The Annotated Poe

Edgar Allan Poe author Kevin J Hayes editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Harvard University Press

Published:29th Oct '15

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The Annotated Poe cover

Edgar Allan Poe is perhaps America’s most famous writer. Adapted many times to the stage and screen and an inspiration to countless illustrators, graphic novelists, and musicians, his tales and poems remain a singular presence in popular culture. (His most famous poem inspired the name of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.) And then there is the matter of Poe’s literary influence. “How many things come out of Poe?” Jorge Luis Borges once asked. And yet Poe remains misunderstood, his works easily confused with the legend of a troubled genius. Now, in this annotated edition of selected tales and poems, Kevin J. Hayes debunks the Poe myth, enables a larger appreciation of Poe’s career and varied achievements, and investigates his weird afterlives.

With color illustrations and photographs throughout, The Annotated Poe contains in-depth notes placed conveniently alongside the tales and poems to elucidate Poe’s sources, obscure words and passages, and literary, biographical, and historical allusions. Like Poe’s own marginalia, Hayes’s marginal notes accommodate “multitudinous opinion”: he explains his own views and interpretations as well as those of other writers and critics, including Poe himself. In his Foreword, William Giraldi provides a spirited introduction to the writer who produced such indelible masterpieces as “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and “The Black Cat.”

The Annotated Poe offers much for both the professional and the general reader—but it will be especially prized by those who think of themselves as Poe aficionados.

The Annotated Poe is a stupendous hit. The annotations—presented in the form of marginalia and printed, delightfully, in red—provided by Hayes are perfectly, uncannily pitched to appeal both to readers who’ve never read a word of Edgar Allan Poe and readers who know his works backwards and forwards… It’s a bravura performance, lavish with illustrations. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *
A lushly illustrated volume that elucidates some of Poe’s best-loved works. -- Jan Gardner * Boston Globe *
Poe startles and enchants, but he springs traps for the unwary. There is no better guide through Poe’s magic house of mirrors than Kevin Hayes, who brings a wealth of expertise to his annotations. This handsomely produced edition is a treasure-house for Poe novices and initiates alike. -- Nicholas Frankel, Virginia Commonwealth University
Recommended…for anyone who has an interest in Poe’s life and work. -- Morris Hounion * Library Journal *
By giving Poe the scholarly attention he deserves, Harvard University Press’s beautifully designed new edition The Annotated Poe combats the demeaning cliches. Novelist and critic William Giraldi’s foreword elegantly places Poe within his historical, biographical, and critical context. Editor Kevin J. Hayes picked a savvy selection of tales and poems and provides richly detailed and deeply insightful notes that consistently add complexity and depth to the texts. The beautiful illustrations from all manner of media amplify some of the more ethereal of Poe’s imaginative creations. This new edition invites readers to take a fresh look at Poe and his far-ranging artistic legacy. -- Matt Hanson * Arts Fuse *

ISBN: 9780674055292

Dimensions: 241mm x 203mm x 36mm

Weight: 1225g

440 pages