Poe

          I distinctly remember the first time I read The Tell-Tale Heart. My 8 year-old self was sitting in the front seat of my elder sister’s beat-up ’92 Bonneville waiting for her to drive me to McDonald’s. I cracked open the short story anthology and happened to land on the Edgar Allen Poe tale, which I’d just heard some of my 4th grade friends (the big kids) talking about the other day at recess. I was instantly hooked to the murder plot and the seemingly sane nature of the would-be murderer. As the story went on my heart raced faster and faster until the conclusion when he gives in to the beating heart and confesses his crime. I read it two more times that night. While I’m not quite as riveted now, reading this story at five in the morning just before work, I can say that I still enjoy it quite a bit. I’m easily attracted to psychological thrillers and suspenseful stories, and the final paragraph is quite suspenseful. When it’s clear that the protagonist is going through some internal struggle, going from calm to frantic, I can’t help but grin. Not that I think murder or madness is funny, but it’s just a well-written paragraph and a good conclusion to the story.
         
          I also appreciate The Cask of Amontillado, mostly for the descriptions of the catacombs that become a tomb for the unsuspecting victim. I don’t like this story as much as Tell-Tale Heart, but it’s definitely not a bad read. Poe seems to get my darker sense of humor, which I like. Even though ultimately this story features a man being buried alive, I find it rather funny in a way that I cannot explain; and I’d like to think that Poe had fun writing it. Fortunato is far from fortunate by the end of the story. The revenge aspect of the story is something I like as well. Good revenge stories that end with the protagonist getting what he or she wanted are often ones that I enjoy. On a somewhat related note, Kill Bill is one of my favorite films.

          I really enjoyed both stories and can't wait for today's presentation.