The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

A classic horror tale from the iconic gothic author and the inspiration for the Netflix series from the creator of The Haunting of Hill House.

As The Fall of the House of Usher opens, an unnamed narrator has been summoned by his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, who has succumbed to a mysterious illness and longs for companionship. Upon first glance of the gloomy family mansion, the narrator is plunged into an unnerving depression, a dread he feels down to his bones.

Once inside, he finds the years have not been kind to Roderick. Weakened in body and mind, his ghostly pallor and volatile moods are alarming. He is joined in the house by his sickly sister, who roams the halls in a trance-like state. Her death would make Roderick the last surviving member of their ancient family. It is this unnatural atmosphere that takes its toll on the Ushers and their guest, plunging them all into a storm of terror.

Praise for writing of Edgar Allan Poe

“The most original genius that America has produced.” —Alfred, Lord Tennyson

“Poe has entered our popular consciousness as no other American writer.” —The New York Times Book Review