful three dimensonal view of life in Poe's times really helped me to understand more about the man, his background and his writings. Thank you for a wonderful weaving of fact and fiction into a very readable book which really helped me put Poe into perspective amongst his peers of the time. Bravo.

This book sounded so intriguing when I read the summary. I appreciate the research done on Poe's life, but I feel more research could have been done on the customs and practices of the specific time period. There a quite a few historical inaccuracies sprinkled throughout the book. They are minor for the most part and not pivotal to the "plot", but they still bothered me. A few other minor details rankled me a bit. The author, in Poe's voice, refers to Virginia's metronome as a "piano timer." I hardly think Poe would not have known the proper name for the device.
I am still working my way through the book. I have, for the most part, skipped over the included letters to and from Poe. I'm not sure why most of them were included since the author summarizes them before incorporating them completely.
I am going to try to finish the book, making sure to break at regular intervals to minimize the hair-pulling. If you just want to read about Poe in his own voice, have at this one. However, if you're looking for historical fiction, skip it and read Schecter.