A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe

In this revelatory biography, Mark Dawidziak honors the Gothic nature of Poe's work, yet sweeps open the curtains to throw full light upon this masterful poet and shaper of American literature. He also discusses the mystery surrounding Edgar Allan Poe's death. In fact, he starts with Poe's death and then recreates his life. It seems everything that we thought we knew about Poe was incorrect, which is proved through photographs, extensive research, and interviews. A very fascinating read!

I really enjoyed this book. I had read some of Poe’s more famous stuff as a kid but hadn’t really thought much about him or his literary output since. So when I read a glowing review of this book I figured I’d give it a shot. Glad I did. It took me longer to get through these 300 odds pages then it should have because with almost every mention of a poem or short story that was worth reading I’d close my kindle and seek it out. What I discovered is almost all of Poe’s work is on the internet. I also discovered how difficult some of his short stories are to read (for me anyway). He wrote with that overly descriptive style they used back then, spending pages to describe a house or someone’s appearance before bothering to get on with the action. I found his poems much more readable and enjoyable. And as Dawidziak points out often in the book, thinking of Poe as just a horror writer diminishes him. He could be funny and romantic too. He’s famous for the scary stuff but that’s only part of his oeuvre. Ultimately there is no resolution to what killed Poe at such a young age. But as Dawidziak also points out , perhaps that’s for the best since it only adds another layer of mystery to his legend.

Appreciated attention to detail, use of actual printed words to describe other's relationship to Poe and he to them, historical references that described living in that time period, and going back & forth between how Poe lived and how he might have died. Inspired me to read more about the human being Poe was. Enjoyable read..

This book claims to offer new insight into Poe's death which was considered to be very mysterious at the time, in part because of an unreliable medical presence at Poe's final demise. The author does a decent job at discrediting other theories of Poe's death and settles on one that I thought was long the accepted view. The book alternates between chapters set in Poe's final days and a general biography of his life, which feels pretty much like filler to get the work up to book length. I don't know much about Poe, but I didn't learn much, if anything from this. And it was tough to follow with chapters alternating between Poe's life and death scene.

Readers, like myself, who think they know Poe because they had read all of his famous short stories and poems in their youths, saw his morose face in all of the card games of Authors they played, and enjoyed the Vincent Price/Wes Craven movies which were made must read this new biography. For example, I never knew he was equally famous as a book reviewer and that he married his 13-year-old cousin. The author's speculation on his mysterious demise seems well reasoned and his short, but tragic life is worth documenting again. Those numerous individuals who have already delved deeply into his life and career may not find any new revelations, but I certainly did. An excellent collection of black and white photos is an additional bonus.

Just when you think the experts have finally figured out the mystery of Poe's death, along comes another book with another theory. But this book isn't just an analysis of his death, it also offers an extensive detailing of Poe's life that I haven't found in other books. The only thing that I didn't care for when the author's judgement in jumping back and forth in the timeline of EAP's life.

It’s an interesting way to tell his story. Back and forth. It’s a good way to tell the story. I really enjoy the look at his life at different stages.

This book bored me to death so far and I’m only halfway through it!

This book is worth reading for any Edgar Allen Poe fan. Overall the book has lots of information about Edgar Allan Poe and it is well researched. It has so much information that at times it can get slow to read. Each chapter alternates between timelines from his early life to the last few weeks which at times made it a bit confusing. I am glad that I read this book as I did learn a lot about the life of Edgar Allen Poe.

Bought as a present, the recipient wanted this book.

Boa compra

Para os que admiram a literatura de Edgar Allan Poe e têm interesse sobre sua biografia pouco conhecida, este livro consegue desvendar muito do autor que morreu tão misteriosamente quanto os seus contos mais enigmáticos.