The Murders in the Rue Morgue – Edgar Allan Poe

Hello! Today I’ve finished The Murders in the Rue Morgue, from Edgar Allan Poe. Sadly, I've read it in my Lev, so the pic is not that charming :( Bad side of online reading, LOL.

Anyway, the book has six tales:

The Imp of the Perverse

A little like The Tell-Tale Heart, the base of the plot is the guilty that the narrator feels after doing something bad. In this case, the main character murdered another man to inherit his proprieties and, as he was very clever, the police never got him. However, the narrator always feels like he may be caught at any moment and his paranoia is the crux of the problem.

What I thought: My mom gave me a book with 22 stories from Poe some years ago and this one I had already read in the past, but I almost didn’t remember it. It was very nice to feel the thrill that Poe constructs in his writing like it was the first time. This one became one of my favorites <3

Hop Frog or The Eight Chained Ourangoutangs

This is the story of two dwarfs at a king’s court. The male one, Hop Frog, was the court jester and limped a lot. The female one, Tripetta, was a beautiful dwarf, well proportionated and very charming. The two of them bound, as both are slaves of the king, who likes most of all, to mock Hop Frog with his consultants. After a particular unfortunate incident with Tripetta, Hop Frog elaborates a plan to avenge her and punish his king and his consultants.

What I thought: Another one already read and this one I remembered well, as Hop Frog’s plan was audacious, brilliant and cruel. But there was another thing that marked my good: the happy ending. It’s a rarity among Poe’s tales, LOL.

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

In this tale, the narrator is a doctor interested in mesmerism, a kind of hypnotism. He’s specially interest in the effects of mesmerism on a dying person, so he is given the chance to test his theories at his dying friend, Mr. Valdemar. Of course, things don’t go as planned.

What I thought: This one also was in my other book, but I totally forgot it. And I have to say I know why: I didn’t like it. It was too much fantasy for Poe’s style, in my opinion :/

The Black Cat

This is the tale of a man who loves animals very much, but an incident with his cat Pluto transforms his conception of reality in a way that drives him insane.

What I thought: I don’t know which is more famous: The Black Cat or The Tell-Tale Heart, LOL. I first read this when I was in junior high and it’s wonderful every time I read again. It’s simply ingenious.

Never Bet the Devil Your Head

Tommy Dammit was the hateful kind of person you want to punch in the face. This friend, the narrator, tries during the whole story, to bring him to the “good” side, but Tommy won’t go for it. The result is that, after so many bets to the devil, Tommy finally delivers the so-promised prize.

What I thought: this one was new for me, as it wasn’t present on my other book. It was very interesting, specially the way of how the narrator’s thoughts change during the tale, but wasn’t anything breathtaking. I guess, when you know a bit or two about Poe, some kinds of plots became a little foreseeable. Anyway, it’s worth the reading :)

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

The tale that names the book presents us to Mr. Dupin, a very intelligent man who uses his observation powers to solve a murder case that even the police considered a lost cause.

What I thought: Dupin is Poe’s French version of Sherlock Holmes. He’s very talented, intelligent and eccentric, just like Sherlock, but a little more insane, if you ask me. I didn’t know this one too and it was amazing how things are so not what they look like. It’s now in my heart, along with The Black Cat, William Wilson, The Tell-Tale Heart and Berenice <3 <3

That’s all, folks! If you want to know what I'm reading right know or what I want to read or what I've already read, check out my Goodreads profile and don't forget to follow me on Instagram to always know when there will be a new post available!

Thank you for reading! Do you like Poe’s tales too? :D

PS: This is my physical edition, that my mom gave me: