Gothic, mysterious, theatrical, fatally flawed, and dazzling, the life of Edgar Allan Poe, one of AmericaтАЩs greatest and most versatile writers, is the ideal subject for Peter Ackroyd. Poe wrote lyrical poetry and macabre psychological melodramas; invented the first fictional detective; and produced pioneering works of science fiction and fantasy. His innovative style, images, and themes had a tremendous impact on European romanticism, symbolism, and surrealism, and continue to influence writers today.
In this essential addition to his canon of acclaimed biographies, Peter Ackroyd explores PoeтАЩs literary accomplishments and legacy against the background of his erratic, dramatic, and sometimes sordid life. Ackroyd chronicles PoeтАЩs difficult childhood, his bumpy academic and military careers, and his complex relationships with women, including his marriage to his thirteen-year-old cousin. He describes PoeтАЩs much-written-about problems with gambling and alcohol with sympathy and insight, showing their connections to PoeтАЩs childhood and the trials, as well as the triumphs, of his adult life. AckroydтАЩs thoughtful, perceptive examinations of some of PoeтАЩs most famous works shed new light on these classics and on the troubled and brilliant genius who created them.