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The Masque of the Red Death
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
33 posts | 71 read | 5 to read
"The Masque of the Red Death", originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy", is an 1842 short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ballwithin seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. Prospero dies after confronting this stranger, whose "costume" proves to contain nothing tangible inside it; the guests also die in turn. Poe's story follows many traditions of Gothic fiction and is often analyzed as an allegory about the inevitability of death, though some critics advise against an allegorical reading. Many different interpretations have been presented, as well as attempts to identify the true nature of the titular disease. The story was first published in May 1842 in Graham's Magazineand has since been adapted in many different forms, including a 1964 film starring Vincent Price.
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TheBookgeekFrau
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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dabbe #greatminds 🖤🧡🖤 1mo
TheBookgeekFrau @dabbe 🧡🖤🧡 1mo
Eggs Brilliant 🙌🏻✨🥰 1mo
43 likes3 comments
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dabbe
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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willaful I remember seeing a animated version of this, I think on PBS, when I was around 7. Scared the pants off me! 1mo
dabbe @willaful IKR? I had a ball teaching this to my high school students. EA Poe never ceases to impress. 🤩😂🤗 1mo
IndoorDame ♥️🖤♥️ 1mo
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dabbe @IndoorDame 🖤🧡🖤 1mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🖤📚🖤 1mo
Eggs Phenomenal 🫶🏻💀 (edited) 1mo
dabbe @Eggs 🖤🖤🖤 1mo
47 likes8 comments
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BarkingMadRead
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Annual trip to the Faulkner House bookstore in NOLA. I didn‘t know when I chose this that today is his birthday! So happy birthday Edgar! I‘m excited to add this to my Penguin Clothbound collection!

Aimeesue I love the Coralie Bickford-Smith covers SO much 🖤❤️🖤 10mo
BarkingMadRead @Aimeesue me too! I‘ve been slowly building my collection, one a month 10mo
Gissy Beautiful cover 😍❤️❤️❤️ 10mo
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Librarybelle What a gorgeous edition! 10mo
lauraisntwilder I was just there last weekend! Such a lovely shop. I have to go every time we're in town. 10mo
BarkingMadRead @lauraisntwilder it‘s one of the first places we visit every year, either right before or right after beignets 10mo
lauraisntwilder @BarkingMadRead If you're still there and have time, I recommend the chocolate covered pralines at Leah's on Royal St. 10mo
51 likes7 comments
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AmandaBlaze
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Eggs Perfect 👍🏼 (edited) 12mo
dabbe One of my faves of Poe. 💜🧡💜 12mo
27 likes2 comments
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The_Book_Ninja
Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

As a weird little kid, oscillating between quiet & introvert or manic & “zany”, my parents indulged my love of horror by going to bed and letting me watch late night movies. The Roger Corman, Poe adaptations baffled me but I loved the vibe, Mise-en-scène &, of course,Vincent Price. I read The Raven and Tell-Tale Heart but it‘s long forgotten. I thought it‘s high time I had another go with Poe. Short but creepy. Corman definitely captured the tone.

she_she And now you‘re a weird adult 🤭😉 2y
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Super_Jane
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

4.25/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘 #shortstory #edgarallanpoe

dabbe I love all things Poe! 2y
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Bookwomble
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Ain't no party like a Prospero party! 👺☠️

#SundayFunday @ozma.of.oz

vivastory 👏 👏 2y
BookmarkTavern LOL An excellent choice for the season! Thanks for answering! 2y
The_Book_Ninja You‘re going to think I‘m a stalker but I just read this. I missed your original post 2y
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Bookwomble @The_Book_Ninja Hmm, where that Restraining Order? 📜😄 If liking an old post makes you a stalker, I'll be in the cell next to you! I read Masque of the Red Death at the start of the pandemic, and found Prospero's aristocratic bunker attitude to letting the plebs die highly relevant. Partygate made it even more so. 2y
The_Book_Ninja @Bookwomble you know what, you‘re so right. And there‘s even more unsavoury facts coming out about that party I see. I saw your post about food banks. I thought the Thatcher era was bad but this bunch of self serving, disingenuous, slackers are another level entirely 😔 2y
Bookwomble @The_Book_Ninja They do rather seem to be stamped out of the same stinking pile of shit, don't they 💩🤨 2y
The_Book_Ninja @Bookwomble ☝🏼🙌🏼 2y
27 likes7 comments
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hopebeths
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

So topical for the current time. It shows that selfish greed will not save you from yourself, and that you cannot hide from death, regardless of your financial and societal prowess

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BookedBySunrise
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

Needed One more book to complete my 2020 Goodreads challenge so you can never go wrong with a Poe Short Story. Love this one and found it very appropriate and its message still profound even now

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starrdom
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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As the Red Death ravages everyone else, the Prince and his elite friends keep themselves buffeted, live like it‘s not a thing, and party it up. Isn‘t it truly frightening when reality begins to so closely mirror Poe? #Scarathlon #TeamHarkness

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hike.read.repeat
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Emily Dickinson: pro at social distancing
Prince Prospero: not so much—he invites 1000 of his closest friends to self isolate in his abbey during a plague.

BookDragonNotWorm 😂 I like what you did here! 5y
hike.read.repeat @BookDragonNotWorm thank you, thank you. 😄 5y
23 likes2 comments
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Twocougs
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

Nothing like reading a little plague prose during a pandemic. Poe never disappoints. I haven‘t read this story since I was a kid and so glad I re-read it. 💀

batsy I read it for the first time recently and really liked it. He always delivers 💀 5y
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batsy
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

To make more sense of life as we currently know it, I decided to face #plaguelit head on! Well, in small doses. This short story by Poe is sumptuous in its language & suitably dreadful & gothic. A part of me, in reading the daily news & wondering how we've built a social & economic order that places human life last, read this as a revenge tale on the ruling class. Let them eat cake? Well, the red death comes for you, too ☠️👑 #pandemicreading

batsy Illustration above is by Arthur Rackham. 5y
emilyhaldi Glad I‘m not the only one... I‘m currently reading (and loving!) this one 5y
batsy It's on my list @emilyhaldi ! Just working up the courage. Happy to hear that it's a good one! 5y
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Lindy Might be time for a reread of this... love the illustration! 5y
batsy @Lindy Rackham is amazing 🙌🏽 5y
Lindy @batsy 💯 5y
Cathythoughts 👍🏻❤️ 5y
readordierachel You are braver than I 🙈👏🏼 5y
batsy @readordierachel Something quite refreshing about Poe's "if I'm going down we're all going down" vibe re: the aristocrats ? 5y
AvidReader25 This is a powerful piece to read right now! 5y
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Bookwomble
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

Prince Prospero's decision to wait out the Red Death by social distancing was a good one, in line with government advice. Unfortunately, his other decision to throw a wild party with 1,000 of his friends, not so good. ☠👺☠
Now, it's not that I'm wishing anything (very) bad to happen to them, but the present-day 1% super-rich are following Prospero's example, and I wonder if they might come to the same end? 🤔

18 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Bookwomble
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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I thought I'd cheer myself up by reading Poe's plague story.
It's only my sunny disposition that keeps me going 😐

LauraJ 😉 5y
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JayBird1980
Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

In light of recent events ... this classic definitely proves history repeats itself

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Lcsmcat
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Pickpick

After reading Willa Cather‘s opinion of Poe, I felt the need to read one of his stories. It didn‘t disappoint. And given the current health concerns, it‘s a little too appropriate.

vivastory What was Cather's opinion of Poe? 5y
Lcsmcat @vivastory She thought he was a genius who died too soon because he was underpaid. I posted a quote about it under this book 5y
DGRachel This is my favorite of Poe‘s stories! 🖤🖤 5y
58 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Booksnchill
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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#ChillingPhotoChallenge #Mask #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick watched the PBS American Masters documentary on Edgar Allen Poe yesterday so an obvious choice for today‘s prompt is the Masque of the red death - liberties with the spelling but on point!

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Marmie7
Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Read it and now watched it. Vincent Price💖
#teamstoker #scarathlon @TheReadingMermaid

BeansPage 🧟‍♀️ 5y
22 likes1 comment
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Marmie7
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Listened to this last night-twice. It's creepy good! #teamstoker #scarathlon @TheReadingMermaid

BeansPage This is my very favorite by Edgar Allan Poe ❤️🖤❤️ 🧟‍♀️ 5y
21 likes1 comment
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mjester
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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@TheReadingMermaid Here you go. Not as good as thumbing through the book yourself, but still...

BeansPage That is fabulous. I love the artwork in this edition 😍😍😍 my addition is beautiful but it has no illustrations in it. I wish that it did. 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Welcome to Litsy!! 6y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Hope you're enjoying Litsy so far 📖💙 6y
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mjester @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego I am loving it here! ❤ 6y
mjester @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you 😀 I feel like I'm home here. 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @mjester ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
24 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Eggs
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Cinfhen Excellent!!! 6y
KatieanneF Brilliant. He‘ll always be my favorite 🖤 6y
Cathythoughts 👍🏻🖤🖤🖤 6y
vivastory I almost picked this one. Excellent choice! 6y
107 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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jpmcwisemorgan
Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Craftylikefox
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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1. I read a small collection of Edgar Allen Poe when I was 11 and that is what started my love for horror books. Plus my love for Edgar Allen Poe
2. Harry Houdini, after reading Witch of Lime Street, he would be an interesting one to meet!
3. People that bang their silverware against plates cups. Makes an awful noise 😡 also, entitled people 🤬
Join in the fun!!!

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callielafleur
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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My first time doing a quote challenge! Day 1: death

Android Litsy users: what app do you use to make quote images?

#quotsyNov17 @TK-421

La_Cori I use "Quotes creator": there are lots of backgrounds (and you can add your personal images/photos) and fonts ? 7y
callielafleur @La_Cori Thanks! I'll give it a go. 7y
batsy I use Textgram. Now I want to check out the other apps because it's fun to see if they have cooler backgrounds 😁 7y
41 likes3 comments
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Jas16
Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Prince Prospero may think it is #partytime but this is an invitation I will gladly decline. I much prefer our Litsy Party of Ones. #gypsykatsbirthdayweek

DGRachel My favorite Poe story. 😍 7y
GypsyKat Ohh I love it! This was the darkest post I've seen for this, and it's fantastic! 😆🖤 7y
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quirkyreader
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
Pickpick

This is one of my favourite Poe stories.

tournevis Me too! 7y
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JacintaMCarter
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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DGRachel One of my favorite Poe tales! 8y
37 likes1 comment
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freyaheart
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Happy Birthday to the Master of the Macabre.

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Simona
Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Your gift has arrived and I love it❣ Thank you @Anitta you made my day. I hope, that you have a nice celebration yesterday. Želim ti sve dobro i miran Badnji dan.

#secretsantabookswap

Anitta @Simona well, hallelujah, praise the Lord! I was getting really desperate :/ I'm glad you like it ♡ Imamo beli, snegom zavejan Bozic, divno je. Hvala! 8y
Hobbinol 😍oh! That bookmark!❤ 8y
Simona @Hobbinol It's very beautiful❣ 8y
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Simona @Anitta Hvala tebi za zbilja divan poklon! 8y
Lidia That is my favorite E.A. Poe tale 😊 8y
Gissy I love Edgar Allan Poe! 8y
81 likes6 comments
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KafkaKitten
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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I went to visit The Poe House museum in Baltimore today! It was super cool! And then of course I had to walk over to a church cemetery to see his two grave sites. If you're in the area, definitely check it out!

britt_brooke Awesome! 8y
Dragon Sounds fun and spooky 👻 8y
KafkaKitten @Dragon Very! I'm a huge Poe fan and it made my spooky black soul happy 💀👻😈 8y
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LeahBergen Nice!!!! ❤️ 8y
Dragon You inspired me so I went to a Zombie Walk. 👍👻 8y
KafkaKitten @Dragon Yay for spooky festivities! 👻 8y
BooksTeasAndBookishThings I took my Daughter's 12 month photos today and she was Poe! ❤️ 8y
17 likes7 comments
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aeeklund
Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
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Coffee with @RavenRenegade is very bookish. (Featuring her Bronte sisters mug and my Poe mug, both by The Unemployed Philosophers Guild.) #shenanigans #coffeeandbooks #crashqueens #bleedcaffeine