I enjoyed Dante Club (I like historical fiction) and so was looking forward to reading The Poe Shadow--I even bought it in hardcover, which is rare for me. Well, it was terrible. Quite possibly the worst book I've ever read. It was totally unclear to me what was going on--was he crazy or was all this stuff really happening to him? I was hoping it would be brilliantly explained at the end so I kept trudging along even though it was beyond tedious. There was no payoff in the end. It was so bad that I was mad when I finished. It literally put me in a bad mood.

It's about a Baltimore lawyer who's obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe and how he died--he wants to prove to the world that Poe wasn't really a drunken lout who died on the street and so he sets out to prove a vast conspiracy while ruining his life. It's not clear whether he's crazy or misunderstood.

Has anyone else read it? Am I missing something? Is it so profound that I just didn't get it?

Decepcionante, y más tratándose de una novelización sobre la vida de uno de mis autores favoritos. Estilo narrativo bastante mediocre en una buena idea temática y biográfica; pero Poe se merecía una mejor narración y trato.
A partir de la encarcelación del protagonista, el relato se convierte en una narración febril e improbable. La aclaración final del misterio es un poco rebuscada, especialmente la trama del poder de Francia.
Lo mejor es su estupenda documentación, siendo la mayoría de los personajes reales; pero es poco balance a favor, una lástima.

Mi nota: 5.

Exquisite way of writing!
It took me back in time, and in space. I have been to Baltimore before and I could perfectly imagine how it all took place there back then, when horses where the main transportation. I love Edgar Allan Poe and the book certainly has the Poe’s shadow on it.
It is flawlessly written and the use of words is so wide and profound. It was delightful to read this type of literature. I would have liked more mystery on it as it didn’t got me hooked, but instead it was a slow reading kind of book, which I also enjoy but it took time for me to finish it.