After tackling graphic novel adaptations of many classics such as Beowulf, The Odyssey, and various Shakespeare's plays, Gareth Hinds ambitiously takes on the challenge of reimagining the famous poems and stories of Edgar Allan Poe. The short stories in the graphic novel includes "The Masque of Red Death", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Pit and the Pendulum", and the "The Tell-Tale Heart". Hinds also visualizes three of Poe's poems: Annabel Lee, The Raven, and The Bells.

Before each story and poem, Hinds provides a legend with symbols that indicate the themes of the work such as death, disease, and scary sounds to set up the reader's anticipations. Hinds excels in creating a a dark canvas infused ominous shadows and striking reds that build up the suspense and madness throughout the graphic novel but especially in “The Cask of Amontillado,” where an unnamed narrator leads his enemy into being buried alive. My favorite short stories in this graphic novel adaptation and Poe's original work are both The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" where we watch the psychological horror and drama unfold in front of our very own eyes. Hinds conceptualizes the famously grisly details while playing with visually striking splashes of color and sound to further accentuate the terror.

It was a big risk to take on Poe's poems in a graphic novel since they stray from the typical format but Hinds uses his drawings as to fill the page with illustrations and set the original text against them which allow Poe's words to take control. Also included are historical notes about Poe and Hind's rationale for his adaptation, which I found to be very useful and valuable if both independent reading or used in a classroom.

I have been a huge Poe fan since high school, and have several collections of Poe stories and poems. This is a wonderful addition to my collection! I loved the graphics to go along with the stories, which I already love. I think that this will appeal to Poe fans, old and new.

When I began to think how to review Gareth Hinds’s unusual rendition of Poe: Stories and Poems, I thought of the old bridal tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.
The old was obvious since Hinds takes the classic poems and short stories of Edgar Allan Poe for his graphic representations. Poe lived from 1809-1849 so there’s no question that these creations written more than a hundred years ago are aged.

The new is what he does with them. As he adds new graphic art to the old treasures, I was a bit skeptical about whether a visual would enhance Poe’s work, but convincing me didn’t take long. Before the stories and poems even start, the Raven sits on a spiky fence with an ominous tree branch behind him crossing the moon. I could almost hear him calling, “Nevermore.”

I would have thought “The Pit and the Pendulum” could not get any more terrifying than when I first read it, but as the sharp steel crescent of the pendulum grazes the protagonist’s chest in Hind’s picture, I found myself gasping. Other graphics for other works are equally impressive.

Something borrowed? These are Edgar Allan Poe’s works after all.

And blue? Maybe it’s not the use found in the bridal rhyme, but “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee” conjure up feelings of being blue in their original state. Gareth Hinds turns that blue so dark it becomes navy with his rendition of the Raven atop Poe’s tombstone in the cemetery and in the series of pictures to make Annabel’s grave in the sea.

Poe and Hinds turn out a happy marriage, if I may carry the metaphor so far. If you love Poe, don’t miss this!

Historic notes at the end are interesting to any reader, but especially helpful for the teacher or librarian who wants to use this book with a class.

Seven of the master’s most famous works rendered in visual form. Being a huge Poe fan might skew my opinion, but since my very favorite story isn’t in here, I don’t think it’ll be a problem. Was going to try to keep my comments to just the graphic novel’s depiction, but as usual my questions about the stories crept in when I wasn’t looking.
Masque of the Red Death:
Starts, appropriately enough, with a depiction of what the plague does to a human body. This is easily the most colorful of the stories, as it should be, considering the party rooms. This is also the most straightforwardly told, but that may be because it’s the first one.
As I’ve wondered in the past, why did Poe name this protagonist Prospero? And how did the plague enter the sealed fortress after a few months had gone by?
Cask of Amontillado:
I will say the coloring in these scenes, particularly the burial basement, are accurate if not beautiful to look at: mostly darkness, with only the harsh yellow of artificial light to illuminate it. And I always thought Poe was being ironic, or sarcastic, in calling that unfortunate character Fortunado.
Annabel Lee:
This is the first story where the characters are dressed modern rather than period. This artwork makes the whole theme seem even sadder, from the shot of him on his knees sobbing into the ocean to his finished fortress of sand. It feels like no woman has ever been mourned more.
The Pit and The Pendulum:
The story is all black with white lines, since he’s trapped in the dark, until he finds the pit. The rats were a little too realistic for my taste. And this has always been one of my least favorite Poes, as I’m not a fan of the “saved in the nick of time” trope.
The Telltale Heart:
This has always been the go-to when it comes to showing the power of guilt. If anything, it’s a little too on-the-nose here, not subtle at all, but then there weren’t that many pages to work with.
The Bells:
Really isn’t much you can do artwise to show bells. Bells can be happy or sad, but they’re just the tool. The bright orange of the fire looks nice, though.
The Raven:
The protagonist looks just like Poe in these grayscale drawings. The raven is exquisitely drawn, with patterns in its wings. This poem isn’t as visual as the others, so not as much to work with here, though I thought the artist could have made more use of the references.
Ends, rather fittingly, with his grave.
The artwork is more picture book that graphic novel. As you’d expect, it’s literally and metaphorically dark. But I do have to admit that the images make the reading go by faster.
At the end the author explains some of his choices, accidentally answering some of my own questions.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. In fact, it has inspired me to read some of the full stories I have not read such as "The Masque of Red Death."
I also liked how there were notation on some more archaic language. The asterisk and foot notes system kept the explanations from getting in the way of the story but helped the reader understand what was going on.
I was very impression with the majority of the illustrations especially in "The Raven." They helped set the tone and made the stories even creepier. The only one I didn't like was "Annabel Lee". It was gorgeous but the modern take threw me for a loop. I like the idea that the poem is timeless but it seemed disjointed from the rest of the collection.
Over all I recommend this graphic novel for those who enjoy Poe and those who are just beginning to love Poe.

Hinds has some great graphic novel versions of classics tales and epic poems. Add this to his list of fantastic books. This would be a welcome addition to any classroom. Included before each are small icons that indicate themes of the selection of Poe's stories and poems. I hope there will be another volume!

This collection of Edgar Allan Poe stories and poems begins with The Masque of The Red Death. In this story, Prince Prospero has a party in his castle, so his friends can escape the red death that is happening in the city. He has 7 different rooms, each decorated in a different colour. But when the clock strikes 12, an unusual guest makes his way through each of the rooms to the Prince. This is a very illustrative tale, because of the colours in each room. I loved the way that the colours even reflected on the people in the images.

The Tell-Tale Heart is one of my favourite Poe stories! A man doesn’t like his boss’s glass eye. He steals the glass eye and kills his boss. He chops up the body and hides it in the floor boards. When the police come to investigate the screams that were heard by neighbours, the man feels so guilty he ends up confessing to the whole thing. The images in this story were quite dark at times, but it was a good representation of the tale.

The final poem in the collection is “The Raven,” Poe’s most famous work. I loved the illustrations for this poem. They really highlighted the raven, sitting on top of the door. It’s interesting that the narrator in this poem was illustrated as Poe himself. I love this poem and the graphics that went along with it were amazing.

This is a great graphic novel. I really liked that there was a legend with the themes of Poe’s works, such as The themes of each story or poem were listed at its beginning. This makes the collection a great pick for young readers or people who are just being introduced to Poe’s stories and poems.

I never turn down a good excuse to pick up a story or two of Poe's, and this collection has the utmost horror classics, naturally: The Masque of the Red Death, The Cask of Amontillado, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Bells, Annabel Lee, and The Raven.

The artwork in this adaptation is gorgeous and feels so fitting to Poe's particular brand of horror, as it's understated yet gruesome. I am definitely interested in picking up a hard copy of this adaptation in the future, and can't wait to read more of Gareth's adaptations!

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the ARC! All opinions expressed here are my own.

Classic Poe tales and poems are retold with images in this book. Personally, the text being type face and the illustration style I didn't really care for. The best parts of the books are the poems, where the full text of the poem is placed over the images. While the author did a good job visual representing the story, I did not care for the style overall. The author also gave theme indicators at the start of each story, which I appreciated and thought was very education (especially if I were a kid reading this). Also the text boxes seemed award and disjointed from the comic. While it is not a bad representation of Poe's works it just didn't really have the full oomph of his writing.

This is beautifully done, and I would absolutely adopt it for use in the classroom--I think it would be particularly successful as a collaborative unit between myself (art) and an English teacher in the high school context.

This is a perfect text for studying visual storytelling. Each page offers a new discussion--both of Poe's work from a purely literary standpoint, and of the artwork and the artistic choices made in bringing it to life. Off the top of my head, I could lead discussions, lessons and projects on the use of color; the integration of text in the images; the styles and media used for each story; the adaptation choices for the graphic novel format; and so on.

Fantastic work, I hope to use it in the classroom one day, and I'll be sure to share with my English teacher friends!

I love this graphic novel adaptation! I have always been a huge E. A. Poe fan and I enjoy reading retellings of classics, but this book was one of the best ones I've read in this medium. The illustrations reflect the stories/poems and themes well. The contrast of colors and the use of light/dark as well as the vivid emotions and expressions on character faces were moving. My favorite is a toss-up between "The Masque of the Red Death" and "Annabel Lee," although all the artwork was good. The dialogue was easy to follow and concise. A great choice for adaptation fans, those who enjoy Poe, or readers of graphic novels.

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Poe: Stories and Poems
By Gareth Hinds

This graphic novel does justice to some of Edgar Allan Poe's more famous works. These stories and illustrations will have great appeal to teens and adults. Middle school students will find this graphic representation of Poe's works a perfect introduction to the world of Edgar Allan Poe. The stories and poems themselves are timeless and maintain their scariness and creepiness and Hinds is able to enhance those qualities with his illustrations and choice of a darker color palette. I would recommend this to anyone look for a good scare or who is a fan of Poe.

When anyone mentions Gothic Horror, I think of macabre and Edgar Allan Poe. And, Gareth Hinds has translated Poe’s work into 7 graphic narratives in this classic graphic novel format.

Gareth is certainly great at drawing disturbing scenes and anguished subjects. The illustrations for the cover and each narrative are created differently. In additional to digital, we see watercolor, ink, acrylic, pencil, charcoal, and pastel and color pencil.

I was impressed by all the interpretations and some scences stood out more than others. This adaptation will surely draw more fans to classic literature and the works of Poe.

Choosing to again center his newest offering on art over text, Gareth Hinds’ visual reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe is a welcome diversion from the typical regurgitation of the poet’s most famous works.

After all, you know the stories (“The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Pit and the Pendulum” et al.), and you certainly know the poems (“The Raven,” The Bells,” Annabel Lee” among those), so what is left but to present a finely illustrated reworking by a critically acclaimed graphic artist?

Enter Hinds, whose work on literary classics such as “Beowulf,” “King Lear,” “The Merchant of Venice,” and “The Odyssey” have been a fitting and successful warmup to this adaptation of seven of Edgar Allan Poe’s most noted achievements.

Hinds was deliberate in choosing what to include in “Poe: Stories and Poems” (Candlewick Press, Aug. 1). “The Masque of the Red Death,” he says in an author’s note, “is probably the least well-known story in this collection, but I chose it primarily for its visual appeal and the fact that it is literally the most colorful of Poe’s stories.”

Other choices were more personal: “When I first encountered ‘The Bells,’ read in class by my wonderful high school English teacher Joyce DeForge, one of the other teachers, Tom McKone, came bounding in partway through, claiming that whenever ‘The Bells’ was read aloud, he could hear its unique, sonorous rhythm from anywhere in the school. I think of that every time I read it.”

But among those deliberations — for whatever reason they were chosen — there is a commonality: a mastered use of pencil, ink wash and digital media that results in appropriately creepy and beguiling images well-suited to the tales they illustrate.

The most finely drawn of those, “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a cornucopia of textured images wrapped in in light and color, expertly paneled, that move the reader though the story, enhancing Poe’s original work.

Of that work, Hinds adds his “Poe Checklist,” a list of the poet's favorite themes and recurring motifs, at the beginning of each story as a guide to both illustration and text.

In addendum to the illustrations and tales, a brief biography at the end of the book will fuel a desire for more from the uninitiated, while the author’s notes on his selection choices round out a solidly constructed addition to the Poe canon worth both the time and expense.

Editor's Note: This review will appear in print and online in (Boone, N.C.) Mountain Times on June 27.

I loved Gareth Hinds adaptation! It was so much fun to read some of my favorites by Poe with such amazing illustrations. My only quibble with the book is that it reads more like a beautifully illustrated edition than a graphic novel.
I think that any fan of Poe will leap to have a copy of this book in their collection!

I met Gareth Hinds a few years ago and he is charming. I had been reading his adaptations for years and continue to be a fan of his work. That being said, this may be my favorite yet. The collection is not so much a graphic novel as illustrated stories, but the illustrations are gorgeous and fit the mood of each story.

Each story also includes the motifs readers will find there. As a teacher that was my favorite feature. I always struggle to teach motifs to my middle schoolers and this format makes it more accessible and easier to understand.

I loved the pictures that went along with each story. It just made them all the more creepy. I can't wait to see this book in physical form. My favorite was probably Annabel Lee with her castle by the sea.

You can never go wrong with Poe. Loved the stories and the poems in this collection.

Hinds's graphic adaptation takes some of Poe's most well-known stories and poems and couples them with dramatic and wonderful illustrations. Exploring some of the possibilities of interpretation in regards to narrator and setting, Hinds helps bring Poe's work to life in stunning visuals. Poe is a master - his language beautiful and chilling - and Hinds accentuates Poe's words in a way that complements the text rather than detracting or competing with it.

There is a little something lost in the shortened versions of some of these stories, but there is also a lot gained in the visuals - making the graphic format a unique and interesting way to experience Poe's work. The opening illustrations of "The Pit and the Pendulum" in particular - depicting a man alone in pitch blackness - are astounding.

The collection is further made accessible (particularly to those less familiar with Poe) through the inclusion of editorial notes, footnotes, and thematic markers. This collection is perfectly suited for long-time fans of Poe and for those who may be directly encountering his work for the first time. Poe's writing is richly infused with themes of fear, loss, love, despair, and beauty - and I'm always delighted to find a new way to experience his work. Hinds provides that. I just wish the collection was longer; I would have been happy to keep reading beyond the seven works included here.

I love Poe and know several story lines by heart. The illustrations will help my students understand the plots so much better now.