A Quiet Madness

A Biographical Novel of Edgar Allan Poe (Great American Authors Series)

John Isaac Jones’s new biographical novel on Edgar Allan Poe brings the turbulent life of America’s most famous poet to life in vivid, captivating detail.

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Book Summary

A Quiet Madness

John Isaac Jones’s new biographical novel on Edgar Allan Poe brings the turbulent life of America’s most famous poet to life in vivid, captivating detail. His time – 1810-40s America; Lewis and Clark have returned from their great adventure; the Monroe doctrine takes effect, the War of 1812; Andrew Jackson’s tempestuous presidency; the train, the steamship and the graphite pencil were still being improved; the Mexican-American War, the trail of tears, the California gold rush. His loves – His frail, devoted stepmother who tried to protect him from his cruel stepfather; Jane Stanard, his stepmother’s best friend who initiated him first into poetry, then into manhood; the violet-eyed, mysterious Lenore whose death inspired The Raven; Virginia Clemm, his first cousin and great love of his life whom he married one day after her 13th birthday. His genius – Edgar Allan Poe, poet and short story writer who penned the classics The Raven and Annabel Lee; single-handedly created the detective mystery genre; wrote some of the most enduring horror stories in all literature including The Fall of The House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart and the Pit and The Pendulum. These pages deliver a compelling portrait of one of the greatest men of letters the world has ever known.

What readers say about the book🧐

I have been a fan of Poe since childhood. This biographical novel did not disappoint. It is a fairly easy and entertaining read. I had not read a fiction work in a long time. I am glad I picked this one up. It was fun to escape into the author's imagination as to what it was like to be Edgar. I read other reviews with complaints regarding the fictional aspect of the book. I would say that it reads like fiction because it is fiction. I would be hesitant to rely on the review of a reader who does not know that novel means fiction. The book clearly states, on the cover, that it is a biographical novel. If you like good writing, history, and Poe, add this to your spring and summer reading list.

Laura

(Amazon Review)
About the Author

John Isaac Jones

John Isaac Jones is a retired journalist and novelist currently living and writing at Merritt Island, Florida. For more than thirty years, “John I.,” as he prefers to be called, was a reporter for media outlets throughout the world. These included local newspapers in my native Alabama, The National Enquirer, News of the World in London, the Sydney Morning Herald, and NBC television. His latest book, A Quiet Madness, is a work of historical fiction about the life of Edgar Allan Poe, author of the short story classics, The Tell-tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado. Jones is the author of ten novels, two short story collections and five novellas. You can find “John I.” on his website, johnisaacjones.com, or on Facebook at author john Isaac Jones.

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What readers are saying about A Quiet Madness::

“Anyone that is a fan of Edgar Allan Poe will thoroughly enjoy this read. I enjoyed the story as it was woven factually, fictitiously, and historically from before Poe’s birth to his death. Mr. Jones captured all the critical milestones in Poe’s literary career and included some of his most important pieces. One of the better books I have read in a while.” – Amazon verified purchase

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“Beautiful book! Well-written! Compelling! I originally purchased this book out of curiosity. I remember reading Poe’s poems and short stories as a young man and how much I enjoyed them. After substantial research on the best biographies based on Poe’s life and work, I was more than convinced that this was the one I wanted. And it didn’t disappoint!

A Quiet Madness is a novel-like biography of Edgar Allan Poe intertwined with historical accounts and facts about his life. It is written in such a way you can’t put the book down. I felt like I lived inside Poe’s head; like I really got to know his person, simultaneously watching his struggles as a writer and dealing with the frustrations of his day-to-day life. It’s set during the early 1800’s in America and Poe was a central figure during those interesting, turbulent times. The book is filled with information. So far, it is the most substantial book on Poe I have ever read.” – Amazon verified purchase

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“I was intrigued by this book as Annabel Lee has always been one of my favorite poems. I thought I could learn a little but was immediately consumed by the pages of this historical fiction. The author starts with the life of his parents and then moved on to Poe’s childhood and all the drama as an adult that inspired him to write dark, mysterious short stories and poems. There’s lots of surprises that one never hears about. People loved him and hated him. He appealed to mostly men that wanted to hear gruesome, shocking stories. The author talks about his young wife, foster parents and friends along the way which includes a few short poems. It’s so good and highly recommended.” – Amazon verified purchase

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Are you ready to read it now?

John Isaac Jones’s new biographical novel on Edgar Allan Poe brings the turbulent life of America’s most famous poet to life in vivid, captivating detail.

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