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Cover of Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque

Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque

Edgar A. Poe

First published 1840
Publisher Lea and Blanchard
Format Hardcover
Type Collection
Pages 243+228

  • Two volumes.
  • Information primarily from Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. See this, this (vol I) and this (vol II).
  • The "Preface":
    • is an introduction to the two-volume set and is not related to Poe's poem "Preface"
    • is uncredited but written in the first person and clearly by Poe
    • is on unnumbered p. 5.
  • "Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling" is thought to have been published prior to this, sometime 1837-1839, or it would be the only story in this two-volume set not to have been published previously. But no record of prior publication has been found.
  • Original price unknown
  • Limited edition of 750 copies
  • Bound in purple muslin with printed paper spine label. Picture shown here is of the title page of vol. 1.
  • Known to have been published in 1840, and reviewed in the Jan. 1840 edition of the "Southern Literary Messenger", p. 126, hence presumably published in Jan. 1840.