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The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings
- Narrated by: Tom Ravenscroft, Catherine Bailey
- Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins
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The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
This Penguin Classic is performed by Tom Ravenscroft, radio presenter known for his work on BBC 6 Music, and Catherine Bailey, known for A Quiet Passion and The Crown, as leading roles in London Theatres. This definitive recording includes an Introduction by David Galloway.
The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings is a collection that displays the full force of Edgar Allen Poe's mastery of both Gothic horror and the short story form.
This selection of Poe's critical writings, short fiction and poetry demonstrates his intense interest in aesthetic issues, and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. 'The Fall of the House of Usher' is a slow-burning Gothic horror, describing the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In 'The Tell-Tale Heart', a murderer's insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as 'The Pit and the Pendulum', 'The Raven' and 'The Cask of Amontillado' explore extreme states of decadence, fear and hate.
In his introduction David Galloway re-examines the myths surrounding Poe's life and reputation.
Although dissipated in his youth and plagued by mental instability towards the end of his life, Boston-born Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) had a variety of occupations, including service in the US army and magazine editor, as well as his remarkable literary output.
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Critic reviews
'The most original genius that America has produced' Alfred, Lord Tennyson
'Poe has entered our popular consciousness as no other American writer' The New York Times Book Review
What listeners say about The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- R. S. Hammond
- 28-01-24
A good opportunity missed
The previous reviewer pretty much sums it up- that the content is pretty much 5 star material is beyond dispute at least in my opinion
Some writers really need to be heard in their native tongue and this particularly applies to Poe- an English narrator of these works is not necessarily a turn off for me but God! at least show some empathy with the text! Poe’s work deals with extreme emotional states- how the otherwise Penguin Classics settled on this monotonous narrator is beyond me- big misstep on what could have been an excellent survey of Poe’s greatest hits
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Auguste Dupin
- 23-07-20
Its hard to get past the narration
The book is obviously great. A wonderful collection of stories and poems, with a brilliant introduction. Its worth buying just for that introduction. But the narration is amateurish. Neither narrator seems to understand what they are reading. Catherine Bailey is definitely the stronger narrator. Her reading of the introduction is clear and refreshing. The poems are read in the way an undergraduate reads poetry, line by line, feeling their way through the text. Nonetheless the poems are quite tolerable. Tom Ravenscroft reads the tales by taking each word as it comes as if it was a surprise, and has no sense whatsoever of what he is reading or where he is going. For me, the stories are unlistenable, if you hope to derive some enjoyment from the listening. I could not understand why Penguin chose Ravenscroft as a narrator since he so completely lacks any empathy with the text. But I now learn he is a celebrity DJ, the son of John Peel, so this audiobook is a bit of a stunt. If I had known that I would not have bought this book.
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7 people found this helpful