Edgar Allan Poe - The Complete Short Stories

First, the reader, Bob Thomley is excellent. Second, Poe is strange. If one is not familiar with Poe other than some of his popular works like The Pit and the Pendulum, then you will find these stories weird, crazy and some are hilarious like Toby Dammit. Bob Thomley makes it all work.

You can't go wrong with this collection. There is a story for every mood or occasion. The stories are often funny, wonderfully horrific, and sometimes beautiful. I was very impressed with Mr Thomley as a narrator, with his a soothing and sophisticated voice, he could not be more perfect for Poe. Worth so much more than what I paid.

Rather than try to track down all the stories by Poe just get this and listen to them. I now know where a lot of the 60's and 70's got there movie idea's that have bloomed into the ones being made. I recognized a movie Errol Flynn did before he died. A good listen.

Poe is a favorite of mine, so I've heard a lot of great actors narrate his stories over the years: Christopher Lee, Basil Rathbone, Vincent Price, to name a few.

I wasn't expecting a narration of that level, though. I was just looking for a complete collection of the short stories. Sadly, the narration makes it almost impossible to enjoy listening to it.

Thomley's narration is flat and without any affect, more suited to the reading of a dry history than masterful tales of suspense, mystery, and humor.

Also, his mispronunciations are like fingernails on a chalkboard. Poe is strewn with Latin, French, and German. It is not unreasonable to expect a narrator of Poe to be able to pronounce the words with basic proficiency.

But for three dollars, you do get all the stories, including some of those rare treats that hardly appear in other collections, such as his humorous tales. I particularly love "The Angel of the Odd." Poe's twisted sense of fun is all too often eclipsed by his more macabre works.

You be the judge. It is a bargain of sorts, but don't expect too much.

The narrator had good material to work with, but he just reads, delivering a flat performance. A little involvement in the stories would be appreciated.

Lou Diamond Phillips would do a good job. I haven't heard too many other narrators to make any further suggestions.

Nothing can spoil Poe, his dark macabre stories with Gothic and often ironic aura. But there's one thing that was offputting: the narrator got French and Latin words all wrong. This is amateurish and unprofessional. Please, don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about the accent. But when I think of the way he pronounced the words 'idea' or 'sentiments' in French, it makes me cry.
All in all, Bob Thomley managed to convey Poe's mysterious and spooky mood. He has a powerful voice and a rich timbre, but should have double checked those foreign words.

The reading is excellent, as is the quality of the stories. It's Poe, you know. The only quibble I have is that the title says "The Complete Short Stories" and this collection is far from complete. But it's a good collection and thoroughly enjoyable.

Yes, many times

Poe was the Stephen King of his time.

He put much feeling into all the characters

No but I could not stop in the middle of a story

Man what a sick mind this man had to come up with these stories.

This audio book is truly a must have for fans of Edgar Allan Poe and literature in general.

I found this book hard to follow. This is my first time reading/hearing Poe and it was probably and overly ambitious first shot. This isn't a read/listen that I would recommend if you've never had any introduction/experience with Poe as some listeners may have to grab a dictionary for reference quite often.

If they are already familiar or would like a challenge, sure.

Not sure, I think someone with a voice like James Earl Jones, since he's got a deep,commanding voice that would fit for Poe's dark poetry.

I didn't finish the book so I cannot say what I'd delete/edit.