The Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe - Classic Gothic Horror Literature Collection for Book Lovers & Halloween Reading

What can it be said about the literary talent of Edgar Allan Poe at this point of time? This American writer was an astounding man of letters, without whose contributions our world would probably be more boring and dull. He was able to elevate an underrated narrative format like the short story form to the category of real art, and also the first one to reasonably theorize about it.Even though Poe was something of a "mixed bag" (a critic once said of him that he was "three-fifths genius and two-fifths sheer fudge") his best tales are still intimidating narrative achievements. Some of the best are: "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Masque of The Red Death", "The Black Cat", "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Imp of the Perverse", or "Descent into the Maelström" (to name just a few, of course). To pass away without having read some (if not all) of these masterpieces should be considered as something akin to a deadly sin or a capital offense. Poe was not A short story writer, he was THE short story writer, and many of his tales are still coveted triumphs that many aspirants to penpushers revere and envy. No matter if Poe is not sufficiently appreciated in America (is that really so?), here in Europe we'll be extremely pleased to give him a home. As a matter of fact I'd even contribute tax money to build him a public statue if I was asked to. The good moments that his best works have given me make him deserving of that. No other American writer has been so influential or has achieved so great a renown worldwide (especially in Europe and South America). Compared to his, the work of other writers like Mark Twain or William Faulkner strike me as "period pieces" and "local colour narratives".Among all the various editions readily available compiling the entire Works of Edgar Allan Poe, this omnibus by "Doubleday Publishing" is perhaps the best option for your money. It includes both his entire poetry and short fiction, as well as his only novel (`The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym'); it is also reasonably priced and the book is quite compact, without being excessively large or bulky (you are not required to be a weight lifter to read it in bed). The only edition that probably surpasses this one in quality and contents is that published by "The Library of America" (but which is also more expensive). If, like me, you don't care much about Poe's poetry, then "The Complete Stories" by Everyman's Library (ISBN: 978-0679417408) should be a good choice as well. It doesn't really matter as long as people keep reading Poe from time to time and thus maintaining his brilliant legacy alive.