The Poe Shadow

by Matthew Pearl

Book Overview

"I present to you . . . the truth about this man's death and my life."

Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has been buried in an unmarked grave. The public, the press, and even Poe's own family and friends accept the conclusion that Poe was a second-rate writer who met a disgraceful end as a drunkard. Everyone, in fact, seems to believe this except a young Baltimore lawyer named Quentin Clark, an ardent admirer who puts his own career...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812970128
• ISBN13: 9780812970128
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Random House Group
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

You Are There!

Edward R. Murrow used to have a national TV show called "You Are There." During the broadcast, he would interview politicians or celebrities live. Afterwards, the viewer felt as if they actually made a visit, and, moreover, knew the subject intimately. This feeling is the same one reserved for the reader of "The Poe Shadow." Matthew Pearl has captured the author and his Baltimore of 1849 richly and in great detail. The reader will be able to smell the air in the city. That's how intimately this novel is written. If you are a fan of Poe's, then this book should be the next one you read. It's brilliantly researched, alive with characters of the time, and the writing/plot will intrigue every reader. "Dante Club" opened Pearl's idea to weave a story around a classic, and he does not fail to weave a web here. The web is one as mysterious as the title character. There is also a web site to supplement the novel, which is informative and innovative. I thought Prof Arthur Hopson Quinn, Poe scholar of the University of Pennsylvania, had written the definitive words on Poe. As an ex-English major, I looked down on any author who dared tread the sacred paths of Poe's death. But, now, I can hold this work in parallel to Quinn's. (OK, almost parallel!) So, why do you wait? Go: get your hands on this superb piece of fiction. I finished it in two days. I could not stray far from its magnetic power.

An Excellent Read

Matthew Pearl is certainly a talented writer and proves it yet again with The Poe Shadow. This novel is both a thrilling mystery and also a scholarly investigation of the true circumstances surrounding Poe's mysterious demise. Very highly recommended.

Great Novel on Untapped Story

I found the concept of the novel very intriguing - the mysterious death of Edgar Allen Poe. Being a Poe fanatic, I picked it up. I have not been disappointed. It is an enjoyable and exciting adventure. This is a bit more literary than the Da Vinci Code so expect bigger words and more complex characters!

A great shadow of influence

I love this book - Edgar Allan Poe is one of those literary influences in my life - He transcended time for me - Baltimore 1849 didn't seem that long ago to a little kid of the 60's who loved to read his works. Poe's shadow of influence touches everyone who has connected with his work - he indeed had contributed to so much in modern literature - poetry, the mystery story, etc. - whoa! We are also saddened by the lowly circumstances of his latter days and his death - It is haunting to those who were fans. Quentin Clark, a young attorney, happens to see a funeral and follows it - the whole funeral is a dismally sad and small affair, even for a funeral. No flowers. plain grave. no eulogy. Clark soon realizes that the funeral was for Edgar A. Poe. A fan and having corresponded with Poe, Clark starts to seek answers to the strange lasts days of Poe. It becomes an obsession and takes wild Poe-like twists and it is brilliant - like something Poe himself would think of. This is not a quick read - this one makes you think and be part of Poe's influence.