Poe’s black cat and thumping heart haunt the 21st century, despite being far removed from the era of their conception.
Edgar Allan Poe’s stories are among some of the most well-known works of horror fiction. The writer’s skilled command of language and atmosphere continues to intrigue readers almost 200 years after his death.
Edgar Allan Poe stories are public domain, and you can read most of them online for free. For example, Poe Stories is a great website to visit for online copies of his work.
In his lifetime Poe wrote about short stories as well as creating them. His essay The Philosophy of Composition is a discussion of what he thinks is a good approach to writing short stories, and how to achieve your desired effect when writing. Poe seemed to have an endless number of short story ideas, and he told them well. The Philosophy of Composition is interesting to read if you’re interested in learning a bit more about Poe’s planning and writing process.
I would just love to know how Poe’s mind worked. His stories are gripping, and though I haven’t read all of his work I love what I’ve seen so far. In no particular order, my top Edgar Allen Poe stories are:
The Black Cat
The Black Cat is a classic Poe tale of violence and the supernatural, with a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I love this story because of the intensity of emotion Poe conveys, and the fact that no matter how many times I re-read the tale, the sense of dread and horror doesn’t ease up.
The narrator explains the change in temperament that leads to his vicious behaviour as a result of his alcohol addiction, an issue that impacted Poe significantly in his own life. In The Black Cat, if we ignore the possibility of a supernatural presence and instead consider only what’s in the realm of the human, we’re still confronted with a tale that’s gruesome and bleak; it’s the story of how addiction, when left untreated, can have a devastating impact on the individual suffering, and those around them.
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Tell-Tale Heart is one of Poe’s best-known short stories, with film. It has many adaptations including the 1928 film of the same name starring Otto Matieson. The Tell-Tale Heart was the first story of Poe’s I ever read, and I loved every line.
I’m a big thriller fan, and the narrator’s strange obsession with his landlord’s vulture-like eye, along with the actions he takes following this obsession, had me gripped. Poe’s imagination for horror is insane, and while there isn’t much mystery in this story the suspense is intense.
The Masque of the Red Death
A story that in 2020 is particularly relevant, The Masque of the Red Death is a tale of a deadly disease spreading through a country. The prince of this country, Prospero, hosts a party for a large group of people (who isolate beforehand to ensure none have the Red Death). As you can maybe imagine, the party doesn’t end well for anybody involved.
The Masque of the Red Death is a story which when I first started I thought ‘I know how this is going to end.’ Of course, Poe being the writer that he is, I found the ending was much more elaborate and surprising than I first expected. The detail that went into those final moments of the party is what made this story a favourite of mine.
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum is perhaps the most action packed tale on this list. The story is set during the Catholic Inquisition, starting with the narrator being tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Though obscure and confusing in places, the story still manages to intrigue and terrify.
My favourite thing about The Pit and the Pendulum is how vivid the descriptions are, even when the narrator is in darkness. Poe engages more than just your visual sense, and it pulls you into the room with the narrator.
The Philosophy of Composition
What is it about Poe’s short stories that make them so brilliantly horrific? Could it be the severity or potency of emotion that Poe creates and maintains in his fiction? Or the eerie and unnerving atmosphere of his horrific tales? Maybe it’s the vivid and sometimes unnerving descriptions? Or is it simply that the plots are wildly imaginative?
In his essay The Philosophy of Composition (which is available to read for free online on the Project Gutenberg website), Poe talks about his process of writing and the elements of written works that most contribute to its impact on the reader. When writing his fiction the first thing Poe says he thinks of is his desired effect, a simple enough task. Achieving this effect, however, requires a lot of careful consideration.
First and foremost, to produce a well written piece you need to take into account what Poe calls the unity of effect. What unity of effect means is that different elements of the story work together to elicit a specific reaction or emotion from readers.
In order to achieve this unity of effect, you must first know your plot in its entirety before writing, or as Poe puts it; ‘every plot… must be elaborated to its dénouement before anything be attempted with a pen.’ This way you can be sure each word contributes to setting up the final climax.
The second factor is the length of the story. Short stories that can be read in one sitting, according to Poe, have a more significant impact on the reader than longer works. This, he suggests, is because ‘if two sittings be required, the affairs of the world interfere, and everything like totality is at once destroyed.’
There is one tale of Poe’s that I (deliberately) left off of this list. The Raven is a poem that tells the story of a talking raven who appears in the home of a grieving lover, and is one of Poe’s greatest and most famous works. It’s free to read online, and definitely worth checking out.
For readers in the 21st century, a lot of 19th century works can be confusing, or just dull. Times have changed, we have new monsters to be afraid of now. But somehow, the terror of Poe’s tales linger through time.
Thank you for reading my book recommendations
If you want to read these stories, they are available online on sites such as Poe Stories. Alternatively, you can support your local library and see if these titles are available, or request these stories there. If you prefer ebooks, why not try the Libby app (a fantastic place to borrow and request books from your local library).
If you’ve read any of these stories already, I’d love to hear your thoughts! My comments are always open for book-related chats.
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