Your Daily Poe (Or Edgar Allan If You're Nasty)

As it's officially October (BOO!), I will on every day be reading one short story written by the Master of the Macabre himself, and briefly commenting on it. Enjoy!

Day 15: The Tell-Tale Heart

Thoughts: Certainly the best story so far, and the one that could be used as a textbook whenever teaching how to write Poe's desperate, pounding, paranoid rhythm. Story would've still been great had it ended with the sound of the heart driving him crazy even while alone; adding in the cops, smiling away obliviously brilliantly, only added the wonderful cherry on top. I suppose there's a reason this is one of his most famous stories and one of those taught in schools around the country - I for one remember seeing a production of it in 9th grade during a field trip to Richmond in Mrs. Moore's English class. This is pure excellence, and a joy to read and re-read.

Memorable Line: Tough to top one of the all-time great openers: "TRUE! -- nervous -- very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses -- not destroyed -- not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily -- how calmly I can tell you the whole story."

Score from 1-10: 10