The Tell-Tale Heart is a story of murder, told by a man who claims he isn’t mad. The man in question lived with an elderly gentleman, who had one bad eye, which when it looked upon him made his blood run cold. And so, to ensure that the eye could no longer be turned on him, he decided that he must kill the old man.
But the crime is well thought out, planned in advance and executed over a number of days. So, of course, he cannot be mad, can he?
This dark and chilling tale of the ravings of a madman who commits a gruesome, premeditated murder is fast paced and full of suspense. It is probably one of the best short stories I have ever read due to the atmosphere that Poe manages to create and sustain until the very end of the tale. The way he captures the mentality of the narrator, only serves to heighten the suspense.
This is a story close to my heart as I used it as a lesson for literature while home educating my son. We went to an old ruined abbey to read and discuss it.
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That sounds amazing. I can imagine the ruins adding to the suspense and tension of the story, not to mention the eeriness.
An old abbey is certainly more fun than a classroom 🙂 And so much more inspiring.
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