Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Short Stories

by Edgar Allan Poe

Hello :) Today's review is about the famous horror novelist par excellence.

Check out my last review about The Picture of Dorian Gray :)

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The book I'm reviewing today is about a group of short stories by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe. 

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The stories were pretty easy to read and it was going fluently because it's not so full of harsh words. Just sometimes there are some foreigner words, but thankfully I'm polyglot :)

It's a collection of ten short stories, including: 

The Fall of The House of Usher; The Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Masque of the Red Death; The Black Cat; The Tell-Tale Heart; The Premature Burial; The Facts in the Case of M. Valdermar; The Cask of Amontillado and Hop-Frog. 

The first one hasn't really been the most scariest of them all in my opinion, but it's still pretty enjoyable to read. They probably put it as the first to prepare you for the gruesome ones that will follow :)

The second is definitely one of the most disturbing ones, especially when he's describing the two cadavers of the ladies in Rue Morgue. This short story presents some French words, since it's set in Paris, so be ready with a dictionary if you haven't study French ;)

The third was a bit creepy considering that he's trapped in a cell with rats trying to devouring him, but otherwise it was a pretty interesting one too. 

The fourth started a bit slow and I was really scared I would have been disappointed by it but the finale was just amazing, if we can say that about a horror. 

The fifth, the Black Cat, is, by far, the one I enjoyed the most, I liked how the cruelty of the human against the little creature then backfired him. 

The sixth was quite creepy as well, especially because the old man in it had a scary eye that tormented also the protagonist. 

The seventh, well, I think I speak for all of us when I say that that's probably one of the main nightmares of everyone, being buried alive. Who isn't scared of that? 

The last three were full of death and violence as well, especially the last one, it had a finale that I would have never expected. 

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So to conclude this, I loved it. 

I didn't have many expectations about it, because it was the first time I've read any of his stories, except his poem The Raven. 

I need to say that one story after the other I was captured into this poetic style of writing and right now I can't even choose my favourite one anymore, I adored them all :)

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

 The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde

Hi :) Today I'm reviewing a book I read for the second time, because, let's be honest, is amazing. 

Check out my last review about The Life Before Us of March :)

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The book of today is The Picture of Dorian Gray by the Irish writer Oscar Wilde. 

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The novel was easy to read since it doesn't use so many harsh words, and most of the foreigner ones (ex. he uses some German, Italian and French words) are written with notes below to explain the meaning. 

It is the story of a young and easily corrupted man, Dorian Gray, who is sitting for a portrait made by the painter Basil Hallward. This one is so impressed by Dorian's charm and beauty that he feels like he's making the painting come alive for how stunning he is. 

Through Basil, Dorian will meet, Lord Henry Wotton, a dandy and aristocrat who believes in a philosophy of self-indulgent hedonism. Beauty and sensual fulfilment are the only important things in life. 

Because of this meeting, Dorian expresses that he would like to sell his soul if he could stay young forever, but that the picture instead, would age at his place. 

The wish comes true, though, making him appear always young, even after 18 years from the beginning of the story, while the portrait is getting older and showing every sin ever committed by him. 

Will he be able to redeem himself and start acting good again? Or is his soul already damned? 

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I loved it just as the first time I read it. It's a true masterpiece and never gets old, just like Dorian's figure. 

It's the modern recreation of the Faust's myth. 

It's a really short book, so it can be easily read even in one day or two and it's totally worth it. 

Many adaptations were done from it, movies, tv series and even musicals.