Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Title Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque

Author	Edgar Allan Poe
Country	USA
Language	English
Genre(s)	Horror short stories and satire
Publisher	Lea & Blanchard
Released	1840
Media type	Print

Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque is a collection of previously-published short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1840.

Contents 1 Publication 2 Critical response 3 "Grotesque" and "Arabesque" 4 Contents 5 References

[edit] Publication

It was published by the Philadelphia firm Lea & Blanchard and released in two volumes. The publisher was willing to print the anthology based on the recent success of Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher." Even so, Lea & Blanchard would not pay Poe any royalties; he was given 20 free copies. It was dedicated to William Drayton, a former member of Congress turned judge who may have subsidized the book's publication.^[1].

In his preface, Poe wrote the now-famous quote defending himself from the criticism that his tales were part of "Germanism." He wrote, "If in many of my productions terror has been the thesis, I maintain that terror is not of Germany but of the soul."

[edit] Critical response

Contemporary reviews were mixed. The anonymous critic in the Boston Notion suggested that Poe's work was better suited for readers of the future; people of the time should consider it "below the average of newspaper trash... wild, unmeaning, pointless, aimless... without anything of elevated fancy or fine humor." Alexander's Weekly Messenger, on the other hand, remarked that the stories were the "playful effusion of a remarkable and powerful intellect." Likewise, the New York Mirror complimented the author's intellectual capacity, his vivid descriptions, and his opulent imagination. Even with those positive reviews, the edition did not sell well. When Poe requested a second release in 1841 with eight additional tales included, the publisher declined.^[2].

[edit] "Grotesque" and "Arabesque"

There has been some debate over the meaning of Poe's terms "Grotesque" and "Arabesque." Both terms refer to a type of Islamic art used to decorate walls, especially in mosques. These arts styles are known for their complex nature. Poe may have been using them as subdivisions of Gothic art or Gothic architecture in attempt to establish similar subdivisions in Gothic fiction.

It has been theorized the the "grotesque" stories are those where the character becomes a caricature or satire, as in "The Man That Was Used Up." The "arabesque" stories focus on a single aspect of a character, often psychological, such as "The Fall of the House of Usher." ^[3]

[edit] Contents

• "Morella"
• "Lionizing"
• "William Wilson"
• "The Man That Was Used Up — A Tale of the Late Bugaboo and Kickapoo Campaign"
• "The Fall of the House of Usher"
• "The Duc de L'Omelette"
• "MS. Found in a Bottle"
• "Bon-Bon"
• "Shadow — A Parable"
• "The Devil in the Belfry"
• "Ligeia"
• "King Pest — A Tale Containing an Allegory"
• "The Signora Zenobia"
• "The Scythe of Time"

[edit] References

1. ^ Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 113
2. ^ Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 113-4
3. ^ Hoffman, Daniel. Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe. Louisiana State University Press, 1998. pp. 203-6