Product Description

Calling Poe the most popular of all American authors aside from Hemmingway, Harold Bloom discusses the author’s short stories. Reviewed works include Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "The Pit and the Pendulum."

This title also features a biography of Edgar Allen Poe, a user guide, a detailed thematic analysis of each short story, a list of characters in each story, a complete bibliography of Poe’s works, an index of themes and ideas, and editor’s notes and introduction by Harold Bloom.

This series, Bloom’s Major Short Story Writers, is edited by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University; Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Professor of English, New York University Graduate School; preeminent literary critic of our time. The world’s most prominent writers of short stories are covered in one series with expert analysis by Bloom and other critics. These titles contain a wealth of information on the writers and short stories that are most commonly read in high schools, colleges, and universities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2030934 in Books
• Published on: 1998-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Library Binding
• 88 pages

Review
"Excellent guides for the serious poetry research student" -Book Report

About the Author
Harold Bloom is Sterling Professor of Humanities, Yale University, and Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Professor of English, New York University Graduate School

Customer Reviews

Insulting
This book is shallow, judgemental, poorly researched and an insult to any the intelligence of any thinking person. There are some marvelous biographies about Edgar Allan Poe (The one by pulitzer prive winning biographer, Kenneth Silverman, is the best.) To call this a STUDY guide is absurd. It's a slanted, bias, narrow minded piece of propoganda.

one of the earliest attempts to define Poe written in the late 19th century.
This book dissects the personality of Poe from his works and since it is a biography it deals with some of the more negative aspects of Poe as well as the positive one's.There are alot of reproductions of letters written by Poe in regard to his personal life as well as letters written to him.Some very flattering others less so,as if he may have had a "mood disorder".His criticisms of others works the author defends as almost entirely just, but it is also pointed out Poe was occasionally susceptible to flattery,particularly if there a financial renumeration or a" well turned ankle" involved.This is one work where Poe's use of laudenum(a mixture of opium and alcohol) receives attention.apparently this drug was a common stock at the doctor's office(not to mention the street vendor)and was used and prescribed for alot of people."Opium dreams",a common phrase,could have been one of Poe's inspirations,a mind of his calibre would certainly remember and be able to profoundly describe those visions of paradise(and horror)!!it is obvious to me that the author of this book admires and respects Poe, but keeps his distance for the sake of his interpretation of the truth.The 1840's with no copyright laws and high illiteracy would not make much opportunity for men like Poe other than "free lancing"an open invitation for "economic violence".Woodberry's book reads smoothly and pretty much gets to the essence of Poe in my opinion.

good
a pretty good book. it's definently a good read for those interested in poe.