Bøger af Edgar Allan Poe

Se produce el bárbaro asesinato de dos mujeres, madre e hija, en un apartamento de una populosa calle de París. Las primeras pesquisas que lleva a cabo la brigada de investigaciones no dan resultado alguno, evidenciándose la impotencia de la policía para esclarecer los hechos. Finalmente se hace cargo del asunto un detective aficionado, M. Dupin, quien tras intensa y brillante investigación, ofrece una explicación extraordinaria. The story surrounds the baffling double murder of Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter in the Rue Morgue, a fictional street in Paris. Newspaper accounts of the murder reveal that the mother's throat is so badly cut that her head is barely attached and the daughter, after being strangled, has been stuffed into the chimney. The murder occurs in an inaccessible room on the fourth floor locked from the inside. Neighbors who hear the murder give contradictory accounts, each claiming that he heard the murderer speaking a different language. The speech was unclear, the witnesses say and they admit to not knowing the language they are claiming to have heard.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Todos saben de una manera vaga que el lugar más bello del mundo es -o era, desgraciadamente- el pueblo holandés de Vondervotteimittiss. Sin embargo, como se encuentra a cierta distancia de todas las grandes vías, en una situación por decirlo así extraordinaria, probablemente lo haya visitado un corto número de mis lectores. Por está razón considero oportuno, para entretenimiento de aquellos que no hayan podido hacerlo, entrar en algunos pormenores con respecto a él. Y esto es realmente tanto más necesario cuanto que si me propongo relatar los calamitosos acontecimientos ocurridos últimamente dentro de sus límites, es sólo con la esperanza de conquistar para sus habitantes la simpatía popular. Ninguno de quienes me conocen dudar de que el deber que me impongo no sea ejecutado con toda la habilidad de que soy capaz, con esa rigurosa imparcialidad, escrupulosa comprobación de los hechos y a ardua confrontación de autoridades, que deben distinguir siempre a aquel que aspira al título de historiador. Everybody knows, in a general way, that the finest place in the world is-or, alas, was-the Dutch borough of Vondervotteimittiss. Yet as it lies some distance from any of the main roads, being in a somewhat out-of-the-way situation, there are perhaps a few of my readers who have ever paid it a visit. For the benefit of those who have not, therefore, it will be only proper that I should enter into some account of it. And this is indeed the more necessary, as with the hope of enlisting public sympathy in behalf of the inhabitants, I design here to give a history of the calamitous events which have so lately occurred within its limits. No one who knows me will doubt that the duty thus self-imposed will be executed to the best of my ability, with all that rigid impartiality, all that cautious examination into facts, and diligent collation of authorities, which should ever distinguish him who aspires to the title of historian.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ The Works Of Edgar Allan Poe: Prose Miscellanies; Volume 4 Of The Works Of Edgar Allan Poe; Richard Henry Stoddard Edgar Allan Poe, James Russell Lowell, Nathaniel Parker Willis Richard Henry Stoddard null A. C. Armstrong & Son, 1895

No espero ni pido que nadie crea el extraño aunque simple relato que voy a escribir. Estaría completamente loco si lo esperase, pues mis sentidos rechazan su evidencia. Pero no estoy loco, y sé perfectamente que este no es un sueño. Mañana voy a morir, y quiero de alguna forma aliviar mi alma. Le personnage principal de l'histoire, est, depuis son enfance, fou des animaux. Il possède un chat noir nommé Pluton, auquel il est particulièrement attaché. Or, le narrateur devient alcoolique et violent avec ses animaux et sa femme, mais une considération suffisante l'empêche de battre Pluton. Une nuit, alors qu'il rentre chez lui, ivre, il s'empare de son chat, et avec son canif lui sort l'oeil de l'orbite. À partir de ce moment-là, le chat se met à le fuir avec terreur. Un autre matin, le narrateur saisit le chat et le pend à la branche d'un arbre où il le laisse mourir. Pendant la nuit, la maison prend feu mystérieusement, obligeant le narrateur à s'enfuir avec sa femme et le serviteur. Le lendemain, le narrateur retourne visiter les ruines de sa maison, où il découvre, sur le seul mur qui a échappé à l'incendie, la forme d'un chat gigantesque, attaché au cou à une corde. Cette image le terrifie. Quelque temps plus tard, il trouve un chat similaire dans une taverne. Il a la même taille et la même couleur que l'original et il lui manque aussi un oeil. La seule différence est une tache blanche sur la poitrine de l'animal. Le narrateur le prend chez lui, mais se met bientôt à le détester, et même à éprouver de la peur à son égard. Ce chat ne lui apporte, dans sa vie que de l'angoisse. Un jour où le narrateur et sa femme visitent la cave de leur nouvelle maison, le narrateur se prend les pieds dans le chat et tombe au bas de l'escalier. Pris de fureur, l'homme saisit une hache et tente de tuer le chat, mais sa femme l'en empêche. Dans sa colère, il tue sa femme en lui transperçant le crâne avec la hache. Pour dissimuler son crime, il enlève des briques d'un mur, place le corps derrière et rebouche le trou. La police alertée par les voisins vient visiter la cave, mais elle ne trouve pas de cadavre. La police est sur le point de partir quand le narrateur se met à parler du mur en vantant sa solidité puis comme pour prouver ses dires il le tape avec sa canne. Tout à coup un bruit se fait entendre (comme des gémissements), la police alertée par ces bruits arrache les briques pour découvrir d'où ils viennent. Et c'est alors qu'ils découvrent le cadavre. Sur sa tête se trouve le chat, que le meurtrier avait emmuré avec sa maîtresse en refermant le trou. Horrifié, il explique: j'avais muré le monstre dans la tombe !

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Poems Edgar Allan Poe, Richard Henry Stoddard W.J. Widdleton, 1875 Literary Criticism; American; General; Literary Criticism / American / General

This, the fourth of 5 volumes containing Poe's works, contains 22 of his short stories.

An unnamed narrator, estranged from his family and country, sets sail as a passenger aboard a cargo ship from Batavia (now known as Jakarta, Indonesia). Some days into the voyage, the ship is first becalmed then hit by a Simoon (a combination of a sand storm and hurricane) that capsizes the ship and sends everyone except the narrator and an old Swede overboard. Driven southward by the magical Simoon towards the South Pole, the narrator's ship eventually collides with a gigantic black galleon, and only the narrator manages to scramble aboard. Once the new ship arrives, the narrator finds outdated maps and useless navigational tools throughout the ship. Also, he finds it to be manned by elderly crewmen who are unable to see him; he steals writing materials from the captain's cabin to keep a journal (the "manuscript" of the title) which he resolves to cast into the sea. This ship too continues to be driven southward, and he notices the crew appears to show signs of hope at the prospect of their destruction as it reaches Antarctica. The ship enters a clearing in the ice where it is caught in a vast whirlpool and begins to sink into the sea. Un narrateur anonyme est en mer et se retrouve dans une série de situations atroces. Alors que son bateau le conduit toujours vers le Sud et que le narrateur sent sa mort approcher, il écrit un manuscrit racontant ses aventures, le met dans une bouteille et le jette à la mer.

Get ready for Season Two of the Showtime hit Penny Dreadful with Volume 7 of Penny Dreadful Multipacks: THE AMERICANS. A deliciously dark bag of Yankee horror, mystery and suspense novels, novellas and short stories. Over 30 tantalizing twisted tales from Victorian-era USA including: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (1820) The action takes place in the eponymous glen in New York State, known for its spooky goings on, and follows the rivalry of Ichabod Crane and "Brom Bones" Van Brunt for the hand of wealthy Katrina Van Tassel. When gawky Ichabod botches his chances of asking Katrina to marry him during her family's autumn party, his dejected ride home becomes of the stuff of legend - and nightmares. The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe (1841) The Murders in the Rue Morgue and its sequel The Mystery of Marie Roget (also included) represent the beginning of crime fiction and each story has been hailed as a masterpiece. In 'Morgue' the Parisian detective investigates the savage murder of a mother and daughter. In the follow-up, Dupin is on the hunt of a killer in a case based on the true story of Mary Rogers, a saleswoman at a cigar store in Manhattan whose body was found floating in the Hudson River in 1841. Mosses From An Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1846) This was Hawthorne's second published short story collection and features tales written over a span of more than twenty years, including such classics as "Young Goodman Brown," "The Birthmark," and "Rappaccini's Daughter." Many of the stories are allegories and, typical of Hawthorne, focus on the dark side of human nature... An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Pierce (1890) This haunting short story by Ambrose Pierce has a very modern twist ending that never gets old. The narrative concerns the final thoughts of a Southern planter as he is being hanged by Union soldiers. In the brief period between the tightening of the noose and the actual breaking of his neck, something happens. The rope breaks and the man escapes. Or the man imagines he escapes. Which is it? Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane (1893) This harrowing tale of a young girl in the slums of turn-of-the-century New York shares the typical milieu of the penny dreadful which is usually the world of the working class. Published in 1893, when Stephen Crane was just twenty-one, it has been called a masterpiece of modern American prose. The King In Yellow by Robert W. Chambers (1895) Recently referenced at length in the hit HBO series True Detective, this book has long been a cult favorite. There was once a myth surrounding its power, alluding to a curse put on whoever reads all ten short stories contained within. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (1898) The Henry James classic needs little introduction. The motif he created, the idea of being isolated with children who may not be as innocent as you think, has been copied endlessly in fiction and cinema for over a hundred years. This is the original and most psychologically disturbing version of all; one of the most enduring ghost stories ever written. The book amply fulfills its pledge, laid down in the first few pages, that nothing can touch it in terms of sheer "dreadful-dreadfulness." The House of the Vampire by George Sylvester Viereck (1907) A very unusual, rarely published vampire story. A young writer comes under the powerful influence of a mysterious older master, who seems to have left a trail of ruined proteges in his wake. The story is as much about the nature of artistic creation as it is a chilling vampire tale. Penny Dreadful Multipack Volume 7 is a pulp lover's pot pourri of famous and forgotten American genre classics.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Nouvelles Histoires Extraordinaires Edgar Allan Poe Fiction; Horror; Fiction / Horror

The story opens with the unnamed narrator recounting a summer sea voyage from Charleston, South Carolina to New York City aboard the ship Independence. The narrator learns that his old college friend Cornelius Wyatt is aboard with his wife and two sisters, though he has reserved three state-rooms. After conjecturing the extra room was for a servant or extra baggage, he learns his friend has brought on board an oblong pine box: "It was about six feet in length by two and a half in breadth." The narrator notes its peculiar shape and especially an odd odor coming from it. Even so, he presumes his friend has acquired an especially valuable copy of The Last Supper. The box, the narrator is surprised to learn, shares the state-room with Wyatt and his wife, while the second room is shared by the two sisters. However, for several nights, the narrator witnesses his friend's surprisingly unattractive wife leaving the state-room every night around 11 o'clock and going into the third state-room before returning first thing in the morning. While she is gone, the narrator believes he hears his friend opening the box and sobbing, which he attributes to "artistic enthusiasm." As the Independence passes Cape Hatteras it is caught in a terrible hurricane. Escape from the damaged ship was made via lifeboat, but Wyatt refuses to part with the box and issues an emotional plea but was denied by Captain Hardy. Wyatt decides he cannot part with the box and returns to the ship, ties himself to it with a rope. "In another instant both body and box were in the sea--disappearing suddenly, at once and forever." About a month after the incident, the narrator happens to meet the captain. Hardy explains that the box had, in fact, held the corpse of Wyatt's recently deceased young wife. He had intended to return the body to her mother but bringing a corpse on board would have caused panic among the passengers. Captain Hardy had arranged, then, to register the box merely as baggage. As passage was already registered with Wyatt and his wife, so as not to arouse suspicion, a maid posed as the wife. Il y a quelques années, j'avais retenu ma place à bord du beau paquebot l'Indépendance, capitaine Hardy, faisant la traversée de Charleston (Caroline du Sud) à New-York. Nous devions mettre à la voile le 15 juin, si le temps le permettait, et j'allai visiter le navire la veille, afin d'examiner ma cabine et prendre les arrangements nécessaires.

Edgar Allan Poe (born Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 - October 7, 1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole, and he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story. Poe is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

Edgar Allan Poe born Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 - October 7, 1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole, and he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story. Poe is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the CONTENTS. The Gold-Bug 1 The Black Cat 37 Mesmeric Revelation 47 Lionizing 58 The Fall of the House of Usher 64 A Descent into the Maelström 83 The Colloquy of Monos and Una 100 The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion 110 The Murders in the Rue Morgue 119 The Mystery of Marie Roget 151 The Purloined Letter 200 The Man in the Crowd 219

OINOS. Pardon, Agathos, the weakness of a spirit new-fledged with immortality! AGATHOS. You have spoken nothing, my Oinos, for which pardon is to be demanded. Not even here is knowled-ge thing of intuition. For wisdom, ask of the angels freely, that it may be given! OINOS. But in this existence, I dreamed that I should be at once cognizant of all things, and thus at once be happy in being cognizant of all. AGATHOS. Ah, not in knowledge is happiness, but in the acquisition of knowledge! In for ever knowing, we are for ever blessed; but to know all were the curse of a fiend.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ The Baltimore Book: A Christmas And New-Year's Present; American Literary Annuals And Gift Books 1825-1865 Edgar Allan Poe William Henry Carpenter, Timothy Shay Arthur Bayly and Burns, 1838 American literature; Gift books; Gift-books (Annuals, etc.)

EIROS. Why do you call me Eiros? CHARMION. So henceforth will you always be called. You must forget, too, my earthly name, and speak to me as Charmion. EIROS. This is indeed no dream! CHARMION. Dreams are with us no more;-but of these mysteries anon. I rejoice to see you looking life-like and rational. The film of the shadow has already passed from off your eyes. Be of heart and fear nothing. Your allotted days of stupor have expired; and, to-morrow, I will myself induct you into the full joys and wonders of your novel existence. eiros. - Pourquoi m'appelles-tu Eiros ? charmion. - Ainsi t'appelleras-tu désormais. Tu dois aussi oublier mon nom terrestre et me nommer Charmion. eiros. - Ce n'est vraiment pas un rêve ! charmion. - De rêves, il n'y en a plus pour nous; - mais renvoyons à tantôt ces mystères. Je me réjouis de voir que tu as l'air de posséder toute ta vie et ta raison. La taie de l'ombre a déjà disparu de tes yeux, prends courage, et ne crains rien. Les jours à donner à la stupeur sont passés pour toi; et, demain, je veux moi-même t'introduire dans les joies parfaites et les merveilles de ta nouvelle existence.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Un joven desarraigado pero de esmerada educación se embarca en un buque de carga en la Isla de Java. El viaje es accidentado y en el transcurso de una tormenta toda la tripulación, salvo el joven y un viejo marino, es arrojada al mar. Más tarde el navío será embestido por otro extraño barco de mucho mayor tonelaje. El joven logra salvarse encaramándose a la cubierta del mismo y se encuentra con una tripulación tan extraña como el propio barco. Éste avanza a toda vela, sin rumbo conocido, hasta que se precipita el fantástico desenlace. Un narrateur anonyme est en mer et se retrouve dans une série de situations atroces. Alors que son bateau le conduit toujours vers le Sud et que le narrateur sent sa mort approcher, il écrit un manuscrit racontant ses aventures, le met dans une bouteille et le jette à la mer.

The melancholy, brilliance, passionate lyricism, and torment of Edgar Allen Poe are all well represented in this collection. Here, in one volume, are his masterpieces of mystery, terror, that defined American romanticism and secured Poe as one of the most enduring literary voices of the nineteenth century.

Relativement à la très étrange et pourtant très familière histoire que je vais coucher par écrit, je n'attends ni ne sollicite la créance. Vraiment, je serais fou de m'y attendre, dans un cas où mes sens eux-mêmes rejettent leur propre témoignage. Cependant, je ne suis pas fou, - et très certainement je ne rêve pas. Mais demain je meurs, et aujourd'hui je voudrais décharger mon âme. Mon dessein immédiat est de placer devant le monde, clairement, succinctement et sans commentaires, une série de simples événements domestiques. Dans leurs conséquences, ces événements m'ont terrifié, - m'ont torturé, - m'ont anéanti. - Cependant, je n'essaierai pas de les élucider. Pour moi, ils ne m'ont guère présenté que de l'horreur; - à beaucoup de personnes ils paraîtront moins terribles que baroques. Plus tard peut-être il se trouvera une intelligence qui réduira mon fantôme à l'état de lieu commun, - quelque intelligence plus calme, plus logique, et beaucoup moins excitable que la mienne, qui ne trouvera dans les circonstances que je raconte avec terreur qu'une succession ordinaire de causes et d'effets très naturels. Dès mon enfance, j'étais noté pour la

La historia se inicia con un narrador sin nombre que relata una travesía marina estival desde Charleston (Carolina del Sur) a Nueva York a bordo de buque Independence. El narrador, mediante la lista de pasajeros, se entera que su ex compañero de universidad Cornelius Wyatt se encuentra a bordo de la embarcación junto a su mujer y las hermanas de ésta, aunque ha reservado tres cabinas. Después de conjeturar que la habitación adicional era para un sirviente o para equipaje extra, se da cuenta que su amigo ha comprado a bordo una caja de pino oblonga en la que, primeramente, piensa que Wyatt oculta valiosas pinturas para vender en Nueva York. Avanzada la historia, el narrador descubre que la esposa de su amigo había muerto un día antes de abordar y la llevaba en la caja, además, las mujeres que se encontraban con él eran sus sirvientas. Il y a quelques années, j'avais retenu ma place à bord du beau paquebot l'Indépendance, capitaine Hardy, faisant la traversée de Charleston (Caroline du Sud) à New-York. Nous devions mettre à la voile le 15 juin, si le temps le permettait, et j'allai visiter le navire la veille, afin d'examiner ma cabine et prendre les arrangements nécessaires.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Historias Extraordinarias: Viaje À La Luna Edgar Allan Poe, Pedro Antonio de Alarcon

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Poems: Complete With An Original Memoir Edgar Allan Poe W.J. Widdleton, 1872 Literary Criticism; American; General; Literary Criticism / American / General

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Aunque la teoría del mesmerismo esté aún envuelta en dudas, sus sobrecogedoras realidades son ya casi universalmente admitidas. Los que dudan de éstas pertenecen a la casta inútil y despreciable de los que dudan por pura profesión. No hay mejor manera de perder el tiempo que proponerse probar en la actualidad que el hombre, por el simple ejercicio de su voluntad, puede impresionar a su semejante al punto de sumirlo en un estado anormal cuyas manifestaciones se parecen estrechamente a las de la muerte, o por lo menos en mayor grado que cualquier otro fenómeno conocido en condiciones normales; que, en ese estado, la persona así influida utiliza sólo con esfuerzo y en consecuencia débilmente los órganos exteriores de los sentidos y, sin embargo, percibe con agudeza y refinamiento, y por vías presuntamente desconocidas, cosas que están más allá del alcance de los órganos físicos; que, además, sus facultades intelectuales se hallan en un maravilloso estado de exaltación y fuerza; que las simpatías con la persona que así influye sobre ella son profundas, y, finalmente, que su susceptibilidad de impresión va en aumento gradual, al tiempo que en la misma proporción, se extienden y acentúan cada vez más los peculiares fenómenos producidos. Bien que les ténèbres du doute enveloppent encore toute la théorie positive du magnétisme, ses foudroyants effets sont maintenant presque universellement admis. Ceux qui doutent de ces effets sont de purs douteurs de profession, une impuissante et peu honorable caste. Ce serait absolument perdre son temps aujourd'hui que de s'amuser à prouver que l'homme, par un pur exercice de sa volonté, peut impressionner suffisamment son semblable pour le jeter dans une condition anomale, dont les phénomènes ressemblent littéralement à ceux de la mort, ou du moins leur ressemblent plus qu'aucun des phénomènes produits dans une condition anomale connue; que, tout le temps que dure cet état, la personne ainsi influencée n'emploie qu'avec effort, et conséquemment avec peu d'aptitude, les organes extérieurs des sens, et que néanmoins elle perçoit, avec une perspicacité singulièrement subtile et par un canal mystérieux, des objets situés au delà de la portée des organes physiques; que, de plus, ses facultés intellectuelles s'exaltent et se fortifient d'une manière prodigieuse; que ses sympathies avec la personne qui agit sur elle sont profondes; et que finalement sa susceptibilité des impressions magnétiques croit en proportion de leur fréquence, en même temps que les phénomènes particuliers obtenus s'étendent et se prononcent davantage et dans la même proportion. Je dis qu'il serait superflu de démontrer ces faits divers, où est contenue la loi générale du magnétisme, et qui en sont les traits principaux. Je n'infligerai donc pas aujourd'hui à mes lecteurs une démonstration aussi parfaitement oiseuse. Mon dessein, quant à présent, est en vérité d'une tout autre nature. Je sens le besoin, en dépit de tout un monde de préjugés, de raconter, sans commentaires, mais dans tous ses détails, un très-remarquable dialogue qui eut lieu entre un somnambule et moi.

The narrator presents the facts of the extraordinary case of Valdemar which have incited public discussion. He is interested in Mesmerism, a pseudoscience involving bringing a patient into a hypnagogic state by the influence of magnetism, a process which later developed into hypnotism. He points out that, as far as he knows, no one has ever been mesmerized at the point of death, and he is curious to see what effects mesmerism would have on a dying person. He considers experimenting on his friend Ernest Valdemar, an author whom he had previously mesmerized, and who has recently been diagnosed with phthisis (tuberculosis). Valdemar consents to the experiment and informs the narrator by letter that he will probably die in twenty-four hours. Valdemar's two physicians inform the narrator of their patient's poor condition. After confirming again that Valdemar is willing to be part of the experiment, the narrator comes back the next night with two nurses and a medical student as witnesses. Again, Valdemar insists he is willing to take part and asks the narrator to hurry, for fear he has "deferred it for too long". Valdemar is quickly mesmerized, just as the two physicians return and serve as additional witnesses. In a trance, he reports first that he is dying - then that he is dead. The narrator leaves him in a mesmeric state for seven months, checking on him daily. During this time Valdemar is without pulse, heartbeat or perceptible breathing, his skin cold and pale.