Other editions of book The Black Cat

"The Black Cat" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". In both, a murderer carefully conceals his crime and believes himself unassailable, but eventually breaks down and reveals himself, impelled by a nagging reminder of his guilt.

This is in radio script format. It is an adaptation of the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Allan, living with his wife and Pluto, his black cat, has been having problems. He reads about microwaves jumping off power transformers. He thinks this might be causing the problems. His problems become more intense. One night Allan returns home drunk and gouges his pet cat's eye out with a knife. A few weeks later, apparently because he feels guilty when he looks at the one-eyed cat, Allan takes the cat into the back yard and hangs him. That night his house burns down. Later, when Allan looks at the ruins, he discovers what he thinks is the shape of a cat hanging from a noose outlined on the one standing wall, that above his bed.Allan and his wife move to a new house. Allan continues to drink, and, one night, in the local bar, he finds and adopts another black cat exactly like Pluto. Several weeks later, when Allan, axe in hand, goes down to the cellar to break up some kindling for the winter, his new cat runs under his feet and nearly causes him to fall. He raises the axe, intending to hurl it at the cat, but his wife grabs his arm, and he kills her instead.He thinks of ways of disposing of the body and eventually decides to tear down a brick wall in the cellar and seal her body up behind it. He does this and is very proud of his work. A policeman questions Allan about his wife's disappearance, but the officer's questions are too easily answered; he doesn't even search the house. Allan feels he needs more of a challenge. A few days later, two more policemen search the house thoroughly. They search the cellar last, and, as they are about to leave, Allan proudly slaps on the very wall behind which he has buried his wife's body. The officers hear something that sounds like a baby crying from behind the wall. They get crowbars and break down the wall to find Allan's wife's body with the one-eyed black cat sitting on her head.

Edgar Allan Poe, the father of American horror fiction, first published his macabre short story “The Black Cat” in the August 19, 1843 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. The frightening tale of a murderer tormented by guilt over his terrible deeds is a classic. The narrator’s admission that much of his bad behavior and deranged thinking is the result of demon alcohol is possibly autobiographical, as Poe himself struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. This short work is part of Applewood’s “American Roots,” series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America’s most famous writers and thinkers.

Edgar Allan Poe was an American poet, short story writer, playwright, editor, critic, essayist and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of the macabre and mystery, Poe was one of the early American practitioners of the short story and a progenitor of detective fiction and crime fiction. He is also credited with contributing to the emergent science fiction genre. Poe died at the age of 40. The cause of his death is undetermined and has been attributed to alcohol, drugs, cholera, rabies, suicide (although likely to be mistaken with his suicide attempt in the previous year), tuberculosis, heart disease, brain congestion and other agents.

This is a series of simplified stories, designed as an introduction to literature. The series offers classics, best-sellers, film-titles and original stories. Each book has extensive exercises, a detailed introduction and information about the syllabus. They are published at six levels: level 1 - beginner (300 words); level 2 - elementary (500 words); level 3 - pre-intermediate (1050 words); level 4 - intermediate ( 1650 words); level 5 - upper intermediate (2300 words); level 6 - advanced (3000 words). The series is designed to be suitable for students of English as a foreign language, for students of English as a second language and for reluctant readers.

This is a series of simplified stories, designed as an introduction to literature. The series offers classics, best-sellers, film-titles and original stories. Each book has extensive exercises, a detailed introduction and information about the syllabus. They are published at six levels: level 1 - beginner (300 words); level 2 - elementary (500 words); level 3 - pre-intermediate (1050 words); level 4 - intermediate ( 1650 words); level 5 - upper intermediate (2300 words); level 6 - advanced (3000 words). The series is designed to be suitable for students of English as a foreign language, for students of English as a second language and for reluctant readers.