The Pit and the Pendulum

The Pit and the Pendulum

by Edgar Allan Poe
22 typed pages

Yet another of Poe's stories that I thought I'd read but definitely had not. Boy, is this one creepy. The narrator has been convicted by the Spanish Inquisition (of heresy we presume) and sentenced to death. He faints, then awakens in a pitch black prison. The rest of the story details the various form of psychological torture he is afflicted with while awaiting death.

I don't want to say any more than is absolutely necessary about this story because part of the terror you feel as a reader comes from not knowing what will happen to this poor guy next. Suffice it to say that I read it during the day at work because I was afraid it would invade my dreams if I read it by myself at home in the evening.

And ... this is my final review for the 1% Well Read Challenge - YEAH!