The Black Cat

The complete text.

The Black Cat is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1943. It has a plot similar to The Tell-Tale Heart which was written just a few months earlier. It's about a man who loves animals, but, after becoming an alcoholic, begins hating them, and even becomes sadistic toward them.

I read this story as part of a Poe compilation in order to better acquaint myself with his work. I didn't care much for it.

Status

I don not own this story, but have listened to an audio book recording.

Review

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• Nothing.

Bad

• I know that alcoholism tends to change a person's outlook on life, but I doubt that it would change an animal lover into one who delights in killing them.

Ugly

• I'm fine with a story having a moral, but I don't like them to be ham-fisted. This story basically says, if you drink too much you will purposely murder anyone and anything you love, and pride yourself in how well you'll be able to hide their corpses.

Gallery

• 

  Unknown artist.

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  Illustration by Abigail Larson.

Links

       

• poestories.com/read/blackcat - Complete text.