Certainly a great writer, but far from a good whole person. Not the most thrilling depiction of him either. Just disappointing really.
Summary:
An author known for his morbid mysteries and poignant poems, Edgar Allen Poe is known for having a dismal and sad life, shrouded in the unknown. In this short biography, we reveal more of the tragic boyhood, restless character and scandalous events that made up the mythic man.
Verdict: 6/10
It's difficult to rate a biography as you're both rating the picture of the person portrayed and the style the facts are presented. I was glad to learn more about Poe as he was largely a mysterious figure, especially the events of his death. I never knew he was a rich and spoiled kid (mostly because he liked to depict himself as a pitiful orphan). And I never would have guessed he'd been in the military.
But I was a bit disappointed to find that the poet was not a very likable person. He’s depicted as a reckless gambler and constantly begging everyone he knows for money, only to claim he has no friends and spend it on alcohol anyway. He’s also an impulsive liar. It makes sense now why no one knew his real life because he would never tell them the truth or he would make up a more sympathetic exciting version for attention.
Poe was kind of a drama queen and a deadbeat but at least a poetic deadbeat. Ackroyd shows the troubled past that led shaped his mindset. So it makes sense that it would have contributed to his actions. Still, one has to ask 'was Poe really that unlucky? Was it out of his control as an addiction to alcohol? Or was he sabotaging himself (never staying in one job or town, driving away friends and employers, etc.)' Regardless of intentionality, Poe really does dig his own grave.
I will say Ackroyd makes a fair amount of assumptions. Granted, Poe is mysterious and the book is short, so maybe there’s more research to back up his views than is told in the bio. But pg. 29, for example, is the first mention of anxiety, yet in that same sentence the author says it was “his constant companion". Just seemed like he was taking a bit of a leap to me at times.
The author, like many historical biographers, also really liked puffing up his language. It’s certainly academic sounding and Ackroyd's favorite word is 'erstwhile'. Even though it’s considered “brief”, it felt fairly long, but it did cover everything pretty thoroughly.
The biography was eye-opening and well done, but I'm glad I didn't have a longer copy. In this case, best not to "meet your hero" - better stick to Poe's writing as that was clearly the best of him.
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