The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym - Softcover

Poe, Edgar Allan

3.51

12,553 ratings by Goodreads

9781420925739: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1420925733 ISBN 13: 9781420925739

Publisher: Digireads.com, 2005

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"The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym," the only full-length novel that Edgar Allan Poe wrote, is the story of a boy, Pym, who stows away aboard a whaling ship. Along with Augustus, the captain's son, Arthur Gordon Pym avoids discover aboard the ship while witnessing a series of incredible events. Rich with symbolism and allegory, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" is an exciting gothic sea adventure that greatly influenced the genre of the maritime novel.

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Review:

Edgar Allen Poe's only novel, is read with engaging energy by Adrian Sims and unfolds with the vividness and horrid logic of a dream. It begins with a prank, when young Pym stows away to be with a friend on a Nantucket brig. Mutiny leads to his claustrophobic incarceration (a familiar Poe theme), then shipwreck, with hunger and thirst agonisingly detailed. After narrowly escaping massacre on an island where even the teeth of natives are black, the two survivors sail into a snowy white curtain of white to be welcomed by huge angelic figures. Bizarre but well worth the voyage. --Christina Hardyment, The Times

Over-the-top and hugely enjoyable --Kati Nicholl, Daily Express

This is a teasing, gripping adventure that travels through the mysterious deep and the blackness of death to a strange world of ethereal whiteness. --Rachel Redford, Observer

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe In his late teens, Arthur Gordon Pym, hero of Edgar Allan Poe's only full-length novel, runs away to sea with his friend, Augustus Bernard, on his father's vessel, the American whaling brig, Grampus. Their plan is that Arthur will start the voyage as a stowaway, until they are far enough out to sea to prevent his return to Nantucket. Nothing goes according to plan, however. A couple of days out, a mutiny forces Augustus to conceal Arthur's presence for his safety. Not only Arthur's fate, but his very life is in question as conditions deteriorate, and the forces of man and nature rise against him. The tale is actually in two parts, the first records this voyage of the Grampus, the second deals with an ill-conceived and somewhat fantastical voyage to Antarctica. Poe's sense of the macabre and unexpected pervades the novel, creating an ever-rising suspense. Adam Sims, a veteran of radio, television, and theater performances, renders a very successful recounting of Arthur's tale, most of which is delivered in the first person. Sims conveys Arthur's naivete, adventurous spirit, ingenuity, and optimism concerning all the perils that befall him during the two journeys. This audiobook will appeal to adult and teen readers alike who love sea stories with a captivating story line and laden with heightened suspense. Several graphic passages dealing with cannibalism and violence may not be appropriate for junior high audiences. --Susan Allison, soundcommentary.com

From the Back Cover:

Edgar Allan Poe's only long fiction has provoked intense scholarly discussions about its meaning since its first publication. The novel relates the adventures of Pym after he stows away on a whaling ship, where he endures starvation, encounters with cannibals, a whirlpool, and finally a journey to an Antarctic sea. It draws on the conventions of travel writing and science fiction, and on Poe's own experiences at sea, but is ultimately in a category of its own.

Appendices include virtually all of the contemporary sources of exploration and south polar navigation that Poe consulted and adapted to the narrative, together with reviews and notices of Pym and a sampling of responses to the novel from a wide array of authors, from Herman Melville to Jules Verne. Seven illustrations are also included.

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