"The Black Cat" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". Chapters: 00:15 - Introduction 00:50 - The Black Cat 26:20 - Credits Bandcamp link: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-cat Thanks to Patricia Robinson for the suggestion. Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble Music and production by Ian Gordon Support us on Bandcamp or Patreon: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com www.patreon.com/horrorbabble HorrorBabble MERCH: teespring.com/stores/horrorbabble-merch Search HORRORBABBLE to find us on: AUDIBLE / ITUNES / SPOTIFY Home: www.horrorbabble.com Rue Morgue: www.rue-morgue.com Social Media: facebook.com/HorrorBabble instagram.com/horrorbabble twitter.com/HorrorBabble
Oh, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this macabre tale. Cats are absolutely just the best companions. I can attest to that. Your narration of of Poe was right on target. Thanks.
If you liked this tale, allow me to recommend 3 companion pieces of similar vein: 1. Imp of the Perverse Poe. Fine Vincent Price version on line. 2. Notes from Underground. Dostoyevsky. Easy to find on line. 3. Theophile Gautier, essays, cats. Rare but probably at your local library, or can be gotten through them. Gautier was a great lover of cats and Poe, and his essays are a delight, even though you may be the only person on the planet earth reading them when /if you do, because Gautier is nearly completely forgotten in our rotten mania for "best sellers" Best books are always found in attics and cellars, dusty and yellowd, mellowed with the years, their leaves turned colorful and crinkly as you turn them and smell the passages of time that you open up with each turning. Forgotten writers are not forgotten due to their lack of worth, but only our lurid craving for the shockingly ever-new. This raises in my memory another selection which I will leave you as a gift Washington Irving On the Mutability of Literature. Audio version on line. Enjoy
Oh. Thank you then. Keep up the good work and I hope you are coping with the de-monitization problem. In passing, here is a thought : De-Monitization = Demonization = DePersoning. Demons demonitize [natura naturans? ] That, "mon frere, mon sembable", is, or could be, the basis for one of your Horror Babble Originals. Think about it. Through a glass. Darkly. [cue evil laughter] :¬{|>
The lessons learned: Poe: hurt a cat, be cursed with guilt and bad luck Lovecraft: feed a stray cat, an army of cats will save your life when dealing with cosmic terrors
I mean, I get the whole alcoholic thing, I'm one helluva a lush myself. But I have never and would never lift a hand to my wife or dog... I have laid hands on strangers though... But that was mutual drunken combat.
Going up against Basil Rathbone and Peter Lorre takes some guts, but this succeeds admirably. Listeners might be interested in Poe's short essay "Instinct vs. Reason", which features a story about his own pet cat - black, of course.
Imo this is the most preferred way to read this story. Everytime I heard it read by other, they're either reading too fast or too slow, too much emotion or zero at all.
Omg, this story started to fill me with disgust. Every word sickening me! Such a horror story has never made me laugh so hard at the end! This story was great. Got his comeuppance huh?
This story is a a very good one, I hate what he did to the cat, though. Really deserved to be cursed by that cat for cutting its eyeball out and killing it, imo
You really nailed the narrator's tone and emotions on this one. The scene at 8:16 (I don't want to spoil it) has never cut so deeply.
What a treat, thank you very much. Beautifully narrated Ian!
"The Black Cat" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart".
Chapters:
00:15 - Introduction
00:50 - The Black Cat
26:20 - Credits
Bandcamp link: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-cat
Thanks to Patricia Robinson for the suggestion.
Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble
Music and production by Ian Gordon
Support us on Bandcamp or Patreon:
horrorbabble.bandcamp.com
www.patreon.com/horrorbabble
HorrorBabble MERCH:
teespring.com/stores/horrorbabble-merch
Search HORRORBABBLE to find us on:
AUDIBLE / ITUNES / SPOTIFY
Home: www.horrorbabble.com
Rue Morgue: www.rue-morgue.com
Social Media:
facebook.com/HorrorBabble
instagram.com/horrorbabble
twitter.com/HorrorBabble
I've been saving your Poe playlist for the right time. An early, foggy, rainy California morning feels appropriate, so here we go.
Great story and narration! This one is excellent! You perfectly captured the mental state of the main character!
Thanks!!
Poe must have hated animal cruelty/cat cruelty or just murders in general.
Oh, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this macabre tale. Cats are absolutely just the best companions. I can attest to that. Your narration of of Poe was right on target. Thanks.
You gotta love Edgar Allen Poe
NEVER. HURT. A. KITTY.
(or a doggo)
(or your wifey)
If you liked this tale, allow me to recommend 3 companion pieces of similar vein:
1. Imp of the Perverse
Poe.
Fine Vincent Price version on line.
2. Notes from Underground.
Dostoyevsky.
Easy to find on line.
3. Theophile Gautier, essays, cats.
Rare but probably at your local library, or can be gotten through them.
Gautier was a great lover of cats and Poe, and his essays are a delight, even though you may be the only person on the planet earth reading them when /if you do, because Gautier is nearly completely forgotten in our rotten mania for "best sellers"
Best books are always found in attics and cellars, dusty and yellowd, mellowed with the years, their leaves turned colorful and crinkly as you turn them and smell the passages of time that you open up with each turning.
Forgotten writers are not forgotten due to their lack of worth, but only our lurid craving for the shockingly ever-new. This raises in my memory another selection which I will leave you as a gift
Washington Irving
On the Mutability of Literature.
Audio version on line.
Enjoy
Thanks for the recommendations - we do have a reading of The Imp of the Perverse on the channel.
Oh. Thank you then.
Keep up the good work and I hope you are coping with the de-monitization problem.
In passing, here is a thought :
De-Monitization = Demonization = DePersoning.
Demons demonitize
[natura naturans? ]
That, "mon frere, mon sembable", is, or could be, the basis for one of your Horror Babble Originals.
Think about it.
Through a glass.
Darkly.
[cue evil laughter]
:¬{|>
You might have a point there! Somebody recently said that TH-cam's 'bots' are breaking Asimov's First Law of Robotics... They may be right!
Well, this escalated quickly.
this was a really good one. quintessential Horrorbabble
Are you saying that Horrorbabble is the fifth element? Or that Poe is Horrorbabbles' fifth element?
The lessons learned:
Poe: hurt a cat, be cursed with guilt and bad luck
Lovecraft: feed a stray cat, an army of cats will save your life when dealing with cosmic terrors
Great read!!! Wow!! What a performance 🎭
Well done sir 🎩
I mean, I get the whole alcoholic thing, I'm one helluva a lush myself. But I have never and would never lift a hand to my wife or dog... I have laid hands on strangers though... But that was mutual drunken combat.
Hop Frog next?
Great reading though!
Going up against Basil Rathbone and Peter Lorre takes some guts, but this succeeds admirably.
Listeners might be interested in Poe's short essay "Instinct vs. Reason", which features a story about his own pet cat - black, of course.
Imo this is the most preferred way to read this story. Everytime I heard it read by other, they're either reading too fast or too slow, too much emotion or zero at all.
Omg, this story started to fill me with disgust. Every word sickening me! Such a horror story has never made me laugh so hard at the end! This story was great. Got his comeuppance huh?
This story is a a very good one, I hate what he did to the cat, though. Really deserved to be cursed by that cat for cutting its eyeball out and killing it, imo
What happened to the man's other pets?