BookReview‬: The Purloined Letter, by Edgar Allan Poe

As far as detective stories go, this one stands out among the best I've read so far. For a change, in this tale the criminal's identity is made quite evident at the start, the nature of crime being a theft of a letter of great political importance; yet, the French police arrive at a dead-end when they cannot find the document on the person or in the residence of their suspect. So what remains for detective Dupin to do is to help the regular forces in recovering the purloined letter, which he does with a little help of psychology. The only reason I am giving it four stars instead of the full five is because I missed the real thrill of a who-dun-it mystery--the hunt for and the collection of evidence, the deductions, the chase, the confrontation--and so forth. But other than that, a lovely story.

BookReview‬: The Black Cat, by Edgar Allan Poe

This is a recorded confession of a man who loves animals, and who used to keep many pets. The animals loved him as much in return. However, a strange, inexplicable change gradually creeps into his personality. Overtaken by drunken fits of rage, he starts ill-treating his pets. Even his loving wife is forced to the receiving end of his ill temperament. One of the animals he brutally ill-treats is his favourite pet--a black cat. What follows is an even more gruesome confession, not only of ill-treatment, but also of murder, and the role his past plays against his designs to get away with it.

Some details in this tale are very graphic descriptions. Poe's words sketch very potent word-pictures that impress strongly upon the mind. Not recommended for the faint of heart. In any case not a bed-time read, unless you fancy disturbed sleep if not nightmares.

BookReview: The Descent Into The Maelstrom, by Edgar Allan Poe

An incredible, awesome sea storm survival adventure. Very well described by the author. Almost felt like I was there in the boat amidst the fishermen, like it was my own story. Ten times more appealing than (though still as unbelievable as) some of the modern attempts at similar tales.