A Student's Guide to Edgar Allan Poe (Understanding Literature)

Grade 9 Up—McArthur's book is both a biography of the noted American author and an examination of 12 of his works. The biographical portion, unfortunately, isn't as thorough or as well written as Tom Streissguth's (Lerner) or Zachary Kent's Edgar Allan Poe (Enslow, both 2001). McArthur omits Poe's teenage military drilling, meeting with Charles Dickens, attempts to obtain a government post, and successful libel suit; and her writing tends to be repetitious. She also analyzes seven poems and five short stories, relying heavily upon (and quoting extensively from) scholarly studies. The poetry discussions focus on meter, rhyme, and other poetic techniques, while the short-story segments (in addition to summaries) veer more toward theme and symbolism. No other books for this age venture into literary criticism, making this book potentially useful where such material is taught. However, both SparkNotes and CliffsNotes provide free online analyses of Poe's short stories that are interesting, concise, and worthwhile. Tony Magistrale's Student Companion to Edgar Allan Poe (Greenwood, 2001), which covers 22 works, is much more detailed but is aimed at more advanced readers (college and above).—Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
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