The Raven (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) [Paperback]

Gustave Dore (Author), Edgar Allan Poe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 1996 | Series: Dover Fine Art, History of Art

All 27 of Doré's detailed, masterly engravings from a rare 19th-century edition of The Raven, among the most popular American poems ever written. Dreamlike, otherworldly illustrations perfectly capture the bleak despair and mournful musings of Poe's poem. Apposite quotations from the poem are printed on facing pages; complete text is also included.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Dover Reprint edition (April 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486290727
• ISBN-13: 978-0486290720
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Single Authors > United States
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > Poetry
  • #90 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > 19th Century

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Doré's Final Work, February 9, 2010

By 

Bryan Byrd (Earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raven (Hardcover)

I bought this edition of Poe's classic poem on impulse during the holidays, mostly because the price was right and because I have always been partial to Doré's illustrations. In the past few years, I've purchased several of these large (12 x 9 1/2) hardbacks showcasing Doré's work, including Dante's Divine Comedy, and Scenes from the Bible, and I also have the old Dover paperback of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. I think these are exciting additions to my bookshelves, and, at the same time, I hope that Doré's work might act as a lure for the kids, inspiring them to investigate the literature to which these engravings belong.

To my mind, this edition of 'The Raven' has two specific flaws and some other small details that the publishers could have improved. The first, and most critical, is the book's layout. After a short biography of Poe and Doré, the full text of 'The Raven' is reprinted on four pages - sans illustrations. Immediately after, Doré's engravings begin, generally on the right hand page with the appropriate section of the poem on the left - but the complete poem is not included throughout the illustrated section. Instead, onlly excerpts are given, presented like captions. In other words, you cannot read the book as you might if you were reading an illustrated story - as, for instance, you might to children - without turning back to the first few pages. Approximately 25% or so of the poem is missing on the pages opposing the illustrations, and though I have tried, I can't think of any good reason for this, unless it has to do with some bizarre copyright rule.

The other flaw is intrinsic - these were Doré's last illustrations, and in comparison with his earlier work, I felt that on average they were washed out and indistinct. It is possible, of course, that Poe's dreamy, gauzy stanzas was what Doré was attempting to reflect, but one of the appealing aspects of his work is its sharp contrasting figures and distinctive expressions. I don't want to suggest that 'The Raven' is completely devoid of Doré's signature style - it isn't - but overall, it doesn't rise to the inspiring levels of his scenes from the Bible, or to his work on Coleridge's 'Ancient Mariner'. The compositions I thought were intriguing, but the execution only fair.

Other points that readers may or may not see as deficiencies include the other poems selected to fill out the volume, and their accompanying illustrations. To break up the text, the publishers used a great deal of clip art, which, truthfully, looks like clip art. Of course, there aren't any other engravings by Doré to correspond to these additional poems, but unfortunately, this other art feels 'tossed in' after 'The Raven'. And one last note, which is truthfully very minor and not likely to bother anyone else - in his short biography of Poe that precedes the main text, Dr. Brook Haley indulges in some pop Freudian psychoanalysis when listing the influences on Poe's life, and he also tends to present conjecture as fact when squaring the historical record.

These last few points in and of themselves do not detract enough from the book to mark it down in rating, but in conjunction with the incomplete sections of the poem facing the illustrations, I would drop the book's grade from 4 stars to 3 1/2. I'd then round back up for the sturdy construction, quality paper, and arresting cover.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ridden with malaise, January 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Raven (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) (Paperback)

Not only is this book about intense emotions, but it takes you on a trip through madness. All the pieces are so well interwoven that you come out of it trembling with the central character.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has Everything You Could Ask For, March 8, 2002

By 

Samuel W. Harnish, Jr. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raven (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) (Paperback)

I had to memorize this poem years ago. For years I believed that everyone did. Maybe it's a shame that they didn't.

This is classic Poe. It's not long. It is tight, straight to the point, and foreboding. And that is not the reason to buy the book.

The book really worth buying because of the classic illustration's by Dore. They are fantastic. They perfectly catch the tone of the poem. In a time before movies, animated cartoons, or TV, these illustrations showed the poem that was being read (probably out loud by an adult). They worked then. They still work.

Your children, your grandchildren, and your siblings will enjoy it as much as you will.