For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief.
- First sentence
The first time I read an Edgar Allan Poe story, I was a teenager. I haven't read all of his works, but I did read The Telltale Heart, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Cask of Amontillado, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Raven, and probably others that I don't remember. I enjoyed Poe's stories, but I haven't read anything by him in a while.
I chose to read The Black Cat for the Black Cat Square in Halloween Bingo.
I did not enjoy this story. Yes, Poe was a masterful storyteller and he was original and creepy. But, this one did not scare me at all. I hated reading about how the narrator treated the cat who adored him. I wanted him to suffer for what he did. I wasn't surprised by the ending, perhaps because I did read this story in my teenage years.
There is one thing that did surprise me (although I guess it shouldn't have, given the man's character and that this is a Poe story)...
[spoiler]When his wife prevents him from killing the second cat, he buries the axe "in her brain" and then just goes about his business like nothing happened. The whole thing is just so matter of fact - it struck me as odd. Then again, an asshole drunk who could mistreat and kill an animal just for loving him, what did I expect?
[/spoiler]
Bottom line, this story disturbed me (and maybe that is part of what horror stories are supposed to do). I prefer my horror stories to not involve animal abuse.
Avoid if you are sensitive to animal cruelty.
Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1482712/not-scary-just-wrong
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