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dreaming_ace's review against another edition
3.0
This was a ok biography. I think the struggle was it was repetitive because Poe had several patterns that he repeated again and again in his life.
Pretty much every other story being one of:
"Poe drank too much, became depressed (or sometimes became depressed and then drank too much) and then was rude or mean or otherwise made a poor life choice" or
"Poe creepily fell in love with another women (or in the case of his future first wife a girl of 9), and who about 70-80% of the time happened to also be dying of TB"
Pretty much every other story being one of:
"Poe drank too much, became depressed (or sometimes became depressed and then drank too much) and then was rude or mean or otherwise made a poor life choice" or
"Poe creepily fell in love with another women (or in the case of his future first wife a girl of 9), and who about 70-80% of the time happened to also be dying of TB"
paperbacksandpines's review against another edition
3.0
There is a point where irony and decay meet, and it is not at all clear whether Poe is laughing or weeping at his own inventions.
Ackroyd appeared to perform a thorough investigation of Poe's life but this book was limited by the lack of real information about Poe's life. Prior to reading this book, I knew next to nothing about Poe's life other than the romantic figurehead he became for the American gothic genre. As Ackroyd stated, he "was dogged by poverty, and cursed by lack of success; yet he seemed to some of his contemporaries to be patiently enduring his fate." While Poe's inauspicious beginnings were sad beyond all measure, life is what one makes of it. He blamed all of his failings on his foster family, particularly his foster father, who had given him all the means for success in life. Poe chose to wallow in his depression by drinking himself into a stupor, denied any friends and loved ones, and had the contrary knack for ruining all opportunities he was given in life. He was such a confabulist, it was hard to believe anything he said.
I came away not being much impressed with Poe. Although Ackroyd claimed he was the father of the gothic genre at a time when America's literary talents were just becoming recognized, Poe's self importance and smugness were a real turn off for me. As a critic that blasted every author around him, it is hard to take him seriously when it seemed like he was so unnecessarily harsh in order to boost his own self importance. Before reading this book, I had wanted to tackle Poe's writing but after reading this biography, I'm not that interested any more.
Ackroyd appeared to perform a thorough investigation of Poe's life but this book was limited by the lack of real information about Poe's life. Prior to reading this book, I knew next to nothing about Poe's life other than the romantic figurehead he became for the American gothic genre. As Ackroyd stated, he "was dogged by poverty, and cursed by lack of success; yet he seemed to some of his contemporaries to be patiently enduring his fate." While Poe's inauspicious beginnings were sad beyond all measure, life is what one makes of it. He blamed all of his failings on his foster family, particularly his foster father, who had given him all the means for success in life. Poe chose to wallow in his depression by drinking himself into a stupor, denied any friends and loved ones, and had the contrary knack for ruining all opportunities he was given in life. He was such a confabulist, it was hard to believe anything he said.
I came away not being much impressed with Poe. Although Ackroyd claimed he was the father of the gothic genre at a time when America's literary talents were just becoming recognized, Poe's self importance and smugness were a real turn off for me. As a critic that blasted every author around him, it is hard to take him seriously when it seemed like he was so unnecessarily harsh in order to boost his own self importance. Before reading this book, I had wanted to tackle Poe's writing but after reading this biography, I'm not that interested any more.
adambwriter's review against another edition
4.0
Coincidentally, I realize, Poe died exactly 168 years ago today, the day I finished reading his biography.
gewidder's review against another edition
3.0
A good introduction to the life of Poe if you have an interest in the man. Obviously this is a biographical work and not fiction (notwithstanding the interpretations that a biographer makes, as much as they might like to avoid it), so an expectation of a happy end or a charming, happy tale is unreasonable. I say this mainly because of other reviews by people who appear disappointed by what it reveals.
This biography is short but still brimming with details and interesting context. Peter Ackroyd mostly balances one account of Poe's behavior with another to show that not every source or any one source may be entirely truthful or correct, as the people who spoke or wrote about him were just that: people. Overall, a fascinating look at one of the most influential writers of the modern era (and one of my personal favorite writers).
This biography is short but still brimming with details and interesting context. Peter Ackroyd mostly balances one account of Poe's behavior with another to show that not every source or any one source may be entirely truthful or correct, as the people who spoke or wrote about him were just that: people. Overall, a fascinating look at one of the most influential writers of the modern era (and one of my personal favorite writers).
jeremyanderberg's review against another edition
3.0
I was amazed at the dearth of major biographies of the man who many literary scholars call the most influential American writer in our nation’s history. There were two published in the early ‘90s by renowned biographers and then this shortie published about 10 years ago by the legendary Ackroyd.
While the tone wasn’t always to my liking, this brief biography of Poe satisfied my need for pure fact accumulation. I wanted to know more about Poe, and this book did it in manner that wasn’t terribly memorable, but was very readable (a big-time bonus in some cases, depending on what you’re looking for). It’s a good enough book, but I’m looking forward to whenever it may be that a new biography comes out; again, I can’t believe it hasn’t been sooner.
While the tone wasn’t always to my liking, this brief biography of Poe satisfied my need for pure fact accumulation. I wanted to know more about Poe, and this book did it in manner that wasn’t terribly memorable, but was very readable (a big-time bonus in some cases, depending on what you’re looking for). It’s a good enough book, but I’m looking forward to whenever it may be that a new biography comes out; again, I can’t believe it hasn’t been sooner.
truebookaddict's review against another edition
5.0
Poe had a hard life. A life filled with a lot of loss. His drinking didn't help. This was an excellent biography, though I did learn some things about Poe I would rather not have known. Still, his work remains canon for me.