The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether by Edgar Allan Poe

The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe originally published in 1856.

The anonymous narrator visits a mental institution in southern France that is pioneering a new treatment. After touring the grounds, he is invited to dine with the faculty, but it soon becomes apparent that not all is what it seems. Humorous and chilling, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether will not disappoint fans of Poe’s marvellous work.

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American author, editor, poet, and critic. Most famous for his stories of mystery and horror, he was one of the first American short story writers, and is widely considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre.

We are republishing this vintage text, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Extract from Edgar Allan Poe’s The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether:

Keeping these impressions in view, I was cautious in what I said before the young lady; for I could not be sure that she was sane; and, in fact, there was a certain restless brilliancy about her eyes which half led me to imagine she was not. I confined my remarks, therefore, to general topics, and to such as I thought would not be displeasing or exciting even to a lunatic. She replied in a perfectly rational manner to all that I said; and even her original observations were marked with the soundest good sense, but a long acquaintance with the metaphysics of mania, had taught me to put no faith in such evidence of sanity, and I continued to practise, throughout the interview, the caution with which I commenced it.

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Here, at edgarallanpoe.co.uk, you can find the best of this fantastic author’s novels, short stories, essays, and poems.

You can also find a biography of Edgar Allan Poe, along with some of his most famous quotes and loved poems.

Through republishing works such as ‘The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether’, it is hoped that the writing of this author of mystery and the macabre, can continue to delight – almost two centuries after its initial publication.

 

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