The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe

The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I like that it appears to switch from horror to mystery.

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Ligeia by Edgar Allan Poe

Ligeia by Edgar Allan Poe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this a few times wondering what I was missing. I don't know. Possibly it's just not that great?

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The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The dark delight in this one comes from my love of the cat and hate of the man.

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The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What happens when a mild asshole befriends a murderous sociopath? Detailed and bizarre horror.

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The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe

The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The type of thinking demonstrated in Poe’s conclusion is not an insubstantial part of my life philosophy.

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The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I decided to read this because my funny and wise husband posted this tweet on Monday: "The external world could take care of itself... It was towards the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends.” 

This is the perfect short story to read right now though it may not currently have its intended emotional effect.

The whole story is available for free here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1064

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The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A classic jam. My favorite part is that the young man sets up his own bad answers.

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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mixed feelings. I was not impressed when I read this in high school. When I reread it over 20 years later I appreciated it much more. The writing is of the passionate Jane Austen style, Mr. Rochester is the ultimate in romantic bad boys, and the character of Jane Austen is simultaneously relatable and inspirational— no small trick.

But since I am familiar with Jane Austen now, Jane Eyre feels a little derivative of Pride and Prejudice, especially the awful cousin theme. Is there any meaningful difference in the cold soul of Mr. Collins and St. John Rivers? Also, I found the entire coincidence of Jane Eyre stumbling onto her cousin by coincidence nearly unforgivable.

Final decision: Mr. Rochester, liar though he is, is worth it. Jane and her character development are perhaps unequaled in classic literature.

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