Product Description

Universally acclaimed as the maestro of horror and the morbid, Edgar Allan Poe's dark gift has for more than a century and a half set the standard for the genre.

Now, Caedmon Audio presents a classic collection of Poe's most terrifying tales performed by two of the most brilliant interpreters of his work ever to be recorded: Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone.

Between them, they perform 20 of Poe's chilling stories and poems, creating an unforgettably intense listening experience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #125245 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-01
• Released on: 2000-10-03
• Formats: Audiobook, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 5
• Binding: Audio CD

From Publishers Weekly
Talk about a match made in heaven! It would be hard to imagine more fitting narrators for Poe's classic horror tales than Price and Rathbone, two superb, classically trained actors who became household names starring in movies of suspense and mystery. Poe's work is especially well-suited to audio, and these remastered, archival Caedmon recordings, originally released on phonograph records, showcase the two actors at their finest. Both Price and Rathbone perfectly convey the prototypical Poe narrator trying to come to grips with the horror he has experienced. In "Berenice," Price's voice sounds refined yet deeply troubled as he struggles to explain the insidious, neurotic obsession taking over his life. "The Cask of Amontillado" finds Rathbone chuckling with evil pleasure at the well-planned murder of one who has slighted him. Among the remaining featured tales are "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Raven," "Annabel Lee," "The Black Cat" and "The Pit and the Pendulum." This audio is an absolute must for Poe fans, and high school and college students assigned Poe stories for English class will find the literature takes on new meaning with this recording.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Poe, said to be the creator of the American Gothic tale and detective fiction, is well represented in this collection of 20 poems and short stories that was originally produced in 1954. The pieces illustrate several themes for which Poe was well known. For example, he felt that the death of a beautiful woman was the most poetical topic in the world. "The Raven," which made him famous, shows the incantatory or hypnotic quality of his rhythm, especially with Basil Rathbone's reading. Other horror tales included are "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Black Cat," and "The Fall of the House of Usher." The people in his novels often die and then mysteriously return to life, usually after they have been entombed. In "The Imp of the Perverse," Poe expounds on his theory of humanity that we often do something simply because we should not. The literary world is grateful for his unique vision. Vincent Price and Rathbone, well-known actors, both perform excellently. Any serious collection of horror or detective fiction would not be complete without Poe's works. Highly recommended. Marjorie Lemon, SRCF-Mercer, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) reigns unrivaled in his mastery of mystery. Born in Boston, he was orphaned at age three, expelled from West Point for gambling, and became an alcoholic. In 1836 he secretly wed his thirteen-year-old cousin. The Raven, published in 1845, made Poe famous. He died in 1849 under what remain suspicious circumstances.

Customer Reviews

Just about perfect
This 5 disk collection of Edgar Allen Poe's works is one of the best audio collections I have ever heard. Generally, I am a fan of the "radio play" style of spoken audio, with a full cast and appropriate sound effects. Yet, Poe's work (especially on the represented stories) tends to be from a single point of view, and largely take place in the mind of the main character. This first person style lends itself well to a single narrator. I could not imagine two better chosen narrators.

The heritage of radio shines in there performances. These are two actors who cut their teeth in radio, in shows such as "Suspence," "Inner Sanctum" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." Voice acting is almost a lost art. It is amazing, the sheer richness that comes from hearing Poe's words manipulated by such talented voices.

Vincent Price, famous for his sinister voice, is a natural for Poe. He does fewer pieces, voicing "Ligeia," "The Imp of the Perverse," "Morella," "Berenice" and "The Gold Bug." All of them are well done, with "Ligeia" being a stand out.

Basil Rathbone does the lion's share of the CD set. As I was not as familiar with him, I was a little disappointed about this. Then I heard him speak. Wow. His voice is superb, and obviously highly-trained. I prefer him to Price on the recordings, and I am thankful that he voices my favorite pieces. He slips easily between prose and poetry, and has a voice full of both emotion and cold regard. Rathbone lends his tenor to "The Tell-Tale Heart," The Fall of the House of Usher," The Black Cat," "The Cask of Amontillado," The Masque of the Red Death," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Haunted Palace," "The Bells," "The Facts of the Case of M. Valdemar," "The Raven," "Annabel Lee," "Eldorado," "To--," "Alone" and "The City in the Sea."

Are there flaws to the set? Sure. The long tracks mean you have to listen to each story in one go. There are some abridgments, if you follow along with the books. However, the talent of the narrators combined with the respect for the words being spoken outweigh any flaws. This is a truly exceptional collection.

"Once Upon A Midnight Dreary...."
This review refers to the "Edgar Allan Poe Audio Collection" 5 CD set(Harper Audio)...

Normally I listen to my audio books while working around the house, or driving in my car. This magnificent selection of some of Poe's best short stories and poems, read by Basil Rathbone and Vincent Price was so instense and all consuming, I wanted nothing else to draw my attention away. I didn't want to leave the room or pause the stereo even for a moment. These talented voices read Poe to you the way Poe should be heard.

The tales are bone chilling, spine tingling and heart pumping. Poe's works are dark and brillant and I can't imagine anyone better able to bring his literary genius to life then these two exquiste readers. I've read many of these works numerous times, but hearing them read aloud on these discs, brought new visions of Poe's words to my mind and sparked my imagination like never before.

Rathbone mesmerizies with his intense perfomances of:
To-
Alone
The City By The Sea
The Fall Of The House Of Usher
The Haunted Palce
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Masque of the Red Death
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Black Cat
The Raven
The Facts of the Case of M.Valdemar
The Cask of Amontillado
The Bells
Annabel Lee
Eldorado

Price, the master, will have you entranced with his oh so recognizable voice and eerie style as he reads to you:
Ligeia(this has always been my personal favorite of Poe's works and I was thrilled by Price's reading)
The Imp of the Perverse
Morella
Berenice
The Gold Bug.

This 5 CD set is nicely packaged and includes an insert with a list of the works included,the discs they are on, and the time they each run. The sound quality was excellent. Clear as a bell. I did have to turn it up several notches higher that I usually do, and at times Rathbone got so intense I had to turn it down a bit, but loved every single second! The individual discs range in total time from around 47 min. to 1 hour and 15 min.

Also recommended: Edgar Allan Poe Reader (Courage Classics) a fabulous collection of short stories as well as poetry in hardcover.

Poe, Price and Rathbone...It was meant to be...Laurie

Audio Antique Treasure: Edgar Allan Poe Comes To Life
The reviewers for this audio box set of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous works of fiction are absolutely right. There is perfection in this product. The talented Vincent Price and Basil Rathborne lend their voices to the narration of the classic tales of horror and suspense. This is an antique. It is valuable and very reminiscent of the old World War II days of radio-plays sponsored by soap companies. This same style was responsible for the popularity of H.G. Well's "War of the Worlds". When Orson Welles narrated the story, his voice and the drama of the radio was so convincing, people actually believed flying saucers were invading American cities. The power of radio was very strong in the time before television media. At any rate, my point is that this same magnetism is felt in the drama that Vincent Price and Basil Rathborne provide to the original master of horror pre-Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe.

Poe was responsible for creating the detective story, some would say the short story, American Gothic, macabre tales that gripped readers with haunting melancholia, dread and superstition. It was as if he took drugs and hallucinated and wrote down what he saw. Among his most famous tales, of which Vincent Price and Basil Rathborne perfectly read with powerful narration are "The Cask Of Amontillado", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Mask Of The Red Death," "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Tell-Tale Heart" and the "Black Cat". It is unfortunate that they did'nt include selections from "Tales From The Rue Morgue". Among the poems that are read and made Poe quite a literati are "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee".

With all the well-constructed suspense and literary Gothic, poetic romanticism, the tales of Edgar Allan Poe are suddenly alive and fresh in the old radio style. This is truly a great gift for fans of Gothic storytelling, and most specifically, for fans of Edgar Allan Poe. Not only is a great gift, a great audio treasure, but a perfect compliment to homework. Your high-school age son or daughter will benefit immensely from hearing these classic short stories, narrated dramatically by these old "mystery" movie actors from the 50's, a more pleasurable, but nonetheless educational experience.