The Bibliophile's Compass

Title : The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar Author : Edgar Allan Poe Publication Year : 1845, December Pages : 12 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Horror, Hoax Source : eBook and audiobook @storytel.tr Opening Sentence : Of course I shall not pretend to consider it any matter for wonder, that the extraordinary case of M. Valdemar has excited discussion. I have read this before, but for some reason, I didn’t write a review! So here I am again, revisiting the same horror story. What’s the horror this time? The familiar obsession of Edgar Allan Poe: mesmerism. However, he really toyed with his readers this time because when he published this story, he never indicated that it was a work of fiction, leading people to believe it was a factual account. Imagine their reaction! The story features M. Valdemar, who has a medical condition that will kill him very soon. The narrator, who is a mesmerist, proposes to M. Valdemar that he can put him in a hypnotic state just before his last breath, and V...

Title : The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade Author : Edgar Allan Poe Publication Year : 1845 Pages : 19 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Satire, Humor, Parody Source : EBook In “The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade,” Edgar Allan Poe imagines a scenario where "One Thousand and One Nights" was not the final night that Scheherazade told her stories and lived happily ever after! This concept is quite unsettling, especially considering that Poe is known for his dead heroines. Please leave our beloved character from the ancient tales of the Middle East alone. It’s clear that his take on this story is not meant to bring good. If you're curious about the original "One Thousand and One Nights," I suggest reading Poe’s summary. It’s hilarious and fun—definitely skip Wikipedia since it can be quite dull! We can agree that Poe's work is a parody and satire. After the summary, he playfully prompts his readers to imagine if it were not just 1001 nights but 10...