Product Description

Like one of his gothic stories, Poe has been brought to life in the pages of Coffee with Poe as he never has before. Orphaned at the age of two, Poe is raised by John Allan—his abusive foster father—who refuses to adopt him until he becomes straight-laced and businesslike. Poe, however, fancies poetry and young women. He becomes engaged to Elmira Royster as a teenager, but the engagement is broken after her father intercepts Poe’s letters. The contentious relationship with John Allan culminates in a violent altercation, which causes Poe to leave his wealthy foster father’s home to make it as a writer. Poe tries desperately to get established as a writer but is ridiculed by the "Literati of New York." The Raven subsequently gains Poe renown in America yet he slips deeper into poverty without the support of John Allan, only making $15 off the poem’s entire publication history. Desperate for a motherly figure in his life, Poe marries his first cousin who is only thirteen. John Allan has remarried by this time and when Poe visits him on his deathbed, he is refused an interview because his second wife believes Poe is after an inheritance. Thereafter, Poe lives his last years in abject poverty while suffering through the deaths of his foster mother, grandmother, and young wife. Poe’s health begins failing and he has bouts of paranoid delusions. In a cemetery Poe becomes engaged to Helen Whitman, a dark poet who is addicted to ether, wears a small coffin about her neck, and conducts séances in her home. Her mother thinks the impoverished poet is after her money and demands that Poe sign a rare prenuptial agreement. The engagement is soon broken off because of Poe’s drinking. In his final months Poe is again engaged to Elmira Royster after a joyful reunion, yet his health is in a downward spiral. Just before their marriage Poe disappears and is later found delirious and wearing another person’s begrimed clothes. He dies a few days later, whispering his final words: "God help my poor soul."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1156033 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From the Author
Coffee with Poe is a historical novel detailing Edgar Allan Poe’s life and is filled with actual letters to his three fiancées, his literary contemporaries (Longfellow, Irving, and Hawthorne), and his bitter enemies. The characters are brought to life by interactive dialogue that may have taken place from what history teaches us.

From the Inside Flap
"...Literature is the most noble of professions. In fact, it is about the only one fit for a man. For my own part, there is no seducing me from the path. I shall be a literateur, at least, all my life; nor would I abandon the hopes which still lead me on for all the gold in California." EDGAR ALLAN POE, Februrary 14, 1849.

Customer Reviews

An enjoyable read!
Certainly not a new concept of combining fact and fiction, this really is an enjoyable, quick read on Edgar Allan Poe. Barger has some interesting theories on Poe's mysterious life and writes in a very engaging style that keeps you reading. I admire how clear the author is in showing what text comes from Poe's actual letters and where he has filled in the gaps with fiction. Recommended!

Haunting Look at Poe's Life in a Fascinating Way
Coffee with Poe combines actual Poe letters to weave the tale of his life. The gothic writter was as much a master of letters as he was poetry or short stories. Who knew he loved so many women or that he married his 13 year-old first cousin? Poe's interaction with other literary figures of the day such as Dickens and Hawthorne is also interesting. From cradle to grave this is the tragic account of 'America's first poet' and it should not be missed.

Edgar Allan Poe: An Amazing and Tragic Life
Coffee with Poe is the story of Poe's life and although it is a novel, seamlessly includes many actual letters from his many romances and literary figures of the time. I especially liked the chapter where Poe meets Dickens. Anyone wanting a great read or anyone with interest in Poe will be interested in this book.