Leave a comment and let me know what you think. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at, where you’ll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I’ve visited all over the world. And good to compare to other of Poe’s works to see the real meaning of the Gothic style of writing.įor those new to me or my reviews… here’s the scoop: I read A LOT. the purloined letter: the thousand-and-second tale of scheherazade: a descent into the maelstrom. Definite short read for any fans of this genre. It also helped push the mystery genre into more analytical thinking as opposed to true action-based, cut-and-dry physical tracking down of clues. As you delve deeper into the story, you begin to question your own view of thievery and the moral codes of “teaching someone a lesson.” Many believe the mystery remains unsolved at the end of this one… and while I would tend to agree, it’s still a very artful approach to telling the story. And so, Dupin sets up a test to prove it.

Dupin does seem to feel a sense of competition with Minister D, giving him an added incentive to solve the crime with flair. Poe’s narrator discussed with Dupin all the potential suspects, ruling out everyone but the obvious one. In The Purloined Letter, he is rivaled by Minister D, a man with a similar 'poetic' but who acts not to solve crimes but commit them.

At its core, the story is about a letter that’s gone missing, possibly stolen, having changed hands a number of times. Unlike the Rue Morgue, this mystery contains not gore or horror it’s pure mystery without the overall Gothic depths Poe usually goes to in his literary works. One of the most interesting facts about this story is that it involves Poe’s detective Dupin, who also appear in The Murders in the Rue Morgue. 3+ of 5 stars to The Purloined Letter, a short story written in 1844, by Edgar Allan Poe.

Poe the purloined letter