Tales of Mystery & Imagination
Encyclopedia
Tales of Mystery and Imagination is a popular title for works of the American author, essayist and poet Edgar Allan Poe
and was the first complete collection of his works specifically restricting itself to his suspenseful and related tales. Poe's works received their widest audience posthumously. The title and compilation of Tales of Mystery and Imagination became a vehicle for delivering Poe's works to a wide readership since the first publication using this name in 1908.
and A Descent into the Maelstrom
. The first posthumous collection of Poe's works was compiled in 1850, and included a memoir from Rufus Wilmot Griswold
but this did not confine itself to his tales of suspense and related tales. Several collections of Poe's prose and poetry followed. The precursor to Tales of Mystery and Imagination was a collection of Poe's works entitled Tales of Mystery, Imagination and Humor. This collection was modified by Padric Colum in 1908 in view of the growing reputation of Poe's taste for suspense, especially in the context of what his French critic M. Brunetiere called events "on the margin" of life. This prompted Padric Colum, the Editor of the 1908 London edition, to modify this collection to "Tales of Mystery and Imagination". The original collection, in keeping with its title, deliberately excluded Poe's poems, comedies and essays. In his introduction to the 1908 edition Colum also cites as an additional reason for his selection his opinion that 'tales' as opposed to 'short stories' were so short that they tended to lack descriptions of socially important experiences. Colum hence deliberately left out two works as too lengthy, these being The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
and "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
".
Colum's 1908 collection of Poe's tales was published as a book specifically aimed at the general reading public by the influential publishing house of Geoffrey Newnes Ltd. using its Home Library Book Company, as part of "John O'London's" Home Library.
In 1919 London's George Harrap & Co. published a handsome edition illustrated by Harry Clarke
, albeit in black and white. In 1923 an expanded edition was released with many more illustrations, including eight color plates. In 1935 the celebrated artist Arthur Rackham
produced another illustrated version of Tales of Mystery and Imagination. The nature of the illustrations associated the tales with the supernatural. However not all the tales are obviously about the supernatural, for example The Gold-Bug
or The Elk, and some, as Colum's original title suggests, might purely be works penned from Poe's vivid imagination, depending on how some of the tales are symbolicially interpreted. However the latter category do all still contain the element of suspense that Colum desired, or their narrative is related to the latter tales.
According to Hesperides Press the original version of Tales of Mystery and Imagination from the 1900s, and its precursor Tales of Mystery, Imagination and Humour from the 19th century, are both now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive, but the collection has been republished using the original format as a template.
The selection of Poe's works in Tales of Mystery and Imagination include those which have spawned a variety of horror films and black comedies, with the oldest of these produced just one year after the book was first published in 1908, though this may be coincidental. This was a very early French version of the Pit and the Pendulum called 'Le Puits et le pendule' produced in 1909 by Henri Desfontaines
. In fact Poe became more popular in France in the nineteenth century than in his native America. The first English language adaptation was in 1913, directed by Alice Guy Blanche . Several Hollywood productions have followed, especially from 1960 up to very recently, such as The Raven
, The Fall of the House of Usher
, The House of Usher
, and The Pit and the Pendulum
amongst others. The tales have more generally also spawned the names of characters and the narrative themes in like films.
A musical album entitled Tales of Mystery and Imagination
has been based on this collection of Poe's works and used its enticing title. It contains individual scores based on some of these tales, including narration by Orson Welles
.
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
and was the first complete collection of his works specifically restricting itself to his suspenseful and related tales. Poe's works received their widest audience posthumously. The title and compilation of Tales of Mystery and Imagination became a vehicle for delivering Poe's works to a wide readership since the first publication using this name in 1908.
Background
During Poe's lifetime a collection of his strange tales was published in 1839 but this did not include some highly regarded tales which were written by him later, including The Murders in the Rue MorgueThe Murders in the Rue Morgue
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in Graham's Magazine in 1841. It has been claimed as the first detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". Two works that share some similarities predate Poe's stories, including Das...
and A Descent into the Maelstrom
A Descent into the Maelstrom
"A Descent into the Maelström" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. In the tale, a man recounts how he survived a shipwreck and a whirlpool. It has been grouped with Poe's tales of ratiocination and also labeled an early form of science fiction.-Plot:...
. The first posthumous collection of Poe's works was compiled in 1850, and included a memoir from Rufus Wilmot Griswold
Rufus Wilmot Griswold
Rufus Wilmot Griswold was an American anthologist, editor, poet, and critic. Born in Vermont, Griswold left home when he was 15 years old. He worked as a journalist, editor, and critic in Philadelphia, New York City, and elsewhere. He built up a strong literary reputation, in part due to his 1842...
but this did not confine itself to his tales of suspense and related tales. Several collections of Poe's prose and poetry followed. The precursor to Tales of Mystery and Imagination was a collection of Poe's works entitled Tales of Mystery, Imagination and Humor. This collection was modified by Padric Colum in 1908 in view of the growing reputation of Poe's taste for suspense, especially in the context of what his French critic M. Brunetiere called events "on the margin" of life. This prompted Padric Colum, the Editor of the 1908 London edition, to modify this collection to "Tales of Mystery and Imagination". The original collection, in keeping with its title, deliberately excluded Poe's poems, comedies and essays. In his introduction to the 1908 edition Colum also cites as an additional reason for his selection his opinion that 'tales' as opposed to 'short stories' were so short that they tended to lack descriptions of socially important experiences. Colum hence deliberately left out two works as too lengthy, these being The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is the only complete novel written by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The work relates the tale of the young Arthur Gordon Pym, who stows away aboard a whaling ship called the Grampus...
and "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
"The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in the June 1835 issue of the monthly magazine Southern Literary Messenger, and intended by Poe to be a hoax....
".
Colum's 1908 collection of Poe's tales was published as a book specifically aimed at the general reading public by the influential publishing house of Geoffrey Newnes Ltd. using its Home Library Book Company, as part of "John O'London's" Home Library.
Further Development
The 1908 version of Tales of Mystery and Imagination has been reproduced many times since under this same title by several publishers across the world for over 100 years, and Colum's selection of tales forms the backbone of subsequent versions under this same name. Everyman's Library produced their own copies of the 1908 version for several decades., The title of the 1908 book together with its formula of compiling Poe's most bewildering tales into a single volume continues to be used by innumerable publishers.In 1919 London's George Harrap & Co. published a handsome edition illustrated by Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke was an Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.- History :...
, albeit in black and white. In 1923 an expanded edition was released with many more illustrations, including eight color plates. In 1935 the celebrated artist Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham was an English book illustrator.-Biography:Rackham was born in London as one of 12 children. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.In 1892 he left his job and started working for The...
produced another illustrated version of Tales of Mystery and Imagination. The nature of the illustrations associated the tales with the supernatural. However not all the tales are obviously about the supernatural, for example The Gold-Bug
The Gold-Bug
"The Gold-Bug" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Set on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, the plot follows William Legrand, who was recently bitten by a gold-colored bug. His servant Jupiter fears him to be going insane and goes to Legrand's friend, an unnamed narrator who agrees to visit his...
or The Elk, and some, as Colum's original title suggests, might purely be works penned from Poe's vivid imagination, depending on how some of the tales are symbolicially interpreted. However the latter category do all still contain the element of suspense that Colum desired, or their narrative is related to the latter tales.
According to Hesperides Press the original version of Tales of Mystery and Imagination from the 1900s, and its precursor Tales of Mystery, Imagination and Humour from the 19th century, are both now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive, but the collection has been republished using the original format as a template.
The selection of Poe's works in Tales of Mystery and Imagination include those which have spawned a variety of horror films and black comedies, with the oldest of these produced just one year after the book was first published in 1908, though this may be coincidental. This was a very early French version of the Pit and the Pendulum called 'Le Puits et le pendule' produced in 1909 by Henri Desfontaines
Henri Desfontaines
Henri Desfontaines was a French film director, actor and scriptwriter.- As director :* 1908 : Hamlet* 1909 : Le Puits et le pendule* 1910 : Un invité gênant...
. In fact Poe became more popular in France in the nineteenth century than in his native America. The first English language adaptation was in 1913, directed by Alice Guy Blanche . Several Hollywood productions have followed, especially from 1960 up to very recently, such as The Raven
The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
, The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in September 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. It was slightly revised in 1840 for the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque...
, The House of Usher
The House of Usher
The House of Usher is a 2006 thriller based on the Edgar Allan Poe story, "The Fall of the House of Usher". The film was directed by Hayley Cloake and written by Collin Chang...
, and The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum
"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1842 in the literary annual The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843. The story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, though Poe skews historical facts. The...
amongst others. The tales have more generally also spawned the names of characters and the narrative themes in like films.
A musical album entitled Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Tales of Mystery and Imagination is the debut album by the progressive rock group The Alan Parsons Project, released in 1976. The album's avant-garde soundscapes kept it from being a blockbuster, but the interesting lyrical and musical themes — retellings of horror stories and poetry by...
has been based on this collection of Poe's works and used its enticing title. It contains individual scores based on some of these tales, including narration by Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
.
Stories
- "William Wilson"
- "The Gold Bug"
- "The Fall Of The House Of Usher"
- "The Masque Of The Red Death"
- "The Cask Of Amontillado"
- "A Descent Into The Maelström"
- "The Pit And The Pendulum"
- "The Purloined Letter"
- "Metzengerstein"
- "The Murders In The Rue Morgue"
- "The Telltale Heart"