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Summary: Amazing Book, Amazing Writer
Review: I must admit, I am a Poe fanatic. I have read this book twice already. I do not know what it is about Poes' stories that just suck you in. I find Poes' mindset to be extremely fascinating. I do not think that anyone would be able to decipher what went about in that mans mentality. Reading Poe is beyond a mere thriller. His stories are not only mysterious with intrigue and drama, they also make you think. You sit and ponder 'why?', why did the character do this or say that. Like in my favorite tale "Black Cat", you sit and wonder what made the character behave the way he did. Was it caused by drink or was it caused by 'bad luck'? Or with the ever famous "Cask of Amontidallo", what was the grave insult that Montresor suffered? Such questions will never be directly answered, as all the conclusions will inevitably be suppositions made by people, such as you and I. All in all, reading Poes' stories is mesmerizing in itself, and this book is as complete as it gets. It is a pretty large paperback (not like the mass market) and the font is actually much better than that in the hardback book. This is a worthwhile read at an excellent price.
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Summary: Haunting Elegance Of Night.
Review: In this book,fair efforts inevitably recede to the overall accomplishent of the whole.Poe's innovations & brilliance need not be repeated,but what particularly struck the author of this review is the elegance & learnedness of the great writer,narrating in lively,impressive detail the dreams,aspirations,imagination & fevered frenzy of a soul marked & destined to carry the cloak of night in it's solitary,unending quest of flickering hope amidst the radiant moonlight. But the highlight of this collection are the poems.Poe's passion,his heart strings gently stroked through the stirrings of his soul.Beautiful,elegant,rich & lyrical,intense in their appreciation of loneliness & night,the yearning for a dream within a dream,never wanting to wake up again to a world cold in senseless,painful reverie.A gift of life from the greatest American writer of all time.
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Summary: The #1 Volume of Poe Works.
Review: Lets start with the facts!Edgar Allen Poe wrote a 14 page poem titled AL AARAAF as a youngster,The Book encompesses the greatest Science Fiction writer of the 19th century and possible History in its over 1020 pages,Includes such works as Annabel Lee,The Rave,Shadow-a Parable,Silence-a Story,and the Tell Tale Heart,If you like reading this is the book for you I finished it in 3 days.
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Summary: The Horrors of Poe Make You Crave Them Some More
Review: Macabre, enticing, and fantastic, Poe's stories reveal a first rate intellect and an out of this world imagination. Poe was the first or one of the first authors of science fiction--his claim to this achievement is his story "Ligea," which is a must read, underrated story. "The Devil in the Belfry" reveals Poe's comic talents, as does the delightful "X-ing the Paragrab." These two stories reveal the light, almost playful, side of Poe, which is usually obscured by the dark side of his macabre horror stories and brooding poems. Speaking of which, his horror stories are some of the best ever written. I still fell the tension, reading them for the nth time in my life. Poe is also the originator of the detective story. Poe's intellect is evident in the story "Mellonta Tauta," where he humorously explains the difference between the Aristotilean/deductive reasoning and Baconian (Hog-ish!)/inductive reasoning. In his stories he also demonstrated some understanding of the theory of probability, foresaw the philosophical approach known as perspectivalism, and raised the question of sanity/normalcy that would become one of the major social questions of the 20th century, when power-hungry manical and clever madman came to power in some countries with the full intent of eventually ruling the world. I consider Poe one of the most imaginative people ever and one of the most insightful people of the 19th century. By today's standards, his life was short. But the legacy he left influenced and inspired so many people that he should be regarded as one of the greatest writers of short stories who ever lived, and as someone who belongs in the pantheon of many 19th century geniuses.
Rating: 
Summary: The tales are great, the type isn't
Review: Poe is a master. Reading them again after years of not brought me a lot of pleasure. This version has small type that makes reading in low light (for mood) very difficult. Anyone who has a hard time with a newspaper will not enjoy this release.
Rating:
Summary: The tales are great, the type isn't
Review: Poe is a master. Reading them again after years of not brought me a lot of pleasure. This version has small type that makes reading in low light (for mood) very difficult. Anyone who has a hard time with a newspaper will not enjoy this release.
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Summary: "Ah, distinctly I remember..."
Review: Poe was a true master. As a poet myself, I revere him. He is timeless, and his work shall continue to write itself into the fabric of history and our conscience. Even beyond "The Raven"...
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Summary: scary stories... poe sho
Review: The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe is a collection of all of Poe's work. It has 73 tales in all, including stories, poems, essays, criticism, and journalistic writings. If you are looking for a good scare, this book is right up your alley. Pick from "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Cask of Amontillado", and many more. "The Bells" and "Annabel Lee" are two of the poems in the book. Poe's great descriptive ability is shown in this collection and the tales will send a chill down your spine no matter how many times you read them. I would definitely recommend this book, but beware the vocabulary, it is pretty tough. But don't just take my word for it...
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Summary: One Thing Missing
Review: There is only one flaw with this book, and it goes precisely against what Poe himself stated, which as that he found it inexcusable to print a person's work other than how he/she intended it. Mark Twain's writings are a prime example of publisher's not honoring his wishes. Poe is another victim. This particular volume designates where the publisher has chosen to remove text because THEY felt it unnecessarily elongated the story. There is a volume that does not do this, but I cannot recall the name. If you don't mind the publisher deciding for you what of Poe's art you need to read, this volume is fine. For me, I always want the author's work, not the publisher's.
Rating:
Summary: One Thing Missing
Review: There is only one flaw with this book, and it goes precisely against what Poe himself stated, which as that he found it inexcusable to print a person's work other than how he/she intended it. Mark Twain's writings are a prime example of publisher's not honoring his wishes. Poe is another victim. This particular volume designates where the publisher has chosen to remove text because THEY felt it unnecessarily elongated the story. There is a volume that does not do this, but I cannot recall the name. If you don't mind the publisher deciding for you what of Poe's art you need to read, this volume is fine. For me, I always want the author's work, not the publisher's.
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