Counting Down to Halloween with Edgar Allan Poe, Day 1: The Masque of the Read Death

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The Masque of the Red Death by Harry Clarke, 1919

The Masque of the Red Death by Harry Clarke, 1919

“The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous.”-The Masque of the Red Death, Edgar Allan Poe

6 thoughts on “Counting Down to Halloween with Edgar Allan Poe, Day 1: The Masque of the Read Death”

  2. Can you believe it? I’ve never read any Poe, but the extracts you’ve posted have got me itching to order. What would you recommend? And the Art Nouveau illustrations are wonderful. I enjoyed Save Me The Waltz that you featured. It’s such a shame that she never wrote again. One wonders whether Scott was jealous of her talent.

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    • It is never too late to read Poe! I would suggest finding a copy of Tales of Mystery and Imagination, which is a selection of his horror stories. Harry Clarke did the illustrations for the 1919 version, which has been reprinted many times. I have a copy published earlier this century. I think it is best to read a bunch of Poe stories, and not just one, in order to experience the fullest effect.

      I am so happy that you enjoyed Save Me the Waltz. F. Scott was jealous of her writing, even though he was super famous. I’d say that he definitely wanted to be the only writer in the family. She never wrote another novel, but in the 1920s she penned many articles.

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      • Thanks for your connaisseur’s suggestion. I’ve just dashed over to Amazon and treated myself to a luscious hardback edition with illustrations. I’m looking forward to reading your story in The Paperback Collective too, which I’ll print out for this weekend 🙂

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      • You won’t be disappointed! Buying a nice edition with the Harry Clarke illustrations is the only way to go, in my opinion. 🙂 My copy is deep red with an embossed gold and silver cover illustration. Gorgeous!

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