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9781611494761

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Poe is best known for his works of the supernatural and horror, but those stories--52 in all--are only part of his oeuvre. Poe was an editor and literary critic and also a satirist, hoaxer, mystery writer, pioneer in the science fiction genre, poet, and even playwright. This larger body of work is often ignored, causing him to be considered an isolated figure in US literary history. Hutchisson (The Citadel; Poe, 2005) has edited an important collection that explores the multifaceted, multitalented Poe and reveals his place in broader American literary history. The essays take into account Poe's essays on aesthetics and criticism, Poe in the context of the South and 19th-century issues of race, his detective fiction beyond the obvious Dupin stories, and his stories long considered to be inconsequential or in violation of his own statements of form or genre. The Edgar Allan Poe who emerges from this collection is one who warrants renewed critical attention; the book as a whole argues for reconsidering which of Poe's works should be included in anthologies and studied in the classroom. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. CHOICE

Poe is best known for his works of the supernatural and horror, but those stories--52 in all--are only part of his oeuvre. Poe was an editor and literary critic and also a satirist, hoaxer, mystery writer, pioneer in the science fiction genre, poet, and even playwright. This larger body of work is often ignored, causing him to be considered an isolated figure in US literary history. Hutchisson (The Citadel; Poe, 2005) has edited an important collection that explores the multifaceted, multitalented Poe and reveals his place in broader American literary history. The essays take into account Poe's essays on aesthetics and criticism, Poe in the context of the South and 19th-century issues of race, his detective fiction beyond the obvious Dupin stories, and his stories long considered to be inconsequential or in violation of his own statements of form or genre. The Edgar Allan Poe who emerges from this collection is one who warrants renewed critical attention; the book as a whole argues for reconsidering which of Poe's works should be included in anthologies and studied in the classroom. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *

Author Information

James M. Hutchisson is professor of American and Southern literature and director of graduate study in English at the Citadel.

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