Poe: A Life Cut Short (Ackroyd's Brief Lives)

can’t wait to read this book

There have been a lot of books written about the life of Poe, but I thought this one, although it is shorter than most, was one of the most comprehensive and well written accounts to date. Ackroyd does a brilliant job of telling the story of this melancholy man with such enormous talent. I was impressed by the narrative style of this book, for the author makes you feel close to Edgar Allan Poe, without offering too much of his own opinion in the process. This was a great book that taught me a lot but didn't take too long to read.From his struggle with drink, to the various misfortunes and poverty the subject suffered, this book allows you to delve into thee short life of one of America's most intriguing minds.

A previous reviewer complains that this "is not a book, but an essay." First: there is nothing that prevents a "book" from also being an "essay". Second: What did he expect from an entry in a series called "Ackroyd's Brief Lives", EXCEPT a BRIEF life?Of course the book is not as detailed as some 4-5-600 page doorstop might be; And there are those who might well wish to read such. But for those of us who just want a brilliantly written, stunning, moving, and deeply insightful overview of a tragic man's life, I suppose this will just have to do.

As a short biography of Poe (and considering his poor luck that's probably the best kind to read) this book is ideal. It sticks to the facts of Poe's life (he didn't use opium, he was appreciated somewhat in his own time) and it outlines the development of his writing talent and his personal life. His great poetry and stories left him impoverished, due to the lack of copyrights or other protections of intellectual property. He had several opportunities to work at jobs which would have left him not rich but at least comfortable, but he never seemed to equate these opportunities with comfort or steady meals. Ackroyd has done an excellent job of illustrating Poe as an American original.

I love Poe. I love reading his writings and reading writings about him. Mr. Ackroyd's take on the Divine Edgar seems to have been written whilst on the run. (Or more likely to jump-the-gun and take some advantage of the fact that 2009 marks the 200th year of Poe's birth.) Anyway: this is NOT a book, it is an extended essay. It covers no new ground, offers no insight of any deep note into Poe's writings and even manages to get the color of Catterina (Poe's cat) wrong in the space of twenty pages. The book itself is only 160 pages long. Everything in this "book" can be found by browsing some of the better Poe websites out there in cyberspace. Instead of a thoughtful, leisured stroll-on-foot through the weird and haunting landscape of Poe's life, Ackroyd packs his readers in a speedster and puts his foot to the pedal and races us through it all as if he had a train to catch...or perhaps a paycheck to cash. Either way, Poe deserves much better and, hopefully, someone somewhere will offer us a rich and rewarding take on Poe as his birthday draws near.

Two details of Ackroyd's life of Poe suggest how the biographer approached his subject. The first is seemingly trivial. Poe's cat, Catterina, was not black, but tortoiseshell in color. This detail is available in the Poe biographies by Arthur Hobson Quinn, Jeffrey Meyers, Kenneth Silverman, and Daniel Hoffmann. Secondly, Ackroyd does not even mention "The Cask of Amontillado." How can, in all honesty, someone who claims to have written a biography of Poe (of ANY length), completely overlook what is (arguably) the most memorable short story by the writer? Why these obvious oversights on Ackroyd's part? As another reviewer says, perhaps Mr. Ackroyd was in a hurry to cash a paycheck. Yes, Poe--the inventor of the detective story, a pioneer of the science fiction genre, an enormous influence in so many ways on all of the authors who followed, both in the United States and around the world--deserves better.

This is an excellent introduction to Poe's life and will likely whet the reader's appetite for more detailed academic analyses. While it is sympathetic to Poe's tragic life, Ackroyd is scrupulously fair in also dealing with the writer's many faults and failings. He contextualises where necessary and provides just enough interpretation to help bring all aspects of his subject to life. For such a brief account Ackroyd provides a wealth of detail and sense of Poe's world. Anyone looking for a sound biography of this literary great should not be disappointed.

Very poor quality..... the extent of the damage was not specified in the description.

Disappointingly slight biography. From a great writer flimsy stuff. There are better biogs of Poe out there?

Very good

excellent

As usual, Peter Ackroyd did an amazing job. Very balanced, between personal and career aspects of Poe’s life.

Another short but very enjoyable biography of a sad poet. Another good 'un from Mr Ackroyd.