Edgar Allan Poe (Bloom's Major Short Story Writers) [Library Binding]

Harold Bloom (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 079105117X | ISBN-13: 978-0791051177 | Publication Date: January 1999

Calling Poe the most popular of all American authors aside from Hemmingway, Harold Bloom discusses the author’s short stories. Reviewed works include Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "The Pit and the Pendulum."

This title also features a biography of Edgar Allen Poe, a user guide, a detailed thematic analysis of each short story, a list of characters in each story, a complete bibliography of Poe’s works, an index of themes and ideas, and editor’s notes and introduction by Harold Bloom.

This series, Bloom’s Major Short Story Writers, is edited by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University; Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Professor of English, New York University Graduate School; preeminent literary critic of our time. The world’s most prominent writers of short stories are covered in one series with expert analysis by Bloom and other critics. These titles contain a wealth of information on the writers and short stories that are most commonly read in high schools, colleges, and universities.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 88 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea House Publications (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 079105117X
• ISBN-13: 978-0791051177
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,042,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Insulting, December 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Edgar Allan Poe (Bloom's Major Short Story Writers) (Library Binding)

This book is shallow, judgemental, poorly researched and an insult to any the intelligence of any thinking person. There are some marvelous biographies about Edgar Allan Poe (The one by pulitzer prive winning biographer, Kenneth Silverman, is the best.) To call this a STUDY guide is absurd. It's a slanted, bias, narrow minded piece of propoganda.

4.0 out of 5 stars creepy ideas at war with the world, April 16, 2011

By 

Bruce P. Barten (Saint Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Edgar Allan Poe (Library Binding)

There are so many works on Poe that I want to be perfectly clear that I am only covering one of the smallest: Comprehensive Research and Study Guide, Edgar Allan Poe, Bloom's Major Poets edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom. My copy is 1999, and I am surprised that I have such a new book on such an old topic. The critics only provide a few pages each on five poems. William Carlos Williams praises Poe for his detachment from the ordinary use of language. You should feel "the first need of his time, the escape from the formless mass he hated." The popularity of Poe is a mystery to Bloom, except in times of hysteria when people become "unable to function in a normal social capacity."

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the earliest attempts to define Poe written in the late 19th century., August 25, 2007

By 

Douglas E. Libert "howitt" (parkersburg wv) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Edgar Allan Poe (American Men and Women of Letters Series) (Paperback)

This book dissects the personality of Poe from his works and since it is a biography it deals with some of the more negative aspects of Poe as well as the positive one's.There are alot of reproductions of letters written by Poe in regard to his personal life as well as letters written to him.Some very flattering others less so,as if he may have had a "mood disorder".His criticisms of others works the author defends as almost entirely just, but it is also pointed out Poe was occasionally susceptible to flattery,particularly if there a financial renumeration or a" well turned ankle" involved.This is one work where Poe's use of laudenum(a mixture of opium and alcohol) receives attention.apparently this drug was a common stock at the doctor's office(not to mention the street vendor)and was used and prescribed for alot of people."Opium dreams",a common phrase,could have been one of Poe's inspirations,a mind of his calibre would certainly remember and be able to profoundly describe those visions of paradise(and horror)!!it is obvious to me that the author of this book admires and respects Poe, but keeps his distance for the sake of his interpretation of the truth.The 1840's with no copyright laws and high illiteracy would not make much opportunity for men like Poe other than "free lancing"an open invitation for "economic violence".Woodberry's book reads smoothly and pretty much gets to the essence of Poe in my opinion.