The Best of Edgar Allan Poe Lib/E

The name Edgar Allan Poe conjures up thoughts of hearts beating long after their owners are dead, of disease and plague amid wealth, and of love that extends beyond the grave. The richness of Poe's writing, however, includes much more than horror, loss, and death. Poe's stories teem with irony and black humor, in addition to plot twists and surprise endings. Living by their own rules and charged with passion, Poe's characters are instantly recognizable--even though we may be appalled by their actions, we understand their motivations. This collection contains eleven of Poe's best stories. They are The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, The Premature Burial, Ligeia, The Black Cat, The Oval Portrait, Berenice, The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, and The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether.

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1848) transformed the American literary landscape with his innovations in the short story genre and his haunting lyrical poetry, and he is credited with inventing American gothic horror and detective fiction. He was first published in 1827 and then began a career as a magazine writer and editor and a sharp literary critic. In 1845 the publication of his most famous poem, "The Raven," brought him national fame.