Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works (Leather-bound Classics)

PROS: STURDY COVER it's a lovely hardcover, not leather, but I knew it wouldn't be I suggest checking out the video reviews here on Amazon for more info PAGES - BEAUTIFUL GILT, fairly thin, but I am not hard on books and I think the paper is great quality, print is fairly small, but I wear readers anyway. Oh and I LOVE the smell of the paper. For those of you who like books, as in real, physical books, you know what I mean THIS would NOT be a book I would put in a public or school library though! It should last for years, decades for those who take care with their books. BOOKMARK - the satiny bookmark just makes it seem even more special and expensive. CONS: NONE for me. BOTTOMLINE: would make a FABULOUS gift for someone who loves Poe or a gift for oneself! So happy I got it and it was a GREAT price.

Soooo beautiful!!

Absolutely beautiful book at an amazing price!

Edgar Allan Poe’s stature as a major figure in world literature is primarily based on his ingenious and profound short stories, poems, and critical theories, which established a highly influential rationale for the short form in both poetry and fiction. Regarded in literary histories and handbooks as the architect of the modern short story, Poe was also the principal forerunner of the “art for art’s sake” movement in 19th-century European literature. Whereas earlier critics predominantly concerned themselves with moral or ideological generalities, Poe focused his criticism on the specifics of style and construction that contributed to a work’s effectiveness or failure. In his own work, he demonstrated a brilliant command of language and technique as well as an inspired and original imagination. Poe’s poetry and short stories greatly influenced the French Symbolists of the late 19th century, who in turn altered the direction of modern literature. Poe’s father and mother were professional actors. At the time of his birth in 1809, they were members of a repertory company in Boston. Before Poe was three years old both of his parents died, and he was raised in the home of John Allan, a prosperous exporter from Richmond, Virginia, who never legally adopted his foster son. As a boy, Poe attended the best schools available, and was admitted to the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in 1825. While there he distinguished himself academically but was forced to leave after less than a year because of bad debts and inadequate financial support from Allan. Poe’s relationship with Allan disintegrated upon his return to Richmond in 1827, and soon after Poe left for Boston, where he enlisted in the army and also published his first poetry collection, Tamerlane, and Other Poems. The volume went unnoticed by readers and reviewers, and a second collection, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems, received only slightly more attention when it appeared in 1829. That same year Poe was honorably discharged from the army, having attained the rank of regimental sergeant major, and was then admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point. However, because Allan would neither provide his foster son with sufficient funds to maintain himself as a cadet nor give the consent necessary to resign from the Academy, Poe gained a dismissal by ignoring his duties and violating regulations. He subsequently went to New York City, where Poems, his third collection of verse, was published in 1831, and then to Baltimore, where he lived at the home of his aunt, Mrs. Maria Clemm. Over the next few years Poe’s first short stories appeared in the Philadelphia Saturday Courier and his “MS. Found in a Bottle” won a cash prize for best story in the Baltimore Saturday Visitor. Nevertheless, Poe was still not earning enough to live independently, nor did Allan’s death in 1834 provide him with an inheritance. The following year, however, his financial problems were temporarily alleviated when he accepted an editorship at The Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond, bringing with him his aunt and his 12-year-old cousin Virginia, whom he married in 1836. The Southern Literary Messenger was the first of several journals Poe would direct over the next 10 years and through which he rose to prominence as a leading man of letters in America. Poe made himself known not only as a superlative author of poetry and fiction, but also as a literary critic whose level of imagination and insight had hitherto been unapproached in American literature. While Poe’s writings gained attention in the late 1830s and early 1840s, the profits from his work remained meager, and he supported himself by editing Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia and the Broadway Journal in New York City. After his wife’s death from tuberculosis in 1847, Poe became involved in a number of romantic affairs. It was while he prepared for his second marriage that Poe, for reasons unknown, arrived in Baltimore in late September of 1849. On October 3, he was discovered in a state of semi-consciousness; he died four days later without regaining the necessary lucidity to explain what had happened during the last days of his life.

I especially like that the book includes a little biography about Poe in the beginning. I just find him to have been such a fascinating individual! The pages are a nice thickness and the font is small but not too small. The cover is gorgeous! A perfect addition to any collection or home library! I can’t wait to dive in!

the book is amazing and looks amazing, my only issue was when it was delivered the ribbon going through the book ended up tearing a page but its completely legible and overall the book is perfectly fine, the book iteslf i good quality as well as it has a good feeling then the edges are a nice gold and the pages arent stuck together like some books what have painted edges.

Absolutely gorgeous book. The cover is thick and has the most amazing artwork upon it. The spine is durable and the pages are covered in a divine gold flake. The stories are as timeless as they are old and I couldn’t be happier with this purchase.

Affordable and worth the price and is in perfect condition and I highly recommend❤️😊

Looks great on my shelf.

Es un libro de buena calidad, pero el tamaño de la letra es muy pequeña.

lindo demais

Uno de los libros más bonitos que tengo vale la pena claro si te gusta Poe y a mi me encanta y ahora tengo esta edición que llego en perfectas condiciones y muy rápido. El precio es razonable .

Canterbury Classic Collection. Affordable and good quality.