This volume contains Edgar Allen Poe's 1844 short story, "The Spectacles". A young Napoleon Boneparte alters his name in an attempt to inherit a sizable wealth from a distant relative. He falls in love with a seemingly beautiful woman at the opera, but, being extremely vain, refuses to wear his spectacles... a mistake that he vows never to make again once he realises her true identity. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American author, editor, poet, and critic. Most famous for his stories of mystery and horror, he was one of the first American short story writers, and is widely considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre. Many antiquarian books such as this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.