e Purloined Letter” (1844) are regarded as forefathers of the modern mystery , or detective, story. Many of Poe’s tales are distinguishing by the authors unusual grotesque inventiveness in addition to his marvelous plot construction. Such stories include “The Narrative of Arthur Gorden Pym” (1838), noted for its blend of factual and fantastic material; “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839), in which the piercing gloominess of the character is accented equally with plot and characterization; “The Pit and the Pendulum” (1842), a exhilarating tale of cruelty and torture; “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843), in which a deranged murderer is subconsciously haunted into confessing hisguilt; and “The Cask of the Amontillado” (1846), an eerie tale of revenge. THE END ...
