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The Fall of the House of Usher is Netflix’s biggest new release this month, so it makes sense that the Edgar Allan Poe short story it’s based on is also a hit.
The book, published in 1839, became a trending topic on Google after the series debuted on Thursday night.
The eponymous horror drama tells the story of brother duo Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeleine Usher (Mary MacDonald), the front men of Fortunato’s pharmaceutical empire . Together, the ushers built an empire filled with wealth, privilege, and power—but at a cost.
As the dynasty’s heirs begin to die at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth, the family’s dark, shadowy past appears to be coming to light. The first trailer gives viewers a glimpse of the gruesome killing that is about to take place, as the killer is a haunting woman who recounts to her family her displeasure over events that occurred in her youth.
Poe’s short stories were first published in Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine in 1839 and later included in the 1840 Collection of Weird and Arabian Tales. It is considered a gothic novel with themes of madness, family, loneliness and metaphysical identity, which may also be themes for the new series.
In her comment, type TV critic Aramide Tinubu wrote that the Netflix show “makes a stunning use of Poe’s Cliff’s Notes to create his own grand and complex storytelling style.” , and “demonstrates the sacrifices the 1% are willing to make to stay in power.”
Buy The Fall of the House of Usher on Amazon for under $5 below:
