Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Black Cat [Short Story Review]

"The Black Cat" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in 1843. It is, for all intense and purposes, a alternative take on "The Tell-Tale Heart" but with some characters and motives switched around... and the inclusion of a cat.

It's okay. It's not the best thing I've read from this author, but I could not resist the urge to write about it because of my friend Chris. Every Halloween, Chris makes these little picture movies about a black cat named Vincent. Although heavily leaning into comedy, there are actually some very serious topics that are dealt with in them.

In these little movies, Vincent is an evil cat who is manipulating the humans around him. In the case of "The Black Cat," the main feline of the book, named Pluto, could have just as easily been Vincent. For one, the human's evil actions seemed to come out of nowhere. The whole thing sounds like manipulation from an outside source, namely the black cat.

I know this is kind of a silly thing to say, but I actually wouldn't mind seeing a "Vincent interpretation" of this particular story of Poe in one of those movies. I think they would work together. But maybe that's too much to ask for.

I still recommend "The Black Cat" if anything for its brevity. Just keep in mind that it is not quite as good as some of his other works. And maybe someday, I'll see the Vincent version. It would be a major improvement.

This blog was written on August 7, 2022.

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6 comments:

  1. Since it is not one of Poe's best, it change be reinterpreted into something better: A Vincent K. Evil story!

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    1. Vincent actually gives meaning to this story. That's what I finds so fascinating.

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  2. I must admit I merely document Vincent's reality, as bizarre as it may be. There may be a version of The Black Cat in the works... mayybeee... Incidentally there is a version of this read by Christopher Lee on youtube I recommend it, but I would recommend anything in his voice.

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  3. Since cats are such solitary creatures, it can be difficult to discern their intentions. They seem more aware than the humans who care for them. Unlike dogs, cats tend to merely to tolerate your presence.

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    1. They do tolerate you but they also depend on you or else they through little tantrums and cause damage.

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