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The Black Cat cover art

The Black Cat

By: Edgar Allan Poe
Narrated by: William Roberts
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Editor reviews

Yet another one of Edgar Allan Poe’s signature unreliable narrators is brought vividly to life by skilled performer William Roberts in this macabre tale of an ominous black cat that entrenches itself in the twisted psyche of an alcoholic man and drives him to the brink of insanity after he hangs the feline from a tree in a fit of drunken rage.

Roberts pulls no punches with his urgent, feverishly impassioned portrayal of a deeply disturbed man in Poe’s fearless examination of madness and guilt that will appeal to fans of classic Gothic horror.

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)

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