Last Update: September 11, 2024 Navigation: Main Menu Poe's Works Poe's Tales Editorial Policies Searching Annotated Text

Edgar Allan Poe — “The Tell-Tale Heart”


∞∞∞∞∞∞∞


Sections:  Commentary Reading and Ref. Texts Hist. Texts Comp. and Study Texts Misc. Texts Bibliography


∞∞∞∞∞∞∞


Commentary:

Characters:

  • Narrator (unnamed) - The narrator in this story is also the protagonist. In declaring that he is not mad, he instills in the reader the sense that he might indeed be mad, and confirms it as the story proceeds. Although his gender is not specifically identified, it is generally presumed as male.
  • The old man (unnamed) - A few commentators have suggested that the old man is the father of the narrator, some going so far as to hint at a connection to the difficult relationship between Poe and his foster father, John Allan. This suggestion, however, is not directly supported by a close reading of the tale and an understanding of the context in which it was written, and is, perhaps, too inclined towards psycho-biographical readings to be taken very seriously.
  • Police officers - Three officers who come in at the end of the story

Setting:

Location - Under development.

Date - Under development.

Summary:

Under development.


∞∞∞∞∞∞∞


Reading and Reference Texts:

Reading copy:


∞∞∞∞∞∞∞


Historical Texts:

Manuscripts and Authorized Printings:

  • Text-01 — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — about November 1842 — (There are no known draft manuscripts or scratch notes reflecting the original effort of composition.)
  • Text-02 — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1842-1843
    • Text-02a — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — about November 1842 — (Speculated faircopy manuscript submitted first to the Boston Miscellany, which rejected the tale with the comment “If Mr. Poe would condescend to furnish more quiet articles, he would be a most desirable correspondent.” Poe then submitted the manuscript to J. R. Lowell, for publication in the newly established Pioneer. Since Lowell accepted the story on December 17, 1842, it must have been written long enough before that date for Poe to have sent the manuscript to Boston and for it to be returned.)
    • Text-02b — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 1843 — Pioneer — (Mabbott text A)
  • Text-03 — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1843-1845
    • Text-03a — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1843-1845 — (Speculated revised copy of the Pioneer (Text-02b), perhaps in anticipation of publication as Text-03b. These revisions are presumably recorded in Text-03b. The changes between Text-02b and Text-03b are slight enough that a new manuscript is unlikely, but not so minor that they would reasonably have been made during typesetting or in correcting proofs for Text-03b.)
    • Text-03b — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — August 23, 1845 — Broadway Journal — (Mabbott text B)
  • Text-04 — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1845-1849
    • Text-04a — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1845-1849 — (Speculated revised copy of the Broadway Journal (Text-03b), perhaps in anticipation of a new edition of Poe's tales. These revisions are presumably recorded in Text-04b. The changes are slight enough that a new manuscript is highly unlikely, but not so minor that they would reasonably have been made during typesetting or in correcting proofs for Text-04b. At least some of these changes are significant enough that they suggest the hand of the author rather than of Griswold as editor.)
    • Text-04b — “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1850 — WORKS — (Mabbott text C — This is Mabbott's copy-text.)

 

Reprints:

  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 6, 1843 — United States Gazette (noted by Poe Log, p. 395)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 10, 1843 — Franklin Democrat (Greenfield, MA), vol. III, no. 38, p. 1, cols. 3-4 (reprinted from the Pioneer)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 11, 1843 — New York Sun (noted as reprinted “From the Pioneers” [sic]) (A copy of this issue is in the Koester Poe Collection, Harry Ransom Center, Univerity of Texas at Austin)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 14, 1843 — Miner's Journal and Pottsville General Advertiser (Pottsville, PA), vol. 19, no. 3, p. 1, cols. 4-5 (acknowledged as reprinted from the Pioneer) (information for this entry was provided to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated March 3, 2020)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 14, 1843 — Brooklyn Evening Star (Brooklyn, NY), vol. XXXIV, no. 630, p. 2, cols. 1-2 (acknowledged as reprinted from Pioneer)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 25, 1843 — Dollar Newspaper (vol. I, no. 1, p. 1, cols. 6-7 and p. 2 col. 1) (The apparently unique copy of this issue is at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, formerly the Maryland Historical Society. It is somewhat damaged at the bound edge.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart, or, The Unconscious Madman” — June 17, 1843 — Cleave's Penny Gazette (London, UK) (noted by Kevin Hayes, 2004)
  • “Confession of a Maniac” — July 1844 — Literary Garland: A Canadian Magazine of Tales, Sketches, Poetry, Music, Engravings &c. (Montreal, Canada), new series, vol. 2, no. 7, pp. 333-335 (first identified by Mary Markham Brown, An Index to the Literary Garland (Montreal 1838-1851), Toronto: Bibliographical Society of Canada, 1962, p. 32) (the story bears no byline, and replaces Poe's motto with “In the still watches of the drowsy night,/I hear it still!”) (some information for this entry was provided to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie in an e-mail dated May 5, 2019)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — August 27, 1845 — Spirit of the Times
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — September 1, 1845 — Boston Daily Mail  (This reprint noted by K. Ljungquist, 1997, p. 195n24.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — December 20, 1845 — Boston Weekly Bee, pp. 1-2  (This reprint noted by K. Ljungquist, 1997, p. 195n24.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1852 — Tales and Sketches: to which is added The Raven: A Poem, London, George Routledge & Co., pp. 164-168 (This tale is not included in Tales of Mystery and Imagination and Humour; and Poems, London: Henry Vizetelly, printed in England about the same time)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 20, 1856 — Marshall County Democrat (Plymouth, IN) vol. 2, no 2 (p. 1, cols. 6-7 and p. 4, col. 4) (this entry was sent to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated November 26, 2017)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 17, 1857 — Democratic Alleganian (Cumberland, MD), vol. XXII, no. 42, p. 1, cols. 5-6 (This text prints the earlier Pioneer version, with the motto from Longfellow)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 24, 1857 — Evening Star (Washington, DC) vol. X, whole no. 1,487 (p. 1, cols. 1-2) (This text prints the earlier Pioneer version, with the motto from Longfellow) (this entry was sent to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated November 26, 2017)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 5, 1857 — Weekly Patriot and Union (Harrisburg, PA) (p. 1) (this item is noted by George Monteiro, “Fugitive Reprints,” E. A. Poe Review, Fall 2010, p. 162.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 13, 1857 — Bedford Gazette (Bedford, PA) vol. 53, whole no. 2770 (p. 1, cols. 1-3) (This text prints the earlier Pioneer version, with the motto from Longfellow) (this entry was sent to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated November 26, 2017)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 25, 1857 — Washington Telegraph (Washington, AK), vol. XVII, no. 47, p. 1, cols. 2-4 (This text prints the earlier Pioneer version, with the motto from Longfellow)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — December 1, 1857 — Lancaster Intelligencer (Lancaster, PA) vol. LVIII, no. 46 (p. 1, cols. 4-7)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — December 10, 1857 — American Volunteer (Carlisle, PA) vol. 44, no. 26 (p. 1, cols. 1-3)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — December 17, 1857 — Baraboo Republic (Baraboo, WI), p. 1, cols. 2-4 (This text prints the earlier Pioneer version, with the motto from Longfellow) (Informaton for this entry was provided to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated November 18, 2021)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 26, 1858 — Arkansas True Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas) ns. vol. VI, no. 16 (p. 3, cols. 1-3) (acknowledged as by “Edgar A. Poe.”.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — June 23, 1858 — Spirit of Democracy (Woodsfield, OH) vol. XV, no. 15 (p. 1, cols. 1-3) (this entry was sent to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated November 26, 2017)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — August 30, 1860 — Smyrna Times (Smyrna, DE), ns. vol. VII, no. 8, whole no. 477, p. 1, cols. 3-4 (the author is acknowledged as “Edgar A. Poe.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — September 18, 1860 — Waukesha County Democrat (Waukesha, WI), vol. VII, no. 38, p. 1, cols. 3-4 (the author is acknowledged as “Edgar A. Poe.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — April 3, 1868 — Manitowoc Pilot (Manitowoc, WI), vol. 9, no. 37, p. 2, cols. 3-4 (the source is not acknowledged, nor is Poe's name as the author)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — April 27, 1867 — Public Ledger (Memphis, TN), vol. IV, no. 48, p. 1, cols. 3-4 (the source is not acknowledged, nor is Poe's name as the author)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — May 16, 1867 — Freeborn County Standard (Albert Lea, Minnesota), vol. 7, no. 5, p. 1, cols. 4-6 (the source is not acknowledged, nor is Poe's name as the author)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — May 8, 1867 — Stillwater Messenger (Stillwater, ME) vol. 11, no. 35 (p. 3, cols. 5-6) (this entry was sent to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated November 26, 2017)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1867 — Prose Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, first series (New York: W. J. Widdleton), pp. 382-387 (This collection is extracted from the 1850-1856 edition of Poe's Works. It was reprinted several times.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — April 3, 1868 — Manitowoc Pilot (Manitowoc, WI), vol. 9, no. 37, p. 2, cols. 3-4 (the author is acknowledged as “Edgar A. Poe.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1874 — Works of Edgar A. Poe, edited by J. H. Ingram, vol. 1, pp. 297-302 (This collection was subsequently reprinted in various forms)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — December 10, 1875 — True Northerner (Paw Paw, MI) vol. XXI, no. 39, p. 1, cols. 1-3
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — December 10, 1875 — Chippewa Herald (Chippewa Falls, WI), vol. IX, no. 37, p. 8, cols. 1-2 (the author is acknowledged as “Edgar Allan Poe.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — September 11, 1879 — The Courant (Howard, Kansas), vol. VII, no. 38, p. 1, cols. 3-4 (the author is acknowledged as “Edgar A. Poe.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 21, 1883 — Lafayette Daily Courier (Lafayette, IN) vol. XXXI, no. 165, p. 1, cols. 2-3 (acknowledged as by Edgar A. Poe)
  • “A [[sic]] Tell-Tale Heart” — November 25, 1883 — Albany Morning Express (Albany, NY) vol. XLIX, no. 7 (p. 6) (this entry was sent to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated November 26, 2017)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 27, 1883 — Lafayette Weekly Courier (Lafayette, IN) vol. XXXI, no. 165, p. 4, cols. 3-4 (acknowledged as by Edgar A. Poe) (same text as the Lafayette Daily Courier)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — December 1, 1883 — Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, WV), vol. XXXII, no. 86, p. 3, cols. 3-4
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — December 31, 1883 — Stockton Mail (Stockton, CA), vol. VIII, no. 121, p. 8, cols. 1-3 (the author is acknowledged as “Edgar A. Poe.”)
  • “Vulture Eye” — January 12, 1884 — Oakland Daily Evening Tribune (Oakland, CA), vol. XXI, no. 10, p. 2, cols. 1-2 (This text, with the curious change of title, bears the subtitle: “The Horrible Tale of a Merciless Murderer” and the introductory summary: “Why He Resolved to Do the Deed — Patiently Waiting at Midnight — His Extreme Care — The Crime Comitted and the Heart-beats Stop — Arrival of the Officers and their Unfruitful Search — The Heart Renews its Beat — Louder and Louder it Grows — The Murderer's Ineffectual Efforts to Drown the Sound — The Confession.”
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — February 9, 1884 — Jamestown Evening Journal (Jamestown, NY) vol. XV, no. 31 (p. 3, cols. 3-5) (this entry was sent to the Poe Society by Ton Fafianie, in an e-mail dated November 26, 2017)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — August 24, 1889 — Arkansas Traveler (Chicago, IL), vol. XV, no. 13, p. 6, cols. 1-3 (It is prefaced by the short introductory note: “We give herewith the Tell-Tale Heart, the most wierd of Edgar Poe's stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — September 11, 1889 — McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), vol. 15, no. 9, p. 8, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — September 14, 1889 — Chatfield Democrat (Chatfield, Minnesota), vol. XXXIII, no. 37, p. 1, cols. 2-4 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 4, 1889 — Formoso Times (Formoso, KS), vol. 1, no. 1, p. 8, cols. 1-4 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 9, 1889 — Sterling Weekly Champion (Sterling, KS), vol. II, no. 11, p. 3, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 10, 1889 — Democratic Principle (Syracuse, KS), vol. 3, no. 1, p. 6, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 10, 1889 — Jetmore Siftings (Jetmore, KS), vol. IV, no. 29, p. 4, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 10, 1889 — Sedgwick Pantagraph (Sedgwick, KS), vol. VIII, no. 20, p. 3, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 11 [[10]], 1889 — Overbrook Herald (Overbrook, KS), vol. I, no. 27, p. 4, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 10, 1889 — Kingman Weekly Courier (Kingman, KS), vol. XIII, no. 49, p. 3, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 11, 1889 — Jewell Couty Republican (Jewell City, KS), vol. X, no. 41, p. 6, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 11, 1889 — Pottawatomie County Times (Louisville, KS), vol. I, no. 9, p. 3, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 11, 1889 — St. John Weekly News (St. John, KS), vol. X, no. 28, p. 7, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 11, 1889 — Florence Weekly Bulletin (Florence, KS), vol. III, no. 34, p. 4, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 11, 1889 — Clyde Argus (Clyde, KS), vol. II, no. 41, p. 6, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 11, 1889 — Cortland Register (Cortland, KS), vol. 1, no. 36, p. 3, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 11, 1889 — Winchester Herald (Winchester, KS), vol. II, no. 33, p. 1, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 12, 1889 — Enterprise (Williamsburg, KS), vol. I, no. 17, p. 3, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 12, 1889 — Elk City Enterprise (Elk City, KS), vol. I, no. 9, p. 3, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 12, 1889 — Lakin Pioneer Democrat (Lakin, KS), vol. IV, no. 47, p. 43, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 17, 1889 — Smith County Bulletin (Smith Centre, KS), vol. VIIII [[IX]], no. 12, p. 7, cols. 1-3 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 2, 1889 — Cherryvale Evening Clarion (Cherryvale, KS), vol. I, no. 96, p. 6, cols. 1-4 (with the descriptive subtitle: “The Most Weird of Edgar A. Poe's Stories.”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 9, 1893 — Syracuse Daily Journal (Syracuse, NY), vol. ??, no. ?? (p. 6, cols. 6-7)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1893 — The Encore Reciter; Humorous, Serious and Dramatic Selections, compiled and edited by F. E. Marshall Steele (London and New York: Frederick Warne and Co.), pp. 181-183 (noted at the end as abridged, and by Edgar Allan Poe. Also includes four other tales by Poe.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 8, 1896 — Saint Mary's Beacon (Leonardtown, MD), vol. 58, no. 816, p. 1, cols. 4-6 (without acknowledging the source, or Poe's name as the author)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — May 31, 1902 — Buffalo Review (Buffalo, NY), vol. XIX, no. 307, p. 2, cols. 4-5
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — September 17, 1898 — Hartford Courant, vol. LXII, no. 223, p. 13, cols. 1-2 (this item is noted by George Monteiro, “Fugitive Reprints,” E. A. Poe Review, Fall 2010, p. 162.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 8, 1911 — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, vol. XXIX, no. 262, p. 40, across the bottom half of the page (with a woodcut illustration) (this item is noted by George Monteiro, “Fugitive Reprints,” E. A. Poe Review, Fall 2010, p. 162, although with differences in the date and page.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 8, 1911 — Nashville Tennessean, vol. V, no. 150, p. 36, across the bottom half of the page (with the same woodcut illustration as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 30, 1911 — Richmond Palladium and Sun-Telegram (Richmond, IN), vol. 37, no. 22, p. 2, running across the full bottom of the page (acknowledged as by “Edgar Allan Poe” and with the same woodcut illustration as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — March 10, 1912 — San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, CA), vol. XCVI, no. 70, p. 33, running across the full bottom of the page (acknowledged as by “Edgar Allen [[Allan]] Poe” and with the same woodcut illustration as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — March 23, 1912 — Knoxville Sentinel (Knoxville, TN), vol. XXVI, no. 72, p. 15, running across the full bottom of the page (acknowledged as by “Edgar Allen [[Allan]] Poe” and with the same woodcut illustration as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — March 29, 1912 — Chattanooga News (Chattanooga, TN), vol. XXIV, no. 77, p. 13, running across the full bottom of the page (acknowledged as by “Edgar Allan Poe” and with the same woodcut illustration as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1944 — Tales of Terror, New York: The World Publishing Company, 1944, pp. 133-138 (selected and with an introduction by Boris Karloff, dated August 1943. Although most of the other authors included in the collection are mentioned by name in the introduction, Poe is strangely omitted.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — Fall 1953 — Fantastic (This magazine was one of the many cheaply produced pulps)
  • This story, as one of Poe's most popular tales, has been widely reprinted and anthologized.

 

Scholarly and Noteworthy Reprints:

  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1894-1895 — The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, vol. 2: Tales, eds. E. C. Stedman and G. E. Woodberry, Chicago: Stone and Kimball (2:55-61)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1898 — The Gold-Bug, The Purloined Letter and Other Tales, ed. William P. Trent (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company), pp. 78-85
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1902 — The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, vol. 5: Tales IV, ed. J. A. Harrison, New York: T. Y. Crowell (5:88-94, and 5:319-320)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1978 — The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe, vol. 3: Tales & Sketches II, ed. T. O. Mabbott, Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (3:789-799)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1984 — Edgar Allan Poe: Poetry and Tales, ed. Patrick F. Quinn (New York: Library of America), pp. 555-559
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 2015 — The Annotated Poe, ed. Kevin J. Hayes (Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press), pp. 259-265

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞


Comparative and Study Texts:

Instream Comparative and Study Texts:


∞∞∞∞∞∞∞


Associated Material and Special Versions:

Miscellaneous Texts and Related Items:

  • “Le coeur accusateur” — April 30, 1854 — Chronique de France  (French translation by Paul Roger)
  • “Das klopfende Herz” — Oct. 23, 1855 — Bremer Sonntagsblatt, 38:300-302  (German translation by A. Malz, acknowledged as “Nach dem Englishchen des Poe von.”)
  • “[The Tell-Tale Heart]” — 1855 — Fortaellinger [Tales]  (Copenhagen)  (Danish translation, noted by Anderson, p. 14)
  • “Le coeur révélateur” — (French translation by Charles Baudelaire)
    • “Le coeur révélateur” — February 4, 1853 — Paris-Journal
    • “Le Plaidoyer d‘un fou” — July 29, 1854 — Le Pays
    • “Le coeur révélateur” — 1857 — Nouvelles histoires par Edgar Poe, Paris: Michel Lévy frères
  • “Et Hjertes Banken” — September 15, 1867 — Figaro  (Danish translation by Robert Watt, noted by Anderson, p. 15)
  • “[The Tell-Tale Heart]” — 1868 — Phantastiske Fortaellinger [Fantastic Tales], Copenhagen)  (Danish translation by Robert Watt, noted by Anderson, p. 15)
  • Le coeur mort qui bat” — 1880 — Le Désert, Limoges: Charles Barbou  (French translation by de Roul Bourdier)  (This is the only translation of a tale by Poe in this book. Otherwise, the book translates a work by Captain Mayne Reid.)
  • “Das verräterifche Herz; — 1890 — Seltsame Gesdichten, Stuttgart: Spemann  (Germanh translation by Alfred Mürenberg)
  • “Het Verraderlijke Hart” — about 1930 — Fantastische Vertellingen van Edgar Allan Poe, Haarlem: H. D. Tjeenk Willink & Zoon (Dutch translation by Machiel Elias Barentz, with elaborate illustrations by Albert Hahn, somewhat reminiscent of those by Harry Clarke)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — March 29, 1936 — a radio show broadcast on the Terror by Night show. (As was often the case with dramatic presentations of Poe's works, the story has been modified.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — July 11, 1937 — a radio show broadcast on the CBS Columbia Workshop show. (As was often the case with dramatic presentations of Poe's works, the story has been modified.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — November 5, 1937 — a radio show broadcast on the Black Night show. This was a local show on WBAP, originating in Fort Worth, Texas (1937-1939). It starred Nelson Olmsted, who later achieved some fame for this spoken word recordings.
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — August 3, 1941 — a radio show broadcast on the Inner Sanctum show, starring Boris Karloff. (This episode is available on CD as part of a 6-CD set of “Smithsonian Legendary Performers,” issued in 2004. As was often the case with dramatic presentations of Poe's works, the story has been modified. It this case, it is so heavily adapted that little of the original story remains, and much has been added, including names for the main characters, with Karloff as “Simon” and another actor as “Oliver,” the old man who is killed. The sponsor for the show is Carter’ Little Liver Pills.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 30, 1944 — a radio show broadcast on the Weird Circle show. (As was often the case with dramatic presentations of Poe's works, the story has been modified.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — August 23, 1946 — a radio show broadcast on The Mercury Theater of the Air show, with Orson Welles.
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — January 14, 1950 — a radio show broadcast on The Hall of Fantasy show, introduced as “dedicated to the supernatural, the unusual and the unknown.” (As was often the case with dramatic presentations of Poe's works, the story has been modified.) (This show as apparently rebroadcast on June 5, 1950.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — June 1951 — Classics Illustrated (number 84)  (a comic-book)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — Fall 1952 — Fantastic, vol. 1, no. 2  (a pulp science fiction quarterly, with illustrations)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — June 1, 1953 — a radio show broadcast on The Hall of Fantasy show, introduced as “dedicated to the supernatural, the unusual and the unknown.” (As was often the case with dramatic presentations of Poe's works, the story has been modified.) Performers include Eloise Kummer. This show was rebroadcast on November 9, 1953.
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1953 — a UPA (United Productions of America) Technicolor cartoon, narrated by James Mason, and with music by Boris Kremenliev. It was animated by Pat Matthews, designed by Paul Julian, and distributed by Columbia Pictures.
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1956 — a reading by Nelson Olmsted on Edgar Allan Poe: Tales of Terror, issued on the Vanguard label (VRS-9007)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1962 — a reading by Richard Taylor on Nightmare: Edgar Allan Poe, issued on the Random Records label (M-36, side B) (running time, about 13:44) (This is a very cheaply produced 33 1/3 LP, with a single narrator speaking over a very reverberant and somewhat off-key electric guitar played for atmosphere. The jacket features simple black and white graphics. The narrator, who has a surprisingly high voice and a detectable Brooklyn accent, is noted as being 21 at the time of the recording. This album was initially advertised for $1.98, and 25¢ for shipping and handling, while each of the remaining albums in the 4-album set was advertised for $2.98. The $1.98 price was apparently a typographical error and it appears to have been corrected in later printings. Side A is “The Pit and the Pendulum”)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1966 — a reading by low-budget horror film producer William Castle on Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, issued by Hanna Barbera (HLP-2056) (this item is an LP issued as part of a “cartoon series.” The cover features a very dramatic color drawing of the murderer having just killed the old man, and about to reach for an ax. At the bottom, it boasts that this is “THE MOST FRIGHTENING ALBUM EVER MADE.” The recording runs about 16:09.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 1971 — a reading by Martin Donegan as part of volume VII of Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe, issued on the CMS Records label (CMS-630)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — August 1, 1980 — a radio show broadcast produced for CBC (Toronto), with Henry Ramer as host. (As was often the case with dramatic presentations of Poe's works, the story has been modified.) (The show was rebroadcast on March 7, 1982)
  • ”The Tell-Tale Heart” — September 29, 1998 — a radio show broadcast on the NPR Playhouse show, for the Radio Tales series. (As was often the case with dramatic presentations of Poe's works, the story has been modified.) The show was produced by Winnie Waldron and Winifred Phillips. It debuted on XM Satellite Radio on December 27, 2003.
  • ”The Tell-Tale Heart” — October 31, 2004 — a radio show broadcast by Glenn Beck, for his Mercury Radio Arts production company (A fairly direct and unremarkable reading of the story, supplemented by some sound effects and touches of music, with a brief introduction and a few, mostly rather annoying, auditory effects. The reading has been released on CD-R, distributed by his own online store and thus presumably authorized.)
  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” — 2010 — Audio book, read by Chris Aruffo

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞


Bibliography:

  • Anderson, Carl L., Poe in Northlight: The Scandanavian Response to His Life and Work, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1973.
  • Canario, John W., “The Dream in ‘Tell-Tale Heart’,” English Language Notes, March 1970, 7:194-197
  • Del Vecchio, Rosa Maria, “Into that Material Nihility”: Poe's Criminal Persona as God-Peer, PhD disseration, Case Western University, 1994
  • Gargano, James W., “The Theme of Time in “Tell-Tale Heart’,” Studies in Short Fiction, Summer 1968, 5:378-382
  • Heartman, Charles F. and James R. Canny, A Bibliography of First Printings of the Writings of Edgar Allan Poe, Hattiesburg, MS: The Book Farm, 1943.
  • Krappe, E. S., “A Possible Source for Poe's ‘Tell-Tale Heart’ and ‘The Black Cat’,” American Literature (March 1940), 12:84-88
  • Ljungquist, Kent P., “Some Unrecorded Reprints of Poe's Works,” ANQ, Winter 1995, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 20-22.
  • Ljungquist, Kent. P., “ ‘Valdemar’ and the ‘Frogpondians’: The Aftermath of Poe's Boston Lyceum Appearance,” in Emersonian Circles: Essays in Honor of Joel Myerson, ed. Wesley T. Mott, Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 1997, pp. 181-206.
  • Mabbott, Thomas Ollive, ed., The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Vols 2-3 Tales and Sketches), Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1978.
  • Pollin, Burton R., “Bulwer Lytton and ‘Tell-Tale Heart’,” American Notes & Queries, September 1965, 4:7-8
  • Reilly, John E., “The Lesser Death-Watch and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’,” American Transcendental Quarterly, 2nd Quarter 1969, 2:3-9
  • Robinson, E. Arthur, “Poe's ‘Tell-Tale Heart’,” Nineteenth Century Fiction, March 1965, 19:369-378
  • Robinson, E. Arthur, “Thoreau and the Deathwatch in Poe's ‘Tell-Tale Heart’,” Poe Studies, June 1971, 4:14-16
  • Senelick, Laurence, “Charles Dickens and ‘Tell Tale-Heart’,” Poe Studies, June 1973, 6:12-14
  • Solomont, Susan and Ritchie Darling, Four Stories by Poe, Norwich, VT: Green Knight Press, 1965
  • Weber, Jean-Paul, “Edgar Poe on the Theme of the Clock,” La Nouvelle Revue Francais (August-September 1958), 68:301-311 and 69:498-508.
  • Wyllie, John Cooke, “A List of the Texts of Poe's Tales,” Humanistic Studies in Honor of John Calvin Metcalf, Charlottesville: University of Virginia, 1941, pp. 322-338.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

[S:0 - JAS] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Works - Tales - The Tell-Tale Heart