Re: (ReacTor) Sweet Revenge: Five Works Featuring Vendettas

James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> 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.