Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (American Century Series, Ac29) [Paperback]

Edgar Allan Poe (Author)

Book Description

Series: American Century Series, Ac29 | Publication Date: June 1960

Sixteen-year-old Arthur is looking for adventure. So he stows away on a whaling ship bound for the South Pacific. But he gets more excitement than he could ever have imagined when, soon after setting sail, the crew rebel against their captain and murder everyone who will not join them. As the leaderless ship sails deep into high southern latitudes, the ravenous sailors begin to regret their treachery. Storms overwhelm the decks, and the nightmare vision of a corpse-ridden ghost ship taunts them as they starve. It seems they are being punished for their sins.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This new edition of Poe's only completed novel represents a welcome option for instructors. The edition features a comprehensive critical introduction detailing the history of Pym scholarship and critical approaches, a detailed chronology of Poe's life, and three valuable appendices that reprint Poe's most important literary sources, a healthy selection of contemporary reviews, and responses by other writers such as Melville and James. The selection of sources and reviews will delight instructors eager to teach the novel in its nineteenth-century context." (Leland S. Person )

"This scrupulously prepared, thorough, and extremely useful edition of Poe's only novel will thrill students, instructors, and general Poe aficionados in equal measure. Indeed, the map of Pym's voyage, incredibly appearing here for the first time, is worth the price of admission alone! The developed and informative introduction, meticulous footnotes, well-considered bibliography, and carefully selected appendices combine to offer a model of accessible and impressive scholarship ideal for the classroom or for the general reader of Poe. Even experts are likely to glean new insights from this top-notch edition." (Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Edgar Allan Poe's only long fiction has provoked intense scholarly discussions about its meaning since its first publication. The novel relates the adventures of Pym after he stows away on a whaling ship, where he endures starvation, encounters with cannibals, a whirlpool, and finally a journey to an Antarctic sea. It draws on the conventions of travel writing and science fiction, and on Poe's own experiences at sea, but is ultimately in a category of its own. Appendices include virtually all of the contemporary sources of exploration and south polar navigation that Poe consulted and adapted to the narrative, together with reviews and notices of Pym and a sampling of responses to the novel from a wide array of authors, from Herman Melville and Charles Baudelaire to H.P. Lovecraft and Toni Morrison. Seven illustrations are also included. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 198 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (T) (June 1960)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809000296
• ISBN-13: 978-0809000296
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,886,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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