The Fall of the House of Usher

By: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrated by: William Roberts

Length: 50 mins

Publisher's summary

This is a story from the Fall of the House of Usher collection.

The horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, with its dungeon of death, and the overhanging gloom on the House of Usher demonstrate unforgettably the unique imagination of Edgar Allan Poe. Unerringly, he touches upon some of our greatest nightmares: Premature burial, ghostly transformation, words from beyond the grave. Written in the 1840s, they have retained their power to shock and frighten even now.

Also in this collection of Poe's tales of mystery and imagination: "The Black Cat", "The Facts in the Case of M Valdemar", "The Cask of Amontillado", "Ligeia", "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Masque of the Red Death", "The Premature Burial", and "The Raven".

Public Domain (P)2003 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.

Critic reviews

"Those who thought only Basil Rathbone could narrate Poe are in for a surprise and a treat. The no-nonsense William Roberts narrates a production mercifully free of frills. No unnecessary music or sound effects interfere with the brilliance of the writing or the purity of the performance." ( AudioFile)

Well read narration!

William Roberts did a superb job capturing the essence and spirit of Poe's famous short story. Easy on the ears and paced carefully to deliver what one can safely assume is in line with Poe's tempo of writing, Roberts delivers a flawless reading.

great

I love it...Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorites..I will be getting more soon

Scary

If you're in the market for trouble goodnight to sleep at night, get this, and never sleep again. Thanks English class

Excellent short story

The story is very wordy, typical of E.A.P., but I enjoyed listening to it more than reading it for myself. It helps that the narrator uses dramatic emphasis when needed. I am so glad this was on audible.

Excellent visuals

If you like lovecraftian stories of dread and sorrow, please read this. It’s horrific and saddening.

Great Gothic Tale

First off, if you don’t enjoy wordy stories, then I don’t recommend this, but if you do, this is a fun and eloquent listen. This story is short, but it leaves a lasting gothic image in your mind. If you are a fan of Poe, this is another great story, and the narrator does a great job with pacing and interpretation.

Understanding the wordy literary style of Poe.

it was written in a wordy language typical of British prose eventhough Poe was not a British subject. One had to be a literary lover to follow along . I still enjoyed it never the less.

Great Gothic Read

I love Poe. He writes in very rich language that paints a vivid picture. The story is short but engrossing and the characters grab you in their descent to madness.

Classic Poe

One of Poe’s best. A combination ghost story and Epic terror. Add a person being buried alive, all these elements make a great gothic horror story.

Not for me, but will revisit

This was my first foray into Edgar Allan Poe's works. Maybe it was the timing, maybe it was this particular book, or perhaps it was simply a hangover from my previous book, but I could appreciate neither the story nor Poe's famed prose. I will revisit this book after a couple of months though, and see if I can isolate the reason for my disfavour.

veru well narrated

sounds grear, very descriptive but unfortunately barley understandable to me. listened to all of story

Captivating

Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft are the vanguard of gothic horror.
I've loved The Fall of The House of Usher for many years and William Roberts reads it brilliantly.