The Poe Shadow

infobox Book |
name = The Poe Shadow
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Matthew Pearl
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Mystery novel
publisher = Random House
release_date = 2006
media_type = Hardcover (first edition)
pages = 384 pp (first edition hardcover)
isbn = ISBN 1-4000-6103-2
preceded_by = The Dante Club
followed_by =

"The Poe Shadow" is a novel by Matthew Pearl published by Random House. It tells the story of one young lawyer's quest to solve the mystery of Edgar Allan Poe's death in 1849. It is a work of historical and literary fiction, where some previously unpublished details about the last days of Poe are conveyed through the thoughts and the actions of the main character, along with the generally shared ideas on Poe's death as of the publication date.

Plot summary

Baltimore lawyer Quentin Hobson Clark witnesses a somber, simple funeral on October 8, 1849. He learns it was for author Edgar Allan Poe, with whom he had previously exchanged letters about providing legal support for a new publication, "The Stylus". Clark feels obliged to look into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Poe's death, despite protests from his fiancee Hattie Blum and his brother Peter. Clark's journey takes him to Paris to seek out the real-life inspiration for Poe's character C. Auguste Dupin, a man of intellect who could help unravel the mystery.

ee also

*Death of Edgar Allan Poe
*Edgar Allan Poe in popular culture, Poe as a character

External links

* [http://www.matthewpearl.com Official site for author "Matthew Pearl"]
* [http://www.matthewpearl.com/poe/reviews.html Reviews of "The Poe Shadow"]
* [http://www.myspace.com/quentinclark a myspace profile for the main character of "The Poe Shadow", Quentin Clark]