Reading date: July 4, 2022
Country America
Genre novels
Author Edgar Allan Poe
Story summary
The protagonist "I" is a very sensitive person. My hearing is more sensitive than others and I can hear sounds that ordinary people cannot hear. There is an old man who lives in the same big house with me. One of his eyes is blue. Whenever I see his blue eye, I feel uncomfortable and awkward. I'm going to kill that old man and make that eye disappear completely.
Every night, I would open the old man's door and gently get into his room, but as soon as I saw that his eyes were closed, I couldn't do it. But as soon as I saw his blue eyes during the day, I told myself that I must kill him as soon as possible.
On the eighth night, I got into the old man’s room again. The old man sat up as if he was frightened, his eyes wide open. I heard the beating of God's heart, and I knew the old man was scared. The more scared he was, the louder his heart beat. I must take action immediately. I yelled, then jumped on the old man's bed, lifted the old man off the bed to the floor, and then turned the bed over and pressed on the old man. At first, the beating of the old man's heart could be heard, but gradually the old man became silent and died.
I divided the old man's body into several large pieces, then pried open the floor, put the old man's body under the floor, and then laid the boards again. In this way, even the smartest person will not find it.
After finishing all this, it was already past four o'clock in the morning. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. I opened the door and there were three policemen standing outside. They said they had received an alarm and heard screams coming from here. They came to see if a murder had occurred. I welcomed the police into the gate. What was I afraid of? I did it so cleanly that no one would notice. I explained to the police that the scream just now might have come from my sleep, which affected my neighbors’ rest. I was very sorry and so on.
In order to prove my innocence to the police, after looking at several rooms, I led the police to the old man’s room. I told them: The old man has gone home and it may take a few days to come back. . Then the three policemen sat on the old man's bed, and I moved a shadow, placed it on the floor where the old man's body was buried, and started chatting with the policemen.
After a while, I heard a buzzing sound that got louder and louder. I began to feel uneasy and upset, and I wanted the police to leave quickly. But none of the three policemen had any intention of leaving, and instead the conversation became more and more intense. The buzzing in my ears became clearer and louder. It was the fearful sound of the old man's heart. I knew that several police officers must have heard it too. They had discovered that the old man had been murdered. They were mocking me by not telling me. I can't stand it anymore, I'm broken. I said to the police: "Stop acting in front of me, I said it all, tell you everything. Right here, pry open this floor. Here, here, his damn heart It’s dancing!”
My insights
This should be a very successful criminal psychology novel. Does the protagonist have extraordinary hearing and can hear the beating of the victim's heart clearly? This is fantasy and impossible. Arguable. But in the face of a long chat with the police, with the victim’s body buried under the chair, it may be difficult for a person with the best psychological quality to remain calm for a long time, so it is normal to have delusions, and the final psychological breakdown can withstand scrutiny. The novel is The plot setting is reasonable.
Highlights
1. Yes, I am very sensitive, very, very sensitive, so sensitive that people think I am a madman. In fact, I have always been so sensitive, and I am not crazy. It’s just that my senses are more sensitive than others, especially my hearing. I can hear sounds that ordinary people cannot hear. No matter it is heaven or hell, no sound can escape my ears. How can this be considered crazy? It's just more distinctive.
2. One of his eyes is blue, as if it is covered with something. Whenever I see his blue eyes, I feel awkward and uncomfortable. I want to make that eye disappear forever, and there is no more effective way than to kill him. You will definitely say that I am a madman. You are wrong, madmen are not as knowledgeable as me, let alone smart.
3. Yes, this is the sound that comes from fear. I have long been familiar with it.
Every time at midnight, when the world is extremely silent, I will feel scared, and I will involuntarily make such an exhalation sound in my mouth. It is not a sigh or a groan, but fear. The more scared you are, the clearer this sound becomes.
4. Oh my god, his eyes were wide open, and those blue eyes were like a ghost, which made me feel uncomfortable all over. All I could see was his eyes, his body buried in deep darkness.
5. When I got closer, I realized that the deep exhalation sound just now did not come from the old man's mouth, but the sound of the old man's heartbeat. That sound was all too familiar to me, because it was the same sound my heart made when I was scared. His heartbeat was getting faster and faster, and I was getting more and more annoyed. The sound was like a war drum, stimulating my "fighting spirit."
6. My head started to hurt, accompanied by a buzzing sound like tinnitus. The policemen didn't notice that I was uncomfortable and just sat there chatting. The buzzing grew louder and clearer. I pretended to be nonchalant, but in my heart I wanted to get rid of this unpleasantness as soon as possible. The sound grew louder and more concentrated. Gradually, I realized that there was nothing wrong with my brain or ears.
7. No, they can hear it, they are laughing at me, naked ridicule, which is more uncomfortable than any punishment. I can't stand it anymore, this kind of ridicule is driving me to pieces. If I don't shout out, I will definitely die. Listen, the sound is getting louder and louder! Getting bigger and bigger! Getting bigger and bigger! Getting bigger and bigger! Getting bigger and bigger...(20220704)