THE RAVEN AND SELECTED SHORT STORIES by Edgar Allan Poe

Narrated by Stephan Rudniki and Bronson Pinchot

     Sedate Rendition of Growing Madness    

Having just completed my listening excursion into Poe with Christopher Aruffo’s masterful thirteen volume Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection, I longed to hear another interpretation.  And, being a fan of the narration of Bronson Pinchot, I was anxious to discover his interpretation of the fantastic tales of Mr. Poe. What I discovered is a competent, if uninspired rendition of these tales of terror and insanity. I realize that the slow descent into insanity, typical of Poe’s tales, is appropriately related in a calm and sane voice, at first, then becoming increasingly anxious as the character’s underlying lunacy is progressively revealed.  Pinchot and Rudniki do this expertly. What I was looking for, however, was an over-the-top melodramatic performance; that I did not find. True, there are brief moments of hysteria in the narration such as Pinchot screaming in Rodderick Usher’s voice, “Madman, I tell you that she now stands without the door!” This brief example dramatic acting-out was what I hoping for. Alas, it is only extant in a few places in this collection. This is a fine production of these classic Poe stories. The sound quality is clean and resonant. Both of the narrators are a pleasure to listen to. So, if you want a faithful respectable reading of Edgar Allan Poe, you will not be disappointed. My search for a crazed maniacal unhinged frenetic portrayal of derangement continues. I think Poe deserves at least one such performance, don’t you?