The Tell-Tale Heart

Annotated Edition

By: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo

"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by cutting it into pieces and hiding it under the floorboards. Ultimately, the narrator's guilt manifests itself in the hallucination that the man's heart is still beating under the floorboards.

It is unclear what relationship, if any, the old man and his murderer share. It has been suggested that the old man is a father figure or, perhaps, that his vulture eye represents some sort of veiled secret. The ambiguity and lack of details about the two main characters stand in stark contrast to the specific plot details leading up to the murder.

The story was first published in James Russell Lowell's The Pioneer in January 1843. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is widely considered a classic of the gothic fiction genre and one of Poe's most famous short stories.

©2021 Annotations by Iron Works Studios (P)2022 Iron Works Studios

Wonderfully Narrated

The narration was beyond well done. By now most of us have read this story so we know how it goes but Michael F made feel it.

I highly recommend this one.

A great listen

It's quick, but still a good listening. I've heard several renditions by different people. Still always a great tale to hear

Incredible Performance.

This felt like a true radio play! The music and ambience were well placed and added to the overall production. The narration was superb. Voice acting at its finest.

Amazing Retelling

Wow this is a fantastic retelling of a classic short story. Michael delivered this performance perfectly. The portrayal of the story teller was creepy in the beginning and it just grew from there. As the story teller went mad he continued to really deliver and honestly narrated an insane character. The delivery really conveyed the story that Edgar Allen Poe told in a matter very befitting him. If you are looking for a short listen by an amazing narrator who really delivered Edgar's mannerism and style, this is definitely a listen for you.

Loved This Reading

I absolutely loved this reading by Michael Ferraiuolo. He reads it with such drama and feeling that I can actually picture it as if I was right there living it. This was another example of his wonderful work.

chilling performance

This was a very bone chilling performance. I was scared and creeped out by this reading.