Edgar and the secret of the buried dress is the first in a series of stories starring a young Edgar Allan Poe. It is set in early 19th century England, where, according to his biographers, Poe lived with his foster parents and was also a boarder in a private school for boys.Separated from his siblings, who were also given to foster families, young Edgar still remembers the image of his ailing mother who succumbed to tuberculosis when he was five years old. Intelligent, sensitive and with a vivid imagination, he demonstrates from early on his love for the macabre and he invents stories that often scare his classmates.
However, reality exceeds his imagination, and the murder of a young girl at the Christmas bazaar near his school brings him before a real horror story. With the help of his best friend William, a mysterious girl he meets at the bazaar and a ghost, Edgar decides to find the murderer and has a series of adventures. In his effort to solve the crime, he learns about several mysteries of the time, like séances, discovers the legends of a bleak 19th-century England and, eventually, succeeds in finding the culprit.
This first story, as well as the ones that will follow, is self-contained and does not relate to the short stories Poe wrote later, with the exception of a few hints mentioned in them and which a devoted reader of his works will easily spot. Furthermore, each story includes true biographical data from the writer’s childhood and information relating to the daily routine of a boy who lives in London in the 19th century and are the result of relevant research.
With every new story, more characters will be introduced, until there is a group of young mystery-solvers, with Poe being the main character. These stories aim to entertain young readers, transport them to a time full of legends and of course to inspire them to seek the works of the American author. The plethora of the biographical elements, the dark period during which the stories take place and, finally, Poe’s unique idiosyncrasy make this endeavor quite appealing not only for the young, but also for the adult readers who are interested in his life and work.
English translation available
Polaris 2015, 135 p.
