The focus of this book is the death of Poe, and the myth and legend that developed around Poe. The author makes the point that posterity has confused Poe the person with the narrators of his horror, gothic and mystery books and stories. Actually a very literary person who edited literary journals and was famous during lifetime as a literary critic. Ultimately a more complex person that people really acknowledge today, he lived in Boston, Richmond, New York, Philadelphis and Baltimore. Three of these cities have Poe museums, and he is buried in Baltimore. As with Melville he did achieve real fame until well after his death.
