A Mystery of Mysteries

The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe

By: Mark Dawidziak

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

A Mystery of Mysteries is a brilliant biography of Edgar Allan Poe that examines the renowned author’s life through the prism of his mysterious death and its many possible causes.

It is a moment shrouded in horror and mystery. Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849, at just forty, in a painful, utterly bizarre manner that would not have been out of place in one of his own tales of terror. What was the cause of his untimely death, and what happened to him during the three missing days before he was found, delirious and “in great distress” on the streets of Baltimore, wearing ill-fitting clothes that were not his own?

Mystery and horror. Poe, who remains one of the most iconic of American writers, died under haunting circumstances that reflect the two literary genres he took to new heights. Over the years, there has been a staggering amount of speculation about the cause of death, from rabies and syphilis to suicide, alcoholism, and even murder. But many of these theories are formed on the basis of the caricature we have come to associate with Poe: the gloomy-eyed grandfather of Goth, hunched over a writing desk with a raven perched on one shoulder, drunkenly scribbling his chilling masterpieces. By debunking the myths of how he lived, we come closer to understanding the real Poe―and uncovering the truth behind his mysterious death, as a new theory emerges that could prove the cause of Poe’s death was haunting him all his life.

In a compelling dual-timeline narrative alternating between Poe’s increasingly desperate last months and his brief but impactful life, Mark Dawidziak sheds new light on the enigmatic master of macabre.

©2023 Mark Dawidziak (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Jumps Around too much

If you want a chronological telling of Poe’s life this isn’t the book for you. If you want a biography with no repetitive bits, this isn’t for you. With that said and knowing very little about Poe’s life and death, I learned many interesting facts as well as filling-in-the-blanks suppositions, clearly stated as suppositions.
The author’s jumping back and forth in Poe’s life, though, was very distracting. Perhaps in book form, those jumps would be clearer. However, I was quite perplexed when in one sentence, Poe marries his young cousin, and in almost the next sentence he is getting engaged to someone else. It made no sense to me until I realized the author was jumping backward and forward in Poe’s life. Why he chose that device for delivering his information is beyond me. I found it confusing and very disjointed. Additionally, many points are repeated several times as the book progresses. A good editor should have dealt with this.
Bottom line, I am glad I listened to the book, but it was far from the best biography I’ve ever read.

Demystifying the Master of the Macabre

Think you know Poe?
Think again.

Dawidziak impressively paints a portrait of Poe few in the mainstream public are aware of, and explores the most probable reasons for his death and how his final hours were spent.

Often sad, funny, and revealing, Dawidziak hits a home run with an impeccably researched and well told exploration of the man we all know simply as Poe.

Poerific!!

Excellent book!! Dawidziak captured Poe's life in such detail, more than other books about Poe I've read. Highly recommend!!

Behind the daguerreotype

Did you know the actual complete works of Edgar Allan Poe fill multitudes of volumes? I found that fascinating. The usual complete works that we are used to are really just the most popular poems and gothic tales. Poe was far more than the brooding figure writing on a stormy night that we imagine him to be. This book tells the whole story of his life. I now look forward to visiting the Poe museum in Richmond. Wonderful narration by Grover Gardner.

Poe lives!

A pitch-perfect overview of the life of Edgar Allan Poe, who was, in the end, just another human being and not a ghost nor ghoul nor freak nor madman. Thumbs (and raven wings) up.

A snoozer

If you’re a rabid fan of Poe and wanting exhaustive details of his life and death, including a thorough presentation of every speculation as to his cause of death, this is for you. I was hoping for something more exciting.

Not a linear biography

I enjoyed the content but it all jumped around in a way that didn’t make sense. The chronology was all over the place.

Good Biography and Summary of previous Biographies

Revolving around the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe, this Biography covers Poe's life, writing, and mysterious and debated death. I learned a lot about one of the greatest American writers of all time. It has inspired me to go back and read more of his stories and poems.