Seven days of Poe

In celebration of The Raven, the new film based on (and featuring) Edgar Allen Poe, I will posting a short article on a different work of his on the days counting down to the movie's release.

Poe's life was one of tragedy and this was a strong influence on the subject matter of his writings. A sense of desire and despair hovers over the pages and, as the story winds down to what is often a tragic resolution, what is revealed is the ache that lingers within the human heart.
Not all of his works involve some form of lost love. Mystery, or course plays its part, as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is strong detective fiction. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a fantastical tale of mental degradation and horror.
And yet it is revenge that takes the leading role, more often than not. There is often a sense of a person getting what is deserved, in most cases not as deserved as the perpetrator seems to believe. "The Cask of Amontillado" illustrates this idea most profoundly.

Which of Poe's tales will be used in the movie's plot remains to be seen (though the chosen title is a large hint of what is to come, and those who know Poe have an idea what horrors the writers have chosen) so, in the following posts, I will touch on some of his less known works.


Link to movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeLrtwniqM4

NOTE: I have something similar planned for the release of Tim Burton's Dark Shadows. I am counting the hours!