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Masque of the Red Death Audiobook
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(4.00) - 8,418 listener ratings
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The Masque of the Red Death, a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague known as the Red Death by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, has a masquerade ball within seven rooms of his abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. When Prospero confronts this stranger, he falls dead. The story follows many traditions of Gothic fiction and is often analyzed as an allegory about the inevitability of death, though some critics advise against an allegorical reading. Many different interpretations have been presented, as well as attempts to identify the true nature of the disease of the "Red Death."
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"it was great as all of Poe''s stories are but it gets a little confusing, because it was writtin so long ago there are lots of old phrases which makes it hard to understand, plus there are alot of BIG words that i didnt know so i had to go and loook them up. however it was a really good story,if you would like to read it, it is really really short it shouldnt take yoou more then about 25 to 30 min to read ( morre or less it depends how slow or fast a reader you are) check out this...go to eapoe.org then click on the bolded word "works" then there comes a choice of poems or tales, if you click on poems a long list (15) of poems comes up, if you click on tales all of edgar allan poes short stories will come up (the names) one of which is the ,asque of the red death click on that and you will get the story."
— Emma (4 out of 5 stars)
Masque of the Red Death Listener Reviews
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" Quite relevant in our time, I feel as if people sometimes say "Let's have a party as the world burns." Moneyed indivduals don't feel this economic meltdown, so let them have their parties. A plague is a bit different but not so far away. "
— Bryant, 2/18/2014 -
" Both book and movie were great. "
— Marts, 2/17/2014 -
" This is one of the spookiest Poe stories in my opinion. The atmosphere is completely eerie, and his description is so accurate that you can actually hear the clock ringing in the back of your head. It's a really great story! "
— Bea, 2/17/2014 -
" I read this in school. It was very disturbing, as is most of Poe's works. "
— Cathy, 2/14/2014 -
" we read this in class and it was pretty creepy "
— Ichigo, 2/9/2014 -
" Everyone wears a mask....be afraid. "
— Kat, 1/31/2014 -
" I do not like Poe's works because they are very dark all of the time. "
— Sabrina, 1/29/2014 -
" The ending was rather abrupt, and I don't know if I the love I have for the Poe gothic style outweights my irritation at his extreme use of flow-on sentences. But it was interesting enough I suppose albeit very short. "
— Sisi, 1/23/2014 -
" I always enjoy reading Poe's stories simply for his descriptions and word choices. He has a way of making everything eerie and creepy just by the phrases he uses and the imagery he gives the reader. The Masque of the Red Death is no exception. An allegory for the bubonic plague, he describes the Red Death in chilling detail, as well as the deaths of the courtiers and Prince Prospero (who all have it coming) and the infected person that sneaks into the castle. It definitely has influenced the way I write descriptions and the words I use in those details. "
— Krystina, 1/21/2014 -
" My FAVORITE EA Poe story. Favorite short story ever. "
— Rebecca, 1/21/2014 -
" Compelling in its creepiness, this is a perfect story to read for Halloween. "
— Riki, 1/19/2014 -
" I'm sorry but there's nothing like this short story. Unrivaled. "
— Maria, 1/18/2014 -
" Love this story. Love poe. The amazing descriptions, the pacing just wow. "
— Hannah, 1/13/2014 -
" Talk about creepy. Poe was as usual obsessed with death, but in no other work does he fixate almost gleefully on the concept, and use only the most experimental, ambient style to express it. "
— Tyrell, 1/12/2014 -
" Rereadad the story online since I'm reading Masque of the Red Death soon, and I'm so glad I did. Wow, what an extravagant, fantastical setting! This is one of those stories where you have to read it several times to look past the plot to delve into the symbolism; it's a masterpiece of a short story, and one I know I will be reading again. "
— Wendy, 1/11/2014 -
" we read this in class and it was pretty creepy "
— Ichigo, 1/7/2014 -
" Mystery man = death. Not much to this one. "
— Adam, 1/7/2014 -
" 2.5 stars-Don't think it's his best work or his creepiest but I did love his description of the party and rooms. "
— Amy, 12/10/2013 -
" Talk about creepy. Poe was as usual obsessed with death, but in no other work does he fixate almost gleefully on the concept, and use only the most experimental, ambient style to express it. "
— Tyrell, 12/9/2013 -
" Pretty heavy-handed ending. If it weren't for overall engaging language this would be rated a one star. "
— Steven, 12/9/2013 -
" I read this in high school so I don't remember much but I know that it's an allegory and the rooms mean dead, or something. I liked it then but I'd have to read it again to give a coherent review now. "
— Ashley, 12/2/2013 -
" I had to read this story too. I thought it was extremely good and it certainly made me want to start reading more Edgar Allan Poe. "
— Elizabeth, 11/28/2013 -
" A fantastic example of short story writing, Poe manages to stir the imagination more in 6 pages than Lovecraft did in 80 within the pages of At the Mountains of Madness. "
— Michael, 11/11/2013 -
" Surprising ending, well-written story. I'm not usually an Edgar Allen Poe fan, but I enjoyed this one. "
— Kristy, 11/4/2013 -
" I just read through this really quickly and I think that I will have to reread it when I have some time so that I can actually take it in for what it is meant to be rather than just it's face value. I have a feeling that my rating might go up once I give it the attention that it deserves. "
— Desiree, 11/1/2013 -
" Weird story, but amazing writing! "
— Elizabeth, 10/30/2013 -
" i love the end it's out of this world ... <3 "
— Zk, 10/21/2013 -
" This is dark, creepy and gripping. I like this climate of Edgar Allan Poe's works. Pre - Stephen King. "
— Anna, 10/17/2013 -
" Fear in tis purest issue. "
— Saya, 10/11/2013 -
" Read in preparation for Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin. Goodness was this creepy and genuinely frightened me! Definitely a great gothic horror, written by a genius! "
— Emily, 9/13/2013 -
" I've never read any Poe before, but now I understand what all the fuss is about. The wording and imagery of this story are amazing. It's like you can actually feel the story. I will certainly be reading more Poe in the future. "
— Briana, 9/12/2013 -
" Lleno de simbolismos, descripciones sublimes y un final que era de esperar, nadie puede escapar a la muerte. Nadie. "
— Luis, 8/18/2013 -
" The Masque of the Red Death is a very simple, but tight story about the wealthy trying to sequester themselves during a plague. Classic Poe. "
— This, 7/24/2013 -
" This short story is vividly and colorfully described. It is not terribly scary but kind of creepy all the same. "
— Peter, 7/11/2013 -
" Surprising ending, well-written story. I'm not usually an Edgar Allen Poe fan, but I enjoyed this one. "
— Kristy, 7/4/2013 -
" STELLAR story! One of my favorites! Creepy, spellbinding, eerie...with an ending that was altogether satisfying, this tale of a prince's attempt to cheat the plague ridden city he lives in reads like a dream, or a nightmare...... "
— Lisa, 6/10/2013 -
" I just dark and great. "
— Fausto, 6/1/2013 -
" As an excitable chap I find sombre books grounding and when depressed comforting. I have just started this sad chilling tale, its not long so I will get back to you with my feelings about it all soon. "
— Robert, 4/23/2013 -
" I read this quite a while ago, and it's still a chilling story for me to read now. One of Poe's best stories. "
— Krista, 3/31/2013 -
" the masque of the red death is my favorite poe story, very strange, very morbid. it has to do with a plague and a strange situation, i dont want to tell you if you havent read it, i would say its well worth reading. "
— Brian, 3/25/2013 -
" i liked the book very much "
— Kelly, 3/2/2013 -
" My favorite of all his short stories. "
— Nathaniel, 2/18/2013 -
" I'm still shivering. WHY I AM STILL SHIVERING??!!! "
— Merary, 2/17/2013 -
" 100% my favorite story of all time and I'm sure it will remain that way. "
— Nichole, 2/12/2013 -
" Available at LibriVox. These scary stories are becoming better and better... "
— Laura, 12/9/2012 -
" I'm a huge fan of Poe, and this is my favorite story from him. "
— Tasha, 11/22/2012 -
" Bacaan kompanyon saat lagi baca Masque of the Red Death-nya Nyonyah Bethany Griffin. "
— Daniel, 3/26/2012 -
" Read Poe when I was about 16 during my dark goth period (even tho i didn't dress goth inside I was) "
— Kolan, 11/5/2011 -
" This book is so wonderful. The title story is a little fiction treasure, and William Wilson left me wondering as to whether Mr. Stevenson was somewhat influenced by Poe's story, written half a century before his much too famous The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. "
— Jennifer, 8/29/2011 -
" This is a very symbolic story. It scared me the first time I heard it read. Once I dug deeper into all the symbolism it became a better tale. Because of the horror I cannot love this story but nor do I dislike it. "
— Taylor, 6/19/2011 -
" Just read this in school. I loved it! It's so creepy and mysterious. "
— Marie, 5/18/2011 -
" This is one of my favorite "go-to" books... I LOVE IT!!! I just pick a story... I have yet to read all the stories... It may take me a bit - small doses of dreariness, I suppose. :) "
— Juliet, 5/17/2011 -
" This is the ultimate book for Edgar Allan Poe fans! "
— Stephanie, 5/14/2011 -
" A Must read for every person who loves to read. "
— Jeremy, 4/28/2011 -
" enjoyable as always, but don't read them all back to back! "
— Jessica, 4/6/2011 -
" Had read this is high school and hated it. Then had to tutor an 8th grader on the very same book and loved it. "
— Carol, 3/27/2011 -
" I loved Poe's shorter stories, however, his longer ones were a very taxing read - So much unnecessary waffle. "
— Dawn, 3/13/2011
About Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1848) transformed the American literary landscape with his innovations in the short story genre and his haunting lyrical poetry, and he is credited with inventing American gothic horror and detective fiction. He was first published in 1827 and then began a career as a magazine writer and editor and a sharp literary critic. In 1845 the publication of his most famous poem, “The Raven,” brought him national fame.
About Patrick Lawlor
Patrick Lawlor, an award-winning narrator, is also an accomplished stage actor, director, and combat choreographer. He has worked extensively off Broadway and has been an actor and stuntman in both film and television. He has been an Audie Award finalist multiple times and has garnered several AudioFile Earphones Awards, a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and many starred audio reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.