Short Story "THE GOLD-BUG"

Judul Asli : THE GOLD-BUG

Copyright © by Edgar Allan Poe

From “The Murders in the Rue Morgue and Other Tales”

This edition published in the Penguin English Library 2012 | 330 p

Front cover illustration : Coralie Bickford-Smith

Inside front cover : Edgar Allan Poe (photograph © The Granger collection / TopFoto)

ISBN : 978-0-141-19897-2

Chapter 14 | p. 199 – 238

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The main character is William Legrand was one of the heirs of an ancient Huguenot family – who many centuries ago are famous and wealthy. His past life are still quite good, but by several misfortunes all the family he inherited had reduced and left him poorly. To avoid the consequences of his disaster’s life, he left New Orleans and took up his residence at Sullivan’s Island, near Charleston, South Carolina, where he life single only accompanied by a loyal servant – a former black slave named Jupiter. 

This story again using the first person as the narrator and taking part as friend of Wiliam Legrand, who one day when this old friend come to visit him, suddenly he act strangely and it was start when Will trying to tell a story about his amazing discovery on those spesific day. The subject of this conversation are a bug with gold color on his back. That not only impossible but if its true is a very rare bug had ever discover. Soon when the narrator are back to his home, he got sudden visit from Jupiter, who really scare of his master’s life. He said that William Legrand become very different man since he discover those golden-bug. His act seems nonsence and almost crazy in the eyes of his old servant. And Master Will also ‘requested’ the arrival of his bestfriend back at his home, to discover and solve a great mystery.

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I really like this kind of stories, involving mystery and the effort to solve a riddle with hidden secret clues, just like a treasure-hunt. And I think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also inspire to write a very similar story – when he write about the first mystery young Sherlock manage to solve : The Musgrave Ritual (from the stories collection at The Return of Sherlock Holmes), the first prolog when two old friend are meet after separated long time, then the old buddies asking a favor and urgent help to solve a mystery surrounding family secret. The way ecah author describe the riddle and in searching the hidden treasure’s map then in pursue step by step all the terms and condition to get full picture on where about the hidden treasure. Similar in themes but different on inside. Never there else, is really interesting to read (^_^)

[ more about the author, books and related adaptations, check on here : Edgar Allan Poe | The Gold-Bug | Poe's Works ]

Best Regards,