Nevermore by Harold Schechter

I was first introduced to Harold Schechter through his true crime writing, so I wasn't sure how he would handle another Favorite Author of All Time, Edgar Allan Poe. 


Well, the narrative style is perfect--anyone who has read Poe's stories (and not just the high school reqs, either, I'm talking about "The Maelestrom", "The Black Cat," one of my faves, "The Man That Was Used Up," etc.) will appreciate Schechter's ability to make the reader feel as though you really are listening to Poe. His neurosis, passion for Virginia, etc. are all well written. 


That being said, the writing does get a tad cumbersome in the effort to capture the tone and linguistic style of the day. Still, the characters (like Daniel Boone) are vibrant, the plot intriguing, and the setting well-done.

True Crime: An American Anthology compiled by Harold Schechter

In the interest of full disclosure, this was also the first book purchase I made when I realized that I really did love true crime.  


This book was an excellent companion in waiting rooms, doctor's offices, Workman's Comp appointments, and while I sat waiting for faxes and doctor's phone calls as my husband recovered from a traumatic brain injury (and several other broken bones as well). Which is to say it is an absorbing book you will want to bring everywhere and is perfect for doing so. 


But I doubt that's what made me love this book. It really is a well thought out anthology. From Lincoln's musings on a murderer he defended and Mark Twain's essay on the saloon owners and general lawlessness of early Nevada, to the raging yellow journalism of Damon Runyan's court coverage and the cold analysis of an F.B.I. profiler of the Son of Sam, this book truly has it all; it is a veritable kaleidoscope of true crime. 


It made me wish people still had the patience to read broadsheet stories on covering court, but reading those selections was the next best thing. I highly reccommend this for even non-true crime fans because it's worth reading even for those who want to see a tight, inclusive glimpse of the true crime genre from a purely literary history perspective.