The Fall of the House of Usher (annotated)

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a classic gothic tragedy/horror short story by the American writer, Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839. Although Poe wrote this short story before the invention of modern psychological science, Roderick's condition can be described according to its terminology. It includes a form of sensory overload known as hyperesthesia (hypersensitivity to textures, light, sounds, smells and tastes), hypochondria (an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness) and acute anxiety.