Review "The Black Cat"

The Black Cat is probably Edgar Allan Poe's most famous short story. I know it was one of the two Poe stories that were in my English textbook in middle school (and the fact that I remember it should tell you a lot about what an impression it made upon me as a kid). Basically it's about a guy who's a mean drunk and winds up killing a faithful pet, his cat. He later suspects the cat has come back to life to haunt him and this leads him to make some rather poor decisions.

After re-reading it as an adult, I have to say I didn't really enjoy it. It's cynical, and also a little predictable (I have read it before, but still). It's very well written, of course, but it's not the type of story you come away from with the thrill of being scared silly--more like the sense that it's time to take a good long look in the mirror. Still, you should read it if you haven't.