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"The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. 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 in 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 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. Poe's short story has also been alluded to by other works in many types of media.
Reviews with the most likes.
A very horrific way to present a disgrace but with the mastery of Poe's writing.
This is one of my all time favourite books by Poe. The way in which the characters come to the realisation that death (if you want to call it that, good because that's what it is), is coming is written to bring about shock. And it does.
Summary: A wealthy prince throws a party and locks all the guests in to keep the “Red Death,” an illness that has been claiming lives all over the country, from overtaking them. At midnight, a new darkly-clad figure appears at the party. The prince does not know why he’s there, but he will soon find out.