Review: The Oblong Box by Edgar Allan Poe

 Title: The Oblong Box

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Hello! I was studying and already a little bit saturated with university subjects, I decided to read this story that I had already had my eye on because I saw that a booktuber considered it as one of his favorite stories. Then I thought, how is it possible that I haven't read it?

Oblong box: meaning a box that is longer than it is wide.

Review:

Well, "The Oblong Box" is about a boat trip that Cornelius Wyatt must take with his family. The story is told from the point of view of a friend who was also on the voyage and therefore witnessed those events first hand.

Our narrator tells us that he noticed two things that caught his attention. First, Wyatt had rented an extra cabin. Second, he had with him an oblong box that he took great care of.

From this, the narrator tells us that he began to think a lot of hypotheses, as to why this was happening. He also noticed that his friend (who was already depressive and unfriendly) was even worse this time.

Well, the mystery doesn't unravel until the end, which left me open-mouthed and thinking.... Wow Poe, you are the fucking master.

Another thing that caught my attention, is that near the end, Wyatt acts so strange, that his friend (our narrator) addresses him as "the crazy one".

It's a very short story that is worth reading, it makes you as curious as the narrator to know what's in there. In the few pages Poe manages to make you feel this, which is surprising.

I liked it a lot, it is easy to understand and it is one of the reasons why Poe is what he is.

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