Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Don Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: Re: (ReacTor) Sweet Revenge: Five Works Featuring Vendettas Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2025 19:14:21 -0000 (UTC) Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 95 Message-ID: <20250408a@crcomp.net> References: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2025 21:14:21 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="448e4c476d646638f99ac4a6152dd9de"; logging-data="3047763"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/slowxrvavHq0es0AAr0xi" Cancel-Lock: sha1:gIfxCxUCVHFPJKQU4JK4HHMW82A= Bytes: 5912 James Nicoll wrote: > Sweet Revenge: Five Works Featuring Vendettas The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1846) Few fables revel in revenge more than Poe's THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO. Besides scribing similar stories of revenge, a multi-layered nexus exists between Dumas and Poe. It includes: the Franco-friendly Society of the Cincinnati, Poe's character Dupin, the Frenchman featured in fiction's first detective stories, and a contested letter Dumas wrote with Poe as its subject [1]. Note. [1] Edgar Allan Poe: The Lost Soul of America The following letter, written by Alexander Dumas to an Italian police official, proves not only that Poe visited France, but also hints at the nature of Poe’s visit and proves conclusively that Poe’s detective stories were, among other things, autobiographical in nature: It was about the year 1832. One day an American presented himself at my house with an introduction from his fellow American James Fenimore Cooper. Needless to say I wel- comed him with open arms. His name was Edgar Poe. From the outset I realized that I had to deal with a remark- able man; Two or three remarks which he made upon my furniture, the things I had about me, the way my articles of everyday use were strewn about the room and on my moral and intellectual characteristics impressed me with their accuracy and truth. On the very first day of our acquaintance I freely pro- ferred him my friendship and asked for his. He must cer- tainly have entertained for me a sympathy similar to that I felt for him, for held out his hand to me and the under- standing between us was instantaneous and complete. At this time my mother’s ill health ... required that she enjoy purer air than that afforded by the more central parts of Paris. She was living in the Luxemburg district, while I had a little house all to myself in the Rue de L’Ouest. I offered to let Poe have two rooms in this house for the duration of his stay in Paris. Edgar Poe accepted my offer confessing that his financial resources amounted to little more than 300 francs a month accruing to him on a credit from M. Lafite ... Only, he made his acceptance conditional on one essential stipulation which was that in his mode of life under my roof he should be free to do entirely as he wished, and to comport himself as if the house were his and not mine ... From the very first day of our association I realized why he had laid down the conditions to which I have referred. Poe had one curious idiosyncracy. He liked the night better than the day. Indeed, his love of darkness amounted to a passion. But the Goddess of Night could not always afford him her shade and remain with him continually, so he contrived a substitute. As soon as day began to break he hermetically sealed up the windows in his room and lit a couple of candles. In the midst of this pale illumination, he worked or read or suffered his thoughts to wander in the insubstantial regions of reveries, or else he fell asleep not being always able to indulge in waking dreams. But as soon as the clock told him darkness had come, he would come in for me, and take me out with him if I was there or go forth alone if I was not. As a general rule I must confess I was ready waiting for him, for these nocturnal expeditions in his company were a source of veritable pleasure. In these rambles I could not help remarking with wonder and admiration (though his rich endowment of ideas should have prepared me for it) on the extraordinary facility of analysis exhibited by my friend. He seemed to delight in giving it play and neglected no opportunity to indulge himself in that pleasure. He made no secret of the enjoyment he derived from it, and would remark with a smile of proud satisfaction that for him every man had an open window where his heart was. And as a rule he accompanied that assertion with an immediate demonstration which having me for its object could leave no doubt in my mind concerning Edgar’s power of divination. (excerpt) https://archive.schillerinstitute.com/fidelio_archive/2006/fidv15n01-02-2006SpSu/fidv15n01-02-2006SpSu_059-edgar_allan_poe_the_lost_soul_of.pdf Danke, -- Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. https://crcomp.net/reviews.php telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. Walk humbly with thy God. tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' Make 1984 fiction again.