The Greatest Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe

The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) is a short story told by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of his sanity, while describing a murder he committed. The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the floorboards. Fall of the House of Usher (1839) As in all of Poe's short stories, «The Fall of the House of Usher» concentrates on a «single effect», in this case, the degeneration and decay of the Usher house and family. The Cask of Amontillado (1846) The story is set in a nameless Italian city in an unspecified year and is about the narrator's deadly revenge on a friend who, he believes, has insulted him. The narrative revolves around a person being buried alive—in this case, by immurement. The Pit and the Pendulum (1842) The short story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, though Poe skews historical facts. The narrator of the story describes his experience of being tortured. The story is especially effective at inspiring fear in the reader because of its heavy focus on the senses, such as sound, emphasizing its reality, unlike many of Poe's stories which are aided by the supernatural. The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) It is told by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of his sanity, while describing a murder he committed. The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the floorboards. Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre.