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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.3
EAN: 9780679643425
ISBN: 0679643427
Label: Modern Library
Manufacturer: Modern Library
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 160
Publication Date: 2006-05-23
Publisher: Modern Library
Product Release Date: 2006-05-23
Studio: Modern Library

Includes The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt, and The Purloined Letter

Between 1841 and 1844, Edgar Allan Poe invented the genre of detective fiction with three mesmerizing stories of a young French eccentric named C. Auguste Dupin. Introducing to literature the concept of applying reason to solving crime, these tales brought Poe fame and fortune to live on. Years later, Dorothy Sayers would describe “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” as “almost a complete manual of detective theory and practice.” Indeed, Poe’s short mysteries inspired the creation of countless literary sleuths, among them Sherlock Holmes. Today, the Dupin stories still stand out as unique, utterly engrossing page-turners.
This Modern Library edition reproduces the definitive texts of the three tales. It includes an enlightening Introduction by novelist Matthew Pearl and an Appendix, “The Earliest Detectives.”

Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Doesn't Compare to Dante's Club
Review: The most interesting part of this book is the researched speculation surrounding the untimely death of Edgar A. Poe; along with how his relatives figured in Edgar's last days.

Whereas The Dante's Club instilled continued interest in this reader, Perry's handling of the investigator, August Dupont/Dupin, into the mysteries of Poe's death seemed plodding and redundant. Further, the romantic portions contained in the story line were somewhat predictable.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Murders and letters
Review: Edgar Allan Poe is best known for his poetry ("Quoth the raven...") and his tales of the macabre. But he has a lesser-known claim to fame -- the prototypical detective stories, predating Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.

Though only three stories about C. Auguste Dupin were written, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales" compiles all three of them, with their baffling answers and armchair detection. These weren't the first detective tales, but they set the mold for the mysteries that followed.

We're introduced to Dupin through his pal/roommate, in "Murders in the Rue Morgue." He's impoverished but of an old family, and lives in a crumbling, gothic mansion full of his books. But his mind is sharper than anyone around him, based on the logical process of "ratiocination."

In this mystery, Dupin learns of a bizarre mystery, where an apartment was found almost destroyed but nothing was stolen. An old lady is found outside with her head hacked off with a razor, and her daughter is found throttled and stuffed upside-down in a chimney, with locks of her hair pulled out. No motive, and no suspects. The police are baffled -- but Dupin isn't.

Based on a real crime, "The Mystery of Marie Roget" opens with the death of a popular young woman, who is later found floating in the river. By reading different newspaper reports, Dupin chronicles the peculiarities of the crime, and debunks the many assumptions that were made about the crime -- how many assailants, where, when, and so on.

"The Purloined Letter" has a somewhat less gruesome crime. The prefect of police is meeting with Dupin, with a very important matter to discuss -- a compromising letter of the Queen's was stolen in front of her eyes, and now the Minister is blackmailing her with it. The police have searched the Minister's apartment from top to bottom, but there's no sign of the letter. Only Dupin knows where to find it.

These stories are are not only the roots of detective fiction, but staggeringly good reads as well. Poe -- who reportedly made Dupin the sort of logical, cool person he wanted to be -- crammed a whole novel's worth of detecting into each short story, and made even the weirdest answers (a monkey?) seem plausible.

Unlike Poe's other works, these are made up mostly of deduction and dialogue, though Poe does get in some wonderful lines about the shared mansion ("... in a style which suited the rather fantastic gloom of our common temper, a time-eaten and grotesque mansion"). And while the dialogue seems rather dry at first, as it unfolds, the intricacies of each bizarre plot become clear.

You could say that the one flaw of these stories is that they don't offer much insight into the characters. We don't know much about Dupin, except that he's an impoverished noble with a vast collection of books. But the stories are really about Dupin's logical deductions rather than the character himself, and how any baffling case could be solved if you just had enough clues and a clear head.

The Dupin Tales are a remarkable work of detective fiction, the early whodunnits, and are among Poe's best works of fiction. Definitely a must-read.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Greatest mysteries ever
Review: I've read "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter", but have yet to read "The Mystery of Marie Roget". I WILL be buying this book.
I can safely say that "...Rue Morgue" is the first detective story ever. Without it there'd be no Sherlock Holmes. Poe's eye for logic and detail is astounding. Unfortunately, I knew who committed the Rue Morgue murders before reading the story, but it was still suspenseful and BELIEVABLE.
"The Purloined Letter" is equally impressive. Again Poe's meticulousness makes this story airtight. He left no stone unturned in writing it.
Cannot wait to read "...Marie Roget".
If you love mysteries, buy this. It's where it all began.

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