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The Tell-Tale Heart
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by cutting it into pieces and hiding it under the floorboards. Ultimately the narrator's guilt manifests itself in the hallucination that the man's heart is still beating under the floorboards.
It is unclear what relationship, if any, the old man and his murderer share. It has been suggested that the old man is a father figure or, perhaps, that his vulture eye represents some sort of veiled secret. The ambiguity and lack of details about the two main characters stand in stark contrast to the specific plot details leading up to the murder.
The story was first published in James Russell Lowell's The Pioneer in January 1843. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is widely considered a classic of the Gothic fiction genre and one of Poe's most famous short stories.
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Reviews
I’ve known of Edgar Allan Poe for years, but now I finally felt motivated to read one of his stories that I don’t recall reading in school. Wow, did I really miss out! This story is so brilliantly structured and it really made me feel like I was there, living through the same night the narrator lived! If you’re new to Poe’s short stories, I’d absolutely recommend this tale.
By reddude15
This is probably my favorite horror story, I read this in 8th grade, it’s pretty dark book. The story is well written, pretty loud and crazy, in fact this story inspires me to write my horror story.
By Mayawater
Awesome classic. I remember reading this in school years ago as required reading. Many years later, its still a great quick read.
By Busyexec1
Reflected in Poe's work is an encompassing sensation that envelop its reader. The vehemence of his stories as well as poems can be seen through his ability to send chills down his readers' spine no matter the length of the work.
By PrinceNguyen
Edgar Allen Poe is amazing. Very well-written poem. One of my favorites. All Poe fans will be pleased.
By OzzyOsbourne's#1fan