-29% 🔥 Bestseller The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. VII (in Ten Volumes): Criticisms — Gothic

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The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. VII (in Ten Volumes): Criticisms

Name: The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. VII (in Ten Volumes): Criticisms
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781605208596

✍️ Edgar Allan Poe

Reader Score

4.7

(7 reviews)

$21.99 ~~$31.00~~ Save $9.01 (29%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A collection of literary critiques by Edgar Allan Poe in a ten-volume set.

Poe’s critical voice emerges through essays analyzing poetry and prose. He examines Old English Poetry and the distinction between Fancy and Imagination. The text critiques figures like Charles Dickens and Nathaniel Hawthorne while honoring poets Margaret Miller and Lucretia Maria Davidson. This volume captures his perspective on literary standards and artistic merit during his era.

Key Themes

Astoria Fancy and Imagination Charles Dickens

Literary Context

Poe pioneered romantic Gothic fiction in the United States during the nineteenth century. This edition, a replica of the 1902 release, preserves his critical legacy alongside illustrations by Frederick Simpson Coburn and editorial work by Charles F. Richardson.

Edgar Allan Poe

📚 all books by this author (764) →

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

H.P. Lovecraft · Nathaniel Hawthorne · Charles Dickens · The Quacks of Helicon

🏚️

Gothic

🏛 Cosimo Classics 📅 2009 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781605208596

📝 Description: The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. VII (in Ten Volumes): Criticisms

This volume presents the critical writings of Edgar Allan Poe, an American poet and fiction writer who helped establish the short story and detective fiction genres. The text includes essays such as Astoria and Old English Poetry, offering analysis on historical and poetic subjects. Readers will find discussions on Fancy and Imagination alongside a satirical piece titled The Quacks of Helicon. The collection extends to biographical sketches of Margaret Miller and Lucretia Maria Davidson, as well as critiques of Charles Dickens and Nathaniel Hawthorne. It also addresses Longfellow's Ballads, providing insight into Poe's views on his contemporaries. This work is part of a larger ten-volume set published by Cosimo Classics, which features illustrations by Frederick Simpson Coburn and an introduction by Charles F. Richardson. This book suits scholars of American literature and those interested in nineteenth-century literary criticism. It may not appeal to readers seeking new fiction or modern horror stories, as it focuses on Poe's analytical essays rather than his narrative tales.

💎 Our verdict on The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. VII (in Ten Volumes): Criticisms

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Poe’s critical voice is sharp and often satirical, making this text a fascinating, if dense, read for academics. The inclusion of biographical sketches and specific critiques provides a comprehensive view of his literary standards. While the ten-volume set format may seem exhaustive, it captures the breadth of his intellectual engagement with figures like Margaret Miller and Longfellow. It is strictly for those who appreciate nineteenth-century literary criticism. Readers seeking new fiction, modern horror stories, or entertaining narrative plots will find this dry and unsuitable. The work lacks the atmospheric tension of his tales, offering instead rigorous, sometimes harsh, analytical commentary that demands patience and scholarly interest rather than casual leisure.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This collection is essential for scholars of American literature and critics interested in the foundational theories of the short story and detective fiction genres. It offers unique insight into Poe’s analytical mind, particularly his distinctions between Fancy and Imagination, and his rigorous evaluation of contemporaries like Dickens and Hawthorne. Readers seeking to understand the historical context of horror and gothic traditions will find value in these critical essays. However, those expecting narrative tales or modern supernatural fiction should look elsewhere, as this work focuses entirely on literary analysis rather than storytelling.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

Seek out this volume if you are a scholar of American letters or a devotee of nineteenth-century literary criticism eager to dissect Poe’s own critical theories. Conversely, please do not purchase this edition if you are hunting for his famous ghost stories, detective tales, or contemporary…

Reader rating

4.7

Based on 7 reviews

Ivy V.

August 14, 2026

This has been on my wishlist for months. The prose is clean and the scares land because the characters feel real. Well worth it.

Thomas W.

December 27, 2025

Exactly as described

Ordered it for Halloween and it came in time. The atmosphere builds slowly and then does not let go. Will be gifting a copy to a friend.

Noah H.

September 1, 2025

Finally got around to ordering this. The ending is bleak and honest, not a twist for the sake of one. Genuinely unsettling in places, and it earns it without cheap tricks. My only regret is not ordering it sooner.

Beth L.

August 14, 2025

Dread done right

Took a chance on it after reading the description here. Not a jump-scare book; it gets under the skin and stays there. Great value for what you get.

Owen T.

July 11, 2025

Dread done right

Grabbed it for a long flight. Good introduction if you have not read this author before. Glad I finally picked this up.

Oscar V.

May 24, 2025

First order from this shop. It pairs well with the classics it is clearly in conversation with. Glad I finally picked this up.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, this volume is exclusively dedicated to his critical essays, biographical sketches, and literary reviews. It does not include narrative fiction such as 'The Fall of the House of Usher' or 'The Raven.'

Poe offers sharp analyses of his peers, including Charles Dickens and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The text also explores biographical notes on poets like Margaret Miller, alongside essays debating fancy, imagination, and poetic theory.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Edgar Allan Poe stands as a monumental figure in the genealogy of horror and mystery, yet his enduring legacy is equally rooted in his formidable critical apparatus. This volume captures the voice of a poet who actively shaped the aesthetic boundaries of American literature during the nineteenth century. By engaging with his critiques of contemporaries like Dickens and Hawthorne, readers witness the intellectual rigor behind his genre-defining fiction, revealing how his theoretical frameworks influenced the evolution of both short story and detective genres.