Poe found the germ of the story he would develop into ARTHUR GORDON PYM in 1836 in a newspaper account of the shipwreck and subsequent rescue of the two men on board. Published in 1838, this rousing sea adventure follows New England boy, Pym, who stows away on a whaling ship with its captain's son, Augustus. The two boys repeatedly find themselves on the brink of death or discovery and witness many terrifying events, including mutiny, cannibalism, and frantic pursuits. Poe imbued this deliberately popular tale with such allegorical richness, biblical imagery, and psychological insights that...

What can there possibly be left to say about . . .? This common litany, resonant both in and outside of academia, reflects a growing sense that the number of subjects and authors appropriate for literary study is rapidly becoming exhausted.

Take heart, admonishes Richard Kopley in this dynamic new anthology--for this is decidedly not the case. While generations of literary study have unquestionably covered much ground in analyzing canonical writers, many aspects of even the most well-known authors--both their lives and their work-- remain underexamined. Among the authors discussed...

What can there possibly be left to say about . . .? This common litany, resonant both in and outside of academia, reflects a growing sense that the number of subjects and authors appropriate for literary study is rapidly becoming exhausted.

Take heart, admonishes Richard Kopley in this dynamic new anthology--for this is decidedly not the case. While generations of literary study have unquestionably covered much ground in analyzing canonical writers, many aspects of even the most well-known authors--both their lives and their work-- remain underexamined. Among the authors discussed...

"The interpreter's dream-text," as one critic called Edgar Allan Poe's "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" has prompted critical approaches almost as varied as the experiences it chronicles. This is the first book to deal exclusively with Pym, Poe's longest fictional work and in many ways his most ambitious. Here leading Poe scholars provide solutions and interpretations for many challenging enigmas in this mysterious novel.
The product of a decade of research and planning, "Poe's "Pym" "offers a factual basis for some of the most fantastic elements in the novel and uncovers surprising...

Employing the methods of Poe's own detective, Edgar Allan Poe and the Dupin Mysteries offers new and surprising discoveries about Poe's stories "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Mystery of Marie Roget," and "The Purloined Letter." Kopley sheds light on the beginnings of the modern detective tale and anchors Poe to his rightful place within the genre. Offering archival study and biographical analysis, as well as a reprint of the three stories, this book is an insightful and useful guide for students and experts alike.

Employing the methods of Poe's own detective, Edgar Allan Poe and the Dupin Mysteries offers new and surprising discoveries about Poe's stories "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Mystery of Marie Roget," and "The Purloined Letter." Kopley sheds light on the beginnings of the modern detective tale and anchors Poe to his rightful place within the genre. Offering archival study and biographical analysis, as well as a reprint of the three stories, this book is an insightful and useful guide for students and experts alike."