Reason for the Darkness of the Night: Edgar Allan Poe and the Forging of American Science

The Reason for the Darkness of the Night is a bold new biography of Edgar Allan Poe that highlights his fascination with science and his lifelong ambition to advance and question human knowledge. It reveals Poe's obsession with science and his ability to blend entertainment, speculation, and scientific inquiry. Tresch shows that Poe lived, thought, and suffered surrounded by science and that many of his most renowned and imaginative works can best be understood in its company.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 448 pages
\n Publication date: 24 August 2021
\n Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc
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Edgar Allan Poe, a renowned American writer, has captivated audiences for decades with his pioneering detective fiction, chilling horror tales, and haunting verse. However, there is a lesser-known side to the man behind The Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher. In The Reason for the Darkness of the Night, John Tresch presents a bold and innovative biography that delves into the life and work of Poe.

During a time when the boundaries between entertainment, speculation, and scientific inquiry were blurred, Poe's obsession with science and his lifelong ambition to advance and question human knowledge shine through. Despite his remarkable literary achievements, he remained an avid and often combative commentator on new discoveries, publishing and hustling in literary scenes that also hosted the era's most prominent scientists, semi-scientists, and pseudo-intellectual rogues. As one newspaper aptly described him, Poe was not merely a man of science, poetry, or letters; he was a combination of all these, and perhaps even more.

Tresch takes us on a journey through Poe's early training in mathematics and engineering at West Point and the tumultuous years that followed. He reveals that Poe lived, thought, and suffered surrounded by science, and that many of his most renowned and imaginative works can best be understood in its company. Through his meticulous research, Tresch casts doubt on perceived certainties and demonstrates how Poe's work intersected with the scientific advancements of his time.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Poe's life is his extraordinary conjectures and aesthetic vision. He pursued extraordinary conjectures, often venturing into the realm of science fiction, and his unique aesthetic vision shaped his literary works. Tresch explores how Poe's scientific interests influenced his writing, and how his imaginative stories and poems reflected the scientific theories and discoveries of his era.

In addition to his literary achievements, Poe's mind-bending lecture on the origins of the universe, delivered at the end of his life, continues to win the admiration of twentieth-century physicists. Tresch delves into this lecture, which was a testament to Poe's intellectual prowess and his ability to bridge the gap between science and literature.

Poe's life was marked by tragedy and controversy, and Tresch's biography sheds light on these aspects of his life. He explores the personal struggles that plagued Poe, including his financial difficulties, his addiction to alcohol, and his tumultuous relationships with women. Tresch also examines the societal and cultural contexts in which Poe lived, including the rise

In conclusion, John Tresch's The Reason for the Darkness of the Night offers a fresh and compelling perspective on the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe. Through his meticulous research and innovative approach, Tresch sheds light on the lesser-known side of Poe, highlighting his fascination with science, his lifelong ambition to advance and question human knowledge, and his extraordinary conjectures and aesthetic vision. This biography is a must-read for anyone interested in the literary world and the fascinating intersection between science and literature.

\n Weight: 682g\n
Dimension: 163 x 235 x 40 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780374247850\n \n