Golden Age of Detective Fiction

The Purloined Letter follows an unnamed narrator and the renowned Parisian amateur detective C. Auguste Dupin, who is approached by G—, the prefect of the Paris police, regarding the theft of a letter addressed to the queen from her royal boudoir. The culprit, Minister D—, has been using the letter to blackmail the queen. Despite extensive searches by the police, the letter remains elusive. Dupin suggests a new approach, emphasizing the importance of understanding the adversary’s psychology. He orchestrates a clever plan to retrieve the letter, exploiting D—’s predictable hiding tactics. Dupin’s strategy succeeds, and the letter is recovered, leading to D—’s potential downfall. The narrative highlights Dupin’s astute insight into human behavior and his skillful manipulation of circumstances to achieve his objectives.

The Review

The Purloined Letter is Poe’s third story, with C. August Dupin as the lead. He is joined by a dimwitted sidekick and a baffled and slightly provincial police chief. Poe’s formula was so popular and effective that it has reverberated throughout the ages as “the way” to write a mystery.

The triumvirate gives ample credit and exultation, to Dupin. Whose observations and solutions to procuring the stolen letter are not groundbreaking but entertaining. There is a genuine friendship based on admiration and affection between Dupin and his chronicler, which is often repeated in detective fiction. This friendship is rounded out by a slight teasing or ribbing of the police officer, who they find a little narrow-minded but still competent at his job. This is the template of Hercule Poirot, Hasting, Inspector Japp, and countless others who have grafted their unique personalities on. The wealthy- will-to-do amateur gentleman detective who peppers the golden age of detective fiction, think Lord Wimsey, Anthony Bathurst, or Roger Sheringham, all were born of Dupin.

Dupin is somewhat subdued in this story, smoking and slowly working things out in his mind, until he, with a dramatic flourish, finds the letter and replaces it with a calling card- complete with a Latin diss track that brings the pain over a hundred years later. Nobody can write such a poetic and cutting burn like Poe. I am unsure if the general readership would have known Latin or French, which are used liberally throughout the story, but it gives the story a grand and erudite feel.

The Purloined Letter leans heavily on Poe’s poetic talents, and the story is littered with parallelistic writing that reminded me of some points of reading the Gospel of John. It is florid, lacy, and sometimes cuttingly humorous, but it is without any of his usual horror elements. The Purloined Letter is instead a run-of-the-mill mystery, and the deductions and detent come and go with little fanfare. It’s a beautiful mystery with all of our favorite trimmings, but it is seriously lacking in the gory macabre, dripping with melancholy implications, or ill-fated characters. A bog-standard mystery from Poe is still lyrical and fun. Still, this story is a bit of a wallflower against his horror pieces filled with atmosphere, swelling emotions, and grisly, devastating defeats.

A humdrum Poe story is still miles better than most mysteries, but I wanted more, especially from this master writer. I think readers will enjoy The Purloined Letter. It’s a quaint look at the humble beginnings of mystery writing. Still, it leaves much to be improved upon in characterization, suspense, and puzzle creation for future mystery writers.

Edgar Allan Poe Biography

Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic, best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre. He was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe. Poe’s father abandoned the family early in Edgar’s life, and his mother passed away when he was just three years old. As a result, he was taken in by John and Frances Allan, a wealthy couple from Richmond, Virginia, though he never formally adopted their surname.

Poe attended the University of Virginia for a brief period but left due to financial constraints and began working various odd jobs. In 1827, Poe enlisted in the United States Army under the name Edgar A. Perry. During his time in the army, he published his first collection of poetry, titled “Tamerlane and Other Poems” (1827).

After leaving the army, Poe struggled financially and faced personal challenges. He later attended the United States Military Academy at West Point but was dismissed after a short time. Poe then turned his focus to writing and began working as an editor and literary critic.

Poe’s writing career gained momentum with the publication of his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” in 1843, followed by other notable works such as “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and “The Raven.” His works often explore themes of death, madness, and the supernatural, and he is credited with popularizing the detective fiction genre.

Despite his literary success, Poe struggled with poverty, alcoholism, and mental health issues throughout his life. He married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, in 1836 when she was just 13 years old. She died of tuberculosis in 1847, which deeply affected Poe.

Edgar Allan Poe’s mysterious death in 1849 at the age of 40 has never been definitively explained. He was found delirious on the streets of Baltimore and died a few days later in a hospital. Various theories have been proposed regarding the cause of his death, including alcohol poisoning, drug overdose, and even foul play, but the exact circumstances remain a subject of speculation.

Despite the challenges Poe faced during his lifetime, his literary legacy endured, and he is now regarded as one of the most significant figures in American literature. His works continue to be celebrated for their psychological depth, poetic language, and enduring influence on subsequent generations of writers.