Edgar Allan Poe: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1837-8), Poe’s only novel, was first partially published in The Southern Literary Messenger in two installments, for January and February of 1837. Poe’s idea was that he continue with serialization of the novel, but this did not materialize and it was published (in full) by Harper’s in July of 1838. Though often thought of as not being one of Poe’s better works, Burton Pollin’s discovery in the mid-1970s of several positive, 19th-century reviews of Pym indicates that the novel was rarely ignored or entirely condemned. There are over 320 translations of the novel, around the world, and it has never been out of print since its first publica