Poe: A Life Cut Short by Peter AckroydMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was not bad. It's a short book, and easy to get through; it might be ideal for someone who wants a general overview of Poe's life. However, although I did find a detail here or there that was new to me, most of it was familiar ground. I found Daniel Stashower's "The Beautiful Cigar Girl" to be a much better read, and more informative.
If a reader is not already pretty familiar with Poe's poetry and stories, this book won't illuminate much. There is very little of his writing quoted here. VERY little. Although I enjoyed this book well enough, I can't really recommend it except for newcomers to Poe, and then with a caveat to keep a copy of his poems and stories at hand to refer to.
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Hmmm. Sounds like 'The Beautiful Cigar-girl' is the way to go. If I'm going to read a bio, I like it to be meaty and inclusive. Thanks for another excellent review, Shay.
ReplyDeletePS Laughin @ the hitchhiker on the sidebar--think maybe she is the one Morrison was singing about in 'Riders on the Storm?" ;_)
ReplyDeleteI think I'll stick with Cigar Girl.
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