Short Story Review – The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Horror/Classic
Length: 30 pages
Publisher: SAGA Egmont
Release Date: October 5, 2020
ASIN: B09R92XW9R
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Considered one of Poe’s most famous and best constructed terror short stories, “The Fall of the House of Usher” is most likely to grab the reader in its clutches and never let them go. Running along the “dull, dark, and soundless” corridors of Usher’s mansion or conversing with the terror-stricken and husky voice of its master, Poe’s story reeks of morbidity and schizophrenia. Though relying on already established characters and themes from his previous tales, Poe describes the workings of the psyche, the realm of dreams, and even the lands of madness in great detail, securing the story its rightful place and acclaim.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone story. I borrowed this on ebook from Kindle Unlimited.

Thoughts: I have read a lot of Edgar Allen Poe, but hadn’t read “The Fall of the House of Usher” yet. T. Kingfisher did an excellent re-imagining of this story in her novel “What Moves the Dead”. It made me want to pick and read the original.

We all know the premise here. A man goes to visit his childhood friend at a creepy old mansion and weirdness ensues.

This is very atmospheric; Poe has you feeling and tasting the dark and damp lonely atmosphere. It is also very creepy in a kind of ambiguous doom kind of way.

This does show its age, the turns of phrase can be a bit hard to follow, and the language is incredibly flowery. At points, I did have to re-read portions to make sure I was getting the full effect.

The ending is abrupt and leaves you wondering what just happened. Again, I re-read it a few times. I think it is part of the strange ambiguity of the end that is part of the eerie charm.

I enjoyed this; it was an excellent short story to read around Halloween time. While I did enjoy Kingfisher’s “What Moves the Dead” quite a bit more; I am happy to have read the original source material.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this and would recommend giving it a read if you are Poe fan, have read other adaptations of this material, or are just looking for a short and creepy read. I am happy to have read this, and although it does feel dated, it is still eerily charming.