Mesmeric Revelation by Edgar Allan Poe (1844): A Review
Author: Edgar Allan Poe
Publication Year: 1844, August
Pages: 13
Rating: ⭐
Genre: Philosophical Essay
Source: eBook and audiobook @storytel.tr
Opening Sentence: Whatever doubt may still envelop the rationale of mesmerism, its startling facts are now almost universally admitted.
This is not a short story; rather, it is a short philosophical essay—a dialogue between a hypnotist and a dying man on various philosophical topics: soul, God, the universe, death, and life.
The beginning serves as a warning for those who do not believe in mesmerism. It states, Do not dare to doubt it; otherwise, “those who doubt are merely professional doubters—an unprofitable and disreputable tribe."
As you continue, you feel as if you are sitting in a philosophy class being lectured by a professor. When the dying man appears, you take a deep breath and hope for some engaging story and action, but don't get your hopes up! The hypnosis takes the physician’s lecture and transforms it into a panel discussion. All you hear becomes a series of tedious conversations! It feels unfair to read this with expectations of horror and gothic elements, only to find yourself bored to death in a philosophical conversation, as if you were listening to Socrates and his unfortunate companions.
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