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A Mystery of Mysteries
- Author
- Mark Dawidziak
- Narrator
- Grover Gardner
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 14 February 2023
- Run Time
- 10 hours 37 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
A Mystery of Mysteries is a brilliant biography of Edgar Allan Poe that examines the renowned author’s life through the prism of his mysterious death and its many possible causes.
It is a moment shrouded in horror and mystery. Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849, at just forty, in a painful, utterly bizarre manner that would not have been out of place in one of his own tales of terror.
What was the cause of his untimely death, and what happened to him during the three missing days before he was found, delirious and “in great distress” on the streets of Baltimore, wearing ill-fitting clothes that were not his own?
Mystery and horror. Poe, who remains one of the most iconic of American writers, died under haunting circumstances that reflect the two literary genres he took to new heights. Over the years, there has been a staggering amount of speculation about the cause of death, from rabies and syphilis to suicide, alcoholism, and even murder. But many of these theories are formed on the basis of the caricature we have come to associate with Poe: the gloomy-eyed grandfather of Goth, hunched over a writing desk with a raven perched on one shoulder, drunkenly scribbling his chilling masterpieces.
By debunking the myths of how he lived, we come closer to understanding the real Poe―and uncovering the truth behind his mysterious death, as a new theory emerges that could prove the cause of Poe’s death was haunting him all his life.
In a compelling dual-timeline narrative alternating between Poe’s increasingly desperate last months and his brief but impactful life, Mark Dawidziak sheds new light on the enigmatic master of macabre.
Critics Review
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“A page-turner from start to finish.”
Forbes
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“A biography that reads like a gripping, well-reported feature story.”
Washington Post
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“Part high-speed tour of Poe’s tumultuous career and part cold-case investigation of his premature and enigmatic end.”
Wall Street Journal
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“Even those familiar with Poe’s story will find plenty of surprises here.”
Columbus Dispatch
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“Vividly captur[es] the public’s ongoing fascination with this quintessential tortured soul.”
Booklist (starred review)
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“This intrigue-filled offering…has revelations to spare.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“Reaches beyond the myth of Poe to reveal the actual man and writer, all while painting a vivid picture of the era in which he lived.”
BookPage (starred review)
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“Dawidziak releases [Poe] from this caricature, emphasizing Poe’s work as a literary critic, his fine sense of humor, and the vast amount of work he produced.”
Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio)
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“Grover Gardner’s narration is fittingly straightforward and unembellished…[and] he effectively captures the author’s style, which is more journalistic than academic and relies on direct quotes from his sources.”
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Details
- Author
- Mark Dawidziak
- Narrator
- Grover Gardner
- Duration
- 10 hours 37 minutes
- Release Date
- 14 February 2023
- ISBN
- 9798212276290
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Biography: writers, Biography: historical, political and military, History of the Americas
Synopsis
A Mystery of Mysteries is a brilliant biography of Edgar Allan Poe that examines the renowned author’s life through the prism of his mysterious death and its many possible causes.It is a moment shrouded in horror and mystery. Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849, at just forty, in a painful, utterly bizarre manner that would not have been out of place in one of his own tales of terror.What was the cause of his untimely death, and what happened to him during the three missing days before he was found, delirious and “in great distress” on the streets of Baltimore, wearing ill-fitting clothes that were not his own?Mystery and horror. Poe, who remains one of the most iconic of American writers, died under haunting circumstances that reflect the two literary genres he took to new heights. Over the years, there has been a staggering amount of speculation about the cause of death, from rabies and syphilis to suicide, alcoholism, and even murder. But many of these theories are formed on the basis of the caricature we have come to associate with Poe: the gloomy-eyed grandfather of Goth, hunched over a writing desk with a raven perched on one shoulder, drunkenly scribbling his chilling masterpieces.By debunking the myths of how he lived, we come closer to understanding the real Poe―and uncovering the truth behind his mysterious death, as a new theory emerges that could prove the cause of Poe’s death was haunting him all his life.In a compelling dual-timeline narrative alternating between Poe’s increasingly desperate last months and his brief but impactful life, Mark Dawidziak sheds new light on the enigmatic master of macabre.
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