WTF Did I Just Read?!!

The Assignation by Edgar Allan Poe is one of his stories that I've never read. I thought it would be a good idea to read a classic, but it left me feeling a bit like a troglodyte trying to decipher hieroglyphics. From what I understood, as the narrator is returning home in a gondola, a woman accidentally drops her baby into the canal, but a stranger is able to rescue the child. The woman arranges a rendezvous with the hero, but this proves to be fatal for all involved.

The ending might be confusing for those trying to figure out what happened to the narrator...I suggest paying close attention to the very beginning of the story, before the narrator mentions Venice. Even with this hint, I think readers will wonder why in the hell Poe bothered writing this story. If I remember correctly, he is referring to an affair of Byron's, but using allegory instead of being direct.

This story is also known as The Visionary. Some people think this is Poe's best work...I am not one of those people.

As always,
AstraDaemon