The Man Who Was Poe: A Novel [Hardcover]

Avi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1989

In Providence, R.I., in 1848, Edgar Allan Poe reluctantly investigates the problems of eleven-year-old Edmund, whose family has mysteriously disappeared and whose story suggests a new Poe tale with a ghastly final twist.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Suspenseful fiction that works extremely well." -- --Horn Book Magazine<br /><br />"The writing is that of a true master...a suspenseful, thought-provoking novel that combines mystery with historical fiction." -- --Children's Book Review Service --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Avi is the author of the Newbery Medal-winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead and the Newbery Honor Books Nothing But the Truth and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. He writes the beloved animal adventure series that includes Ragweed, Poppy, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Poppy and Rye, Ereth's Birthday, and Poppy's Return. His many other books include Don't You Know There's a War On? and The Mayor of Central Park an animal adventure set in Manhattan's most famous park.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Orchard Books (October 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531058336
• ISBN-13: 978-0531058336
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,319,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Avi has published more than sixty books. Among them is Crispin: The Cross of Lead, winner of the 2003 Newbery Medal. Other novels with nineteenth-century settings, like The Traitors' Gate -- his grand nod to the work of Charles Dickens -- are listed before the title page, and include the Newbery Honor Book, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Avi and his family live in Denver, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Mystery, May 13, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Man Who Was Poe (Paperback)

Edmund and Sis are alone. Their aunt has been gone for two days. Starving, Edmund goes to a local pub for food. Upon returning to his dreary Providence apartment, he finds that Sis is gone. Desperate, Edmund turns to anybody who can help. The only person who agrees to help is a stranger named Dupin. Who is Dupin? Can he be trusted? Where is Sis? Aunt? Read The Man Who Was Poe, by Avi to find out.

I liked this book because it's a combination of a murder mystery and a horror. I also liked this book because, living in Rhode Island, I can relate to it, having been to many of the places mentioned in this book. If you like a good thrill, this is the book for you!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Man Who Was Poe, August 11, 2000

By 

Jacque Coble (Desert Hot Springs, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Was Poe (Paperback)

The Man Who Was Poe is a historical mystery with Edgar Allan Poe as a character in this fictional novel by Avi. This novel might be classified as a puzzle mystery. The setting is early nineteenth-century Providence, Rhode Island. Edmund's mother is missing. His aunt went looking for her and now she's missing too. Edmund and his sister need food. Edmund goes out to get something for them to eat, but since Auntie told them not to leave, he locks Sis in the room; no one can get in, and Sis cannot get out. It's very important to Edmund to keep Sis safe. After helping an old man, Edmund goes back to the room, and now Sis has disappeared. This is the first puzzle. How could Sis have disappeared from a locked room when Edmund had the only key? Edmund gets help from Auguste Dupin who happens to really be Edgar Allan Poe. (Dupin is a character that Edgar Allan Poe created.) Dupin agrees to help Edmund if Edmund will deliver a message for him. Dupin (or is is really Poe) has his own issues and problems. He is a most difficult man to understand. As Dupin and Edmund form their uneasy alliance, they find that their lives are more entwined than either could imagine. Another puzzle catches the attention of Dupin. Gold bars are stolen from the bank vault that has been compared to a tomb. This was an impossible crime. The only way in was through a locked door; yet no one got in that way. Are the two locked room puzzles related? This is an excellent novel of murder, intrigue, danger, and suspense. As with all good mysteries, the reader discovers the clues along with Dupin and Edmund. Dupin and Edmund use their intelligence and keen observation as they seek the solution to the many mysteries contained in this novel. In the back of the book is a section called "Something About Edgar Allan Poe." Readers will find it helpful to read this before beginning the novel as aspects of Poe's life parallel the characters in the novel.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Man Who Was Poe, August 11, 2000

By 

Jacque Coble (Desert Hot Springs, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Was Poe (Paperback)

The Man Who Was Poe is a historical mystery with Edgar Allan Poe as a character in this fictional novel by Avi. This novel might be classified as a puzzle mystery. The setting is early nineteenth-century Providence, Rhode Island. Edmund's mother is missing. His aunt went looking for her and now she's missing too. Edmund and his sister need food. Edmund goes out to get something for them to eat, but since Auntie told them not to leave, he locks Sis in the room; no one can get in, and Sis cannot get out. It's very important to Edmund to keep Sis safe. After helping an old man, Edmund goes back to the room, and now Sis has disappeared. This is the first puzzle. How could Sis have disappeared from a locked room when Edmund had the only key? Edmund gets help from Auguste Dupin who happens to really be Edgar Allan Poe. (Dupin is a character that Edgar Allan Poe created.) Dupin agrees to help Edmund if Edmund will deliver a message for him. Dupin (or is is really Poe) has his own issues and problems. He is a most difficult man to understand. As Dupin and Edmund form their uneasy alliance, they find that their lives are more entwined than either could imagine. Another puzzle catches the attention of Dupin. Gold bars are stolen from the bank vault that has been compared to a tomb. This was an impossible crime. The only way in was through a locked door; yet no one got in that way. Are the two locked room puzzles related? This is an excellent novel of murder, intrigue, danger, and suspense. As with all good mysteries, the reader discovers the clues along with Dupin and Edmund. Dupin and Edmund use their intelligence and keen observation as they seek the solution to the many mysteries contained in this novel. In the back of the book is a section called "Something About Edgar Allan Poe." Readers will find it helpful to read this before beginning the novel as aspects of Poe's life parallel the characters in the novel.