A Mystery of Mysteries

Fans of Poe have been fascinated by his life since his mysterious death in Baltimore in 1849 at the age of 40. Nothing in his writing has drawn more attention than the questions about the cause of his death. Was it alcohol poisoning, rabies, or diabetes?

Mark Dawidziak thinks Poe was most likely a victim of tubercular meningitis, eating up his brain. Poe had been exposed to several family members dying of consumption, including his young mother, foster mother, brother, and wife.

I love the way this book unfolds through events leading up to Poe’s sad death. 

One of the greatest of all American writers died under mysterious circumstances in 1849. Dawidziak, whose earlier books on TV icons Columbo and Kolchak have been on my shelf for years, tackles this fascinating subject in a unique way. He looked at every conceivable book and article on the subject, interviewed dozens of people with serious knowledge of Poe, and pieced his entire life together in this thorough chronicle.

He weighs and dissects all the evidence and the theories surrounding his death and presents them to us in a logical, meaningful way that serves not only as literary history but… show more.