Edgar Allan Poe

The Pit and the Pendulum Edgar Allan Poe

Publisher Marketing: "The Pit and the Pendulum" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1842 in the literary annual The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843. The story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, though Poe skews historical facts. The narrator of the story describes his experience of being tortured. The story is especially effective at inspiring fear in the reader because of its heavy focus on the senses, such as sound, emphasizing its reality, unlike many of Poe's stories which are aided by the supernatural. The traditional elements established in popular horror tales at the time are followed, but critical reception has been mixed. The tale has been adapted to film several times. The story takes place during the Spanish Inquisition. At the beginning of the story an unnamed narrator is brought to trial before various sinister judges. Poe provides no explanation of why he is there or for what he has been arrested. Before him are seven tall white candles on a table, and, as they melt, his hopes of survival also diminish. He is condemned to death and finds himself in a pitch black compartment. At first the prisoner thinks that he is locked in a tomb, but he discovers that he is in a cell. He decides to explore the cell by placing a hem from his robe against a wall so he can count the paces around the room; however, he faints before being able to measure the whole perimeter. Review Citations: School Library Journal 12/01/1999 pg. 138 (EAN 9780670887255, Paperback) Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo 01/01/2001 pg. 87 (EAN 9780670887255, Paperback) Library Journal 12/01/1999 (EAN 9780670887255, Paperback) Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo 01/01/2005 pg. 743 (EAN 9780670887255, Paperback) Booklist 12/01/1999 pg. 696 (EAN 9780670887064, Hardcover) School Library Journal 12/01/1999 pg. 138 (EAN 9780670887064, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/1999 pg. 97 (EAN 9780670887064, Hardcover) Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo 01/01/2001 pg. 87 (EAN 9780670887064, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2000 pg. 97 (EAN 9780670887064, Hardcover) Library Journal 12/01/1999 (EAN 9780670887064, Hardcover) Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo 01/01/2005 pg. 743 (EAN 9780670887064, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  Poe, Edgar Allan Author, poet, and literary critic, Edgar Allan Poe is credited with pioneering the short story genre, inventing detective fiction, and contributing to the development of science fiction. However, Poe is best known for his works of the macabre, including such infamous titles as "The Raven," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "Lenore," and "The Fall of the House of Usher." Part of the American Romantic Movement, Poe was one of the first writers to make his living exclusively through his writing, working for literary journals and becoming known as a literary critic. His works have been widely adapted in film. Edgar Allan Poe died of a mysterious illness in 1849 at the age of 40.