The Cask of Amontillado

Edgar A Poe was considered the finest short story writer of his time. The suspense builds up mostly because Montresor is obviously insane and we are all scared of someone who is not quite "normal". Very good story.

Picked this up as I havn't read any Poe in a long time, enjoyed reading it and will go on to read more.

This short story scores 10/10 for creepiness and disturbing character behaviour. How far would you trust someone leading you down a dark, seemingly endless, vault in search of booze? Right from the beginning, we know the narrator is out for revenge. He’s thought about this. Fortunato, the man who has insulted the narrator, sees himself as a wine expert. The narrator uses this to his advantage. He tells Fortunato about a cask of wine he has. The cask of Amontillado might be fake and he’s worried he’s been duped. Fortunato offers his expertise and asks to go to his vaults and sample the wine. Not wishing to burden Fortunato, the narrator tells him not to come but he is using reverse psychology to entice Fortunato to the vault. I love gothic horror. The pacing is fast. The tension and conflict are dramatic. This short story ticked those boxes. The narrator is beyond devious. It felt uncomfortable, thinking he was clever. But that’s fine because it’s only a story. So the message I got was ‘be careful who you insult,’ also ‘don’t go to dark places with over obliging men.’ I am lucky that I am an untrusting, suspicious sort of gal. It does make you think, though, about the way some people use others to make themselves seem important. Totally recommend this read. It will take you less than 30 minutes but will stay with you forever.

A very old Poe short story that brought back memories of when I read it in my teens! Arrived well packed and in very good condition.

Really enjoyed this tale of sweet revenge.The writing is fantastic and gives a very macabre air to to a very good short tale.

I really enjoyed this book and would thoroughly recommend it as a short story. I looked this up after reference was made to it on a TV programme and I was intrigued. It did not disappoint.

Not a bad start for one I will probably read more next year in looking forward to it five stars from mr

Maybe Poe thought that the name of a Spanish sherry was strange and foreign, but it doesn't work any more.

Ah, you'll find out why this is a classic. The language is amazing, not modern English so you might find some difficulty reading, but totally worth the read. Will not take a lot of your time either.

A story on how not to mess with the wrong people, on how every little bird may have a dark silent side which do not miss the change to perform an act of justice by his own standards.

Short.....

Gostei dessa versão porque li uma antes que era bem menor. Acho que Montresor rende outras histórias, personagem sem remorso.

Spoilers, if you're not familiar with Poe yet. This is a good place to start, however. The first time I read this story, I sat there aghast as this guy leads another person down the stairs to his death! It's fascinating as the bad guy recommends a type of alcoholic beverage and mentioning that it's just the best around! The victim then asks to sample this amazing beverage. The fascinating aspect comes when the bad guy *himself* tries to dissuade the interest of the victim by saying things along the lines of "Oh no - you wouldn't be interested in *THIS* REALLY!" - The victim then convinces the bad guy that he's really, truly interested, almost encouraging his own doom to continue at the hands of this madman as they descend the stairs to the basement w/the awaiting "cask".