The Shadow: A Parable by Edgar Allan Poe (1835)
Tuesday’s Tale of Terror September 12, 2017
In the city of Ptolemais, seven men meet at night in a closed chamber. They are drinking purple wine. An unquiet glare of the seven lamps penetrates. Inside the chamber is a shrouded body.
Olinos is our narrator: “YE who read are still among the living; but I who write shall have long since gone my way into the region of shadows.”
This is a 12-minute read with a thrilling edge. It has been called a “rhapsody of gloom” and is one of Poe’s early stories. Great prose!
Read the short story here at Xroads Virginia Eduction web site.
Listen to the audio (8 minutes) on You Tube.com.
More stories at eapoe.org
Poe is credited for defining the short story form. He created the first recorded literary detective, Dupin, in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Poe was known to be obsessed with cats, and often wrote with a cat on his shoulder. His cat Catterina died the same day as Poe. In 1848 the author attempted suicide. Some time later he posed for this daguerreotype.
Don’t forget to view the INDEX above of more free reading. This is a compendium of over 200 short stories by more than 100 famous storytellers of mystery, supernatural, ghost stories, suspense, crime, sci-fi, and ‘quiet horror.’ Follow or sign up to join me in reading two short stories every month. Comments are welcome.
Other Reading Web Sites to Visit
Kirkus Mystery & Thrillers Reviews
Books & Such Bibliophilica NewYorkerFictionOnline
Lovecraft Ezine Parlor of Horror
Slattery’s Art of Horror Magazine Chuck Windig’s Terrible Minds
HorrorAddicts.net Horror Novel Reviews HorrorSociety.com
Monster Librarian HorrorTalk.com
Rob Around Books The Story Reading Ape Blog
For Authors/Writers: The Writer Unboxed
Paula Cappa 