Customer Reviews

Tales of Terror and Detection (Dover Thrift Editions)

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This little Dover edition is cheap and fits easily into any bag, which makes it good bus stop reading. There is, however, a disadvantage to this portable Poe; namely, it's not all there. The collection excludes the story for which Poe is credited for having begun the detective genre itself: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" introduces the characters of Dupin and our narrator, and prepares the scene for the detective figure to fill the gap of reasoning that the overly-methodical Parisian police have left. It sets the tone for the increased emphasis on analysis in "Marie Rogęt" and the humorous rivalry between police and detective in "The Purloined Letter." That being said, the other stories fit well together; "The Oblong Box" has one foot in the detective genre and the other in that species of psychological drama that we see in "William Wilson." Wilson and his doppelganger compliment the double corpse question in "Marie Rogęt," and the parallel worlds and coincidences, which make the mystery of Marie Rogęt more fascinating, lend an uncanny quality to "MS Found in a Bottle," with the discovery of Mercator's map. If these stories show us anything about Poe, it is his ability to bring a story to a logical conclusion that still leaves an eerie taste in the reader's mouth.

As always Edgar Allan Poe has created a masterpiece with this work, just as he has done with all his others. He makes haunting, chilling, and tingling stories come to life like nightmares during the daytime. He was a true master of suspense and storytelling and this work is no exception. If you enjoyed any of his others, like The Tell-tale Heart or The Raven, then you'll be sure to enjoy these tales of terror and detection.

I checked out this book from the library this summer trying to find an easy version of Poe. This version is very simple. There are few words that need explanation for struggling readers. I liked it so much that I decided to buy 20 copies for use in my classroom. October will be great!

Edgar allen poe is one of the greatest short story writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. His stories are varied and extremely intelligent. And at the cheap price this collection of stories are a must buy. I give it an extra star just for the price.