Morella, Edgar Allan Poe
Morella, Edgar Allan Poe
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Morella

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: Patrick Lawlor

Unabridged: 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/19/2025

Categories: Fiction, Classic

Synopsis

An unnamed narrator marries Morella, a woman who delves into mysticism. As a result of her experimentations her soul can never die, but her physical form continues to deteriorate. She spends her time in bed and teaches her husband the black arts. Realizing her curse, her husband, the narrator, becomes frightened and wishes for his wife's death and eternal peace. She dies in childbirth but her soul passes into the new baby. As the daughter gets older the narrator notices she bears an uncanny resemblance to her mother, but he refuses to give the child a name. By her tenth birthday the resemblance to Morella is frightening. Her father decides to have her baptized to release any evil from her, but this event brings the mother's soul back into her daughter. At the ceremony, the priest asks the daughter's name, to which the narrator replies, "Morella." Immediately, the daughter replies, "I am here!" and dies. The narrator himself bears her body to the tomb and finds no trace of the first Morella where he lays the second.

About Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, short story writer, editor, and literary critic who is credited with inventing the detective fiction genre and with contributing to the emerging science fiction genre. He began his literary career with the anonymous publication of a collection of his poems entitled Tamerlane and Other Poems. He then turned to writing prose and spent the next several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming well known for his particular style of literary criticism. He served for a time on the staff of the New York Mirror, in which his poem "The Raven" was published. Poe's other well-known works include his stories "The Purloined Letter," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," and "The Mystery of Marie Roget."

Reviews

Goodreads review by Peter on July 24, 2019

One of Poe's horror tales. At first you learn how the first person narrator adores his wife Morella. They talk about philosophy and he regards himself as her pupil. She dies in childbed though. Well, the daughter born is also baptized Morella since the father only sees his deceased woman in her. Did......more

Goodreads review by Christy on March 14, 2022

Morella is one of Poe’s stories where an enigmatic woman dies of an unknown disease and “haunts” the narrator. While Berenice and The Fall of the House of Usher are longer and have really horrific elements, Morella is shorter and less disturbing…at least on the surface. The narrator likes Morella, b......more

Goodreads review by Sean Barrs on February 15, 2016

I was really quite surprised at my reaction to this. But, judging by Poe’s very high level of storytelling, this was all very basic. What I mean is that everything he attempted in here is handled better in another one of his stories. Perhaps, this was a stepping stone for some of his more refined wo......more

Goodreads review by Richard Alex on January 12, 2025

You only have to look at some of the book covers available online to make a decision about Morella. You don't have to read it. People have done that enough to create a harrowing atmosphere. If you have any doubt about the sinister and bizarre inner persona of EAP, put that aside at once. He is, I mean......more

Goodreads review by Elena on December 22, 2018

Gracias, Edgar, por estos 20 minutos de angustia y creepiness. El argumento habría dado para una novela entera, pero el efecto de shock y sorpresa que tiene al ser un relato juega a su favor.......more

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