Poe Fridays: The Angel of the Odd

This week's Poe short story is The Angel of the Odd, a story that I had never read before. This story has a new subject matter than we have read about so far but some of the same themes.

The narrator appears to be an "overindulger" who has ended up in a state of confusion after a night of heavy drinking. He takes umbrage at the amount of "odd" stories that appear in the newspapers and this triggers a visit from someone calling himself The Angel of the Odd who speaks with an exaggerated German accent. The angel takes credit for helping the odd events happen. Not surprisingly, the "angel" is made from a cask for a body, kegs for legs, wine bottles for arms and a flask and funnel for a head. The narrator then proceeds through a set of progressively "odd" events where "odd" would be a severe understatement.

This story is obviously built from Poe's own experiences as a drunk. It was laugh-out-loud funny for the most part but with a tinge of sadness at the pitiful state of the narrator. I don't know if Poe meant this story more as an explanation or an apology. I think maybe some of both.

For next week's Friday the 13th reading, I'm choosing a classic -- The Fall of the House of Usher. This is one of my favorites and I can't wait to read it again.

Setting down the drink,
K