To Sherlock Holmes she is always THE woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would...

Here in a single volume are collected the most important works by this pivotal figure in American literature. Classic stories...reveal Poe as one of the great masters of horror fiction...In this wide-ranging collection, readers will discover the breadth of Poe's talents and delight in the artistic perfection of his literary style.