Customer Reviews

Edgar Allan Poe (Bloom's Major Short Story Writers)

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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.

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."

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.

a pretty good book. it's definently a good read for those interested in poe.

this book is a good information sorce on the american poet edger allen poe. it talks about his life and his poetry. verry cute.