First published in 1846, The Cask of Amontillado is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most perfectly constructed short stories. Narrated by the coldly methodical Montresor, it describes his calculated revenge against the unfortunate Fortunato — lured into the catacombs beneath a palazzo during carnival season under the pretense of sampling a rare wine.
Compact, chilling, and masterfully ironic, the story is a model of short fiction craft and a staple of horror literature. Download this free public-domain EPUB at Better Gutenberg and read one of Poe’s finest achievements.