In order to get into the season I have decked out my apartment with pumpkins, a few Halloween decorations, and other fall favorites. But I needed to REALLY get into the halloween mindset, so a little Poe always does the trick (along with ghost shows and scary movies)! He may not be Wes Craven, but this is classic horror we're talking about people! He was the granddaddy of all the greats and he's just a creepy dead writer (anyone who was in love with a family member is kinda odd in my book).
SO...I read 'The Cask of Amontillado', a short little number that isn't frightening until you start thinking about it. It's a tale of revenge, as are a lot of Poe's pieces, and somewhat of the psychological consequences thereof. The ending was a little creepy to actually picture, but it's tame in comparison to other Poe stories, so I still think I need to read some more. I would suggest giving it a read. It takes a matter of minutes to get through, so why not? I still need some more Poe frights! 'The Black Cat' creeped me out when I was a kid. It reminds me a bit of pet semetary with the dead cat coming back to life. Poe must have been one messed up guy to think of all this stuff, but they say there's a thin line between genius and insane. I think Poe may have slipped a little bit between them.
A little later.....
Ok so I just picked up my Poe book again to read 'The Pit and the Pendulum' and I needed to talk some more about him. I adore his style. He doesn't start his stories off by giving background or reminding you that this is a story, he dives right into his subject as if you're part of all the has preceded. I always start off a bit confused about what's going on, but then he works you in. In 'The pit...', he begins with the characters mental state and it feels like he's working out his current frame of mind and situation to himself. Poe effortlessly makes his audience a part of the current situation, which is the most frightening part of his tales. You feel the damp walls that the character feels, hear the raven's caw, and fear for the outcome of the situation. He's brilliant, and although sometimes dry at first and the language can be difficult, Poe is a master.
This is a book of essays about different events, history,
and paraphernalia of Halloween as we know it today. There were essays on events
like, the candy man, Halloween parades, horror films, and haunted houses, along
with a short history of the holiday and how witches came to be a symbol of
Halloween. All the essays were informative, entertaining, and researched. Skal
makes it easy to get into the spirit and see this spooky holiday from an
industry and eerie perspective. 