The Fever Called Living
Paul Collins
"Delightful" is a word that I don't get to use often enough. It might be surprising then to find it applied to such an icon of all that is gothic and dark as Edgar Allan Poe. This brief (just over 100 pages) biography delivers just that though.
The main thing I enjoyed was the emphasis on the human, day to day aspects of Poe's life. We've all heard the struggles, the poverty, the alcoholism and the doomed teenage bride, but this volume goes beyond that, viewing his short life in reference to the world and people around him. From businesss partners to fellow authors he in turn endeared himself to and annoyed, it provides a warm, human side we're rarely seen. For that alone I would recommend this; and with its brief length, it makes for a perfect gloomy winter weekend read.
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