The Masque of the Red Death
By Dan Ariely
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball within seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. Prospero dies after confronting this stranger, whose "costume" proves to contain nothing tangible inside it; the guests also die in turn.
The story follows many traditions of Gothic fiction and is often analyzed as an allegory about the inevitability of death, though some critics advise against an allegorical reading. Many different interpretations have been presented, as well as attempts to identify the true nature of the titular disease. The story was first published in May 1842 in Graham's Magazine and has since been adapted in many different forms, including a 1964 film starring Vincent Price. Additionally, it has been alluded to by other works in many types of media.
The story takes place at the castellated abbey of the "happy and dauntless and sagacious" Prince Prospero. Prospero and 1,000 other nobles have taken refuge in this walled abbey to escape the Red Death, a terrible plague with gruesome symptoms that has swept over the land. Victims are overcome by "sharp pains", "sudden dizziness", and hematidrosis, and die within half an hour. Prospero and his court are indifferent to the sufferings of the population at large; they intend to await the end of the plague in luxury and safety behind the walls of their secure refuge, having welded the doors shut. One night, Prospero holds a masquerade ball to entertain his guests in seven colored rooms of the abbey.
Dan Ariely
Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University. He is a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight; a cocreator of the film documentary (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies; and a three-time New York Times bestselling author. His books include Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, Irrationally Yours, Payoff, Dollars and Sense, and Amazing Decisions. His TED Talks have been viewed more than 27 million times. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and elsewhere. He lives in North Carolina with his family.
Read more from Dan Ariely
Edgar Allan Poe: The Complete Collection Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tales of Mystery and Imagination Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Raven: And Other Poems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Volumes 1 and 2 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Greatest Ghost and Horror Stories Ever Written: volume 4 (30 short stories) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Complete Short Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Weiser Book of Horror and the Occult: Hidden Magic, Occult Truths, and the Stories That Started It All Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fall of the House of Usher Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gothic Novel Collection Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Famous Modern Ghost Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Illustrated by Harry Clarke Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tell Tale Heart - The Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (Fantasy and Horror Classics) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Classic American Short Story MEGAPACK ® (Volume 1): 34 of the Greatest Stories Ever Written Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great Short Works of Edgar Allan Poe: Poems Tales Criticism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Greatest Ghost and Horror Stories Ever Written: volume 1 (30 short stories) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to The Masque of the Red Death
Related ebooks
The Secret Garden Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Speakeasy: A Novella: Speakeasy, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cat Call: A Tale of Ghosts and Darker Things Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSherlock Holmes Dark Secret: Sherlock Holmes, #25 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Affair of the Chalk Cliffs: A Langdon St. Ives Novella Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Afterward Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFelix & Squeak and the Ghost Who Forgot Everything Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Coffins Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDreams and Wonders: Stories from the Dawn of Modern Fantasy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBenito Cereno Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How Blue Is My Valley Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBattle-Pieces and Aspects of the War Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Haunted House Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGuardian of the Underworld: The Amarna Age, #6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings7 best short stories by M. R. James Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Northanger Abbey Double Feature: The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons & The Necromancer by Lawrence Flammenberg Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gentle Art of Making Enemies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStories of Red Hanrahan, The Secret Rose, and Rosa Alchemica Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dead Witch: The Pumpkin Spice Tales, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDoubt the Stars: Shakespeare In Space, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sign of the Four Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTyrone Folk Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBloodroot: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Ghost's Story: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Unnatural Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Passenger Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Ebb-Tide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Mansion of Madness: Night Office, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Chinese Parrot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Novels - Headlong Hall - Nightmare Abbey - Crotchet Castle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Horror Fiction For You
The Stories of Ray Bradbury Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Misery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Annihilation: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brother Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leave the World Behind: A Read with Jenna Pick Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I Am Legend Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Only Good Indians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Revival: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Short Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Different Seasons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Needful Things Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Outsider: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Troop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hollow Places: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Whisper Man: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hidden Pictures: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pet Sematary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dracula Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cycle of the Werewolf: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Firestarter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Best Friend's Exorcism: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Last Days Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Have Always Lived in the Castle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dead of Winter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Masque of the Red Death
0 ratings0 reviews