Tales of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour: And Poems

Edgar Allan Poe

Cambridge University Press, May 9, 2013 - Literary Criticism - 282 pages

According to even his most forgiving biographers, Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) was a difficult man. Arrested whilst touring Europe, and expelled from the United States Military Academy at West Point, he tended to lose both work and friends through drunkenness. Best known for his goriest stories, Poe is often presented to the modern reader as a writer of horror. However, this collection, published in 1852, offers a broader selection of his work. It includes one of his first pieces of detective fiction, 'The Gold-Beetle', resulting from his preoccupation with cryptography; 'A Descent into the Maelström', an early example of science fiction; the mesmeric verse of 'The Raven'; and some of his lesser-known love poetry. A pioneer of modern genre fiction, Poe remains important and influential in the American literary canon. This lavishly illustrated collection represents an excellent introduction to his work.

About the author

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. In 1827, he enlisted in the United States Army and his first collection of poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems, was published. In 1835, he became the editor of the Southern Literary Messenger. Over the next ten years, Poe would edit a number of literary journals including the Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and Graham's Magazine in Philadelphia and the Broadway Journal in New York City. It was during these years that he established himself as a poet, a short story writer, and an editor. His works include The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Roget, A Descent into the Maelstrom, The Masque of the Red Death, and The Raven. He struggle with depression and alcoholism his entire life and died on October 7, 1849 at the age of 40.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Tales of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour: And Poems; Cambridge Library Collection - Fiction and Poetry
• Author: Edgar Allan Poe
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2013
• ISBN: 1108060471, 9781108060479
• Length: 282 pages
• Subjects: Literary Criticism / American / General; Literary Criticism / General