Mrs. Poe

by Lynn Cullen

Inspired by literature's most haunting love triangle, award-winning author Lynn Cullen delivers a pitch-perfect rendering of Edgar Allan Poe, his mistress's tantalizing confession, and his wife's frightening obsession in this new masterpiece of historical fiction to which Sara Gruen says, "Mrs. Poe had my heart racing...Don't miss it!"

1845: New York City is a sprawling warren of gaslit streets and crowded avenues, bustling with new immigrants and old money, optimism and opportunity, poverty and crime. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is all the rage-the success of which a struggling poet like Frances Osgood can only dream. As a mother trying to support two young children after her husband's cruel betrayal, Frances jumps at the chance to meet the illustrious Mr. Poe at a small literary gathering, if only to help her fledgling career. Although not a great fan of Poe's writing, she is nonetheless overwhelmed by his magnetic presence-and the surprising revelation that he admires her work.

What follows is a flirtation, then a seduction, then an illicit affair...and with each clandestine encounter, Frances finds herself falling slowly and inexorably under the spell of her mysterious, complicated lover. But when Edgar's frail wife, Virginia, insists on befriending Frances as well, the relationship becomes as dark and twisted as one of Poe's tales. And like those gothic heroines whose fates are forever sealed, Frances begins to fear that deceiving Mrs. Poe may be as impossible as cheating death itself...

And don't miss the next captivating novel from Lynn Cullen-Twain's End-where the acclaimed author tells a fictionalized imagining of the relationship between iconic author Mark Twain and his personal secretary, Isabel Lyon.

• ISBN10: 1611739993
• ISBN13: 9781611739992
• Publish Date: 1 February 2014 (first published 1 October 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Center Point
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 487
• Language: English

Reviews

[celinenyx]

2.5 Stars

Mrs. Poe explores a part fictional, part based on fact, account of writer Frances Osgood and her love relationship with Edgar Allan Poe.

I personally know very little about Poe. I know he married his 13 year old cousin when he was far in his twenties, and of course that he wrote creepy poems and short stories. Not knowing a lot about his personal life or what his contemporaries thought of him made reading Mrs. Poe easier for me. I had no idea whether the characters introduced by Ms Cullen were based on real people or fictional ones, and it made me unbiased towards them. On the other hand, I'm not a good judge to decide whether the historical details in this story are well researched or not.

The setting of Mrs. Poe is New York as its still being built. I loved reading about the construction sites, the sense of New York just starting to flourish. It's different from the London setting we all know, where there already is such a sense of history. In New York, everything is still possible. Everything is new.

Instead of what the title might suggest, the main character of the book is Frances Osgood, a children's book writer and poet, that meets Poe at a gathering for the literary elite. They have an attraction, they fall in love, and in the end start an affair. Almost the entire book is filled with the interactions between Osgood and Poe, the way they meet at gatherings, in the streets, the outings they make together... All while they are both married to other people.

For me the book got boring and repetitive and too shallow after the half-way mark. Reading about Poe is fascinating, but I wasn't very impressed by Ms Cullen's Poe. As a character he barely has any depth - he's just the random tortured conflicted guy everyone projects on him, and I think below that surface there was nothing there. The same with Frances Osgood - she's surrounded by friends, by her children, but they're only props. We only see interaction between her and her children when Poe is present. The entire story revolves around their will-they won't-they and the effect it has on the real Mrs Poe, Poe's wife.

Mrs. Poe is filled with flowery prose and lush descriptions and dramatic sentences, so if that's your kind of writing, you might want to give it a try. The story is rather dramatic, concerning two married people having an affair with only fleeting thoughts on what kind of effect their selfish romance might have on others. In the end it was too shallow for me, once the novelty of their shenanigans wore off.

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

I went into Mrs. Poe knowing very little of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. I read The Raven in high school, but like most class literature, it was required, a chore, and thus other than a nice poem it was a blip in my high school career.

Having said that, I read Lynn Cullen's Mrs. Poe the week leading up to my brother's wedding. It was the worst time possible to begin this novel as I had difficulty putting it down. I would sneak into the 1800s as often as I could, even if it was only for a moment or two.

In those fleeting moments I would fall into Old New York with descriptions that made me feel as if I were there, rather than surrounded by flowers and ribbon.

While reading Mrs. Poe I was reminded of the 1939 Wizard of Oz. Not for its yellow brick road but its transformation from black and white to color in the blink of an eye. Whenever Frances Osgood entered the Poe residence the colors would fade with the subdue atmosphere, with air you could cut through with a knife. Although, just as Dorothy steps though the door into Munchkinland I breathed a little and took in the change of scenery as we walked out of the dreary home.

As for its characters, I expected to find all of them despicable and loathsome. Yes at times Edgar and his lover Frances were unlikeable, how could they not with their infidelity? Although, I was just as wary with Mrs. Poe and her mother. Despite her frail nature there was something a little off, itching to be discovered.

The Gothic feel to Mrs. Poe was wonderfully paced and I was left rapt with attention. My heart palpitated with the novel's conclusion with an ending I would never have fathomed.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Lianne]

Mrs. Poe was a fascinating, riveting read; I could not put it down once I started reading. I felt the author really brought nineteenth-century New York City to life in these pages and the way that society operated. It was especially interesting to read about the literary scene during this period and how the periodicals and publications worked.

I do not know much about Poe’s life and his works so it was an interesting perspective and introduction to his character. I always thought him a grim character from what I knew but the author really made him a three-dimensional, flesh-and blood individual. Intense, certainly (especially when it came to Frances), but human with his own shortcomings and baggage.

Edgar and Frances’ relationship was pretty electric in this novel, it was fascinating to watch these two characters slowly gravitate towards each other, struggling to make sense of their feelings and, from Frances’ perspective, figure out what was the right thing to do. Again, I do not know much about Frances Osgood but she felt like a realistic character as well, especially as the reader is watching everything unfold from her perspective. She’s a tough character, especially considering the circumstances she was left with at the start of the novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Mrs. Poe, I think it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re into historical fiction and romance set in the nineteenth century.

You can read this review in its entirety over at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2013/09/16/review-mrs-poe/