Edgar Allan Poe

The Black Cat

Der schwarze Kater

A man who has loved animals since childhood sinks into heavy drinking and turns cruel, above all toward his black cat Pluto, whom he once adored. As his temper spirals out of control, a second cat comes into his home, oddly marked and impossible to shake off.

C120 minAudio

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief. Mad indeed would I be to expect it, in a case where my very senses reject their own evidence. Yet, mad am I not—and very surely do I not dream.

Für die überaus wilde und doch so häusliche Erzählung, die ich niederschreiben will, erwarte oder erbittere ich keinen Glauben. Wahnsinnig wäre ich in der Tat, dies zu erwarten, in einem Fall, in dem meine eigenen Sinne ihre eigene Zeugenschaft ablehnen. Doch wahnsinnig bin ich nicht – und ganz gewiss träume ich nicht.

But to-morrow I die, and to-day I would unburthen my soul. My immediate purpose is to place before the world, plainly, succinctly, and without comment, a series of mere household events.

Aber morgen sterbe ich, und heute möchte ich meine Seele erleichtern. Mein unmittelbares Ziel ist es, der Welt schlicht, kurz und ohne Kommentar eine Reihe bloßer häuslicher Ereignisse darzulegen.

In their consequences, these events have terrified—have tortured—have destroyed me. Yet I will not attempt to expound them. To me, they have presented little but horror—to many they will seem less terrible than barroques.

In ihren Folgen haben mich diese Ereignisse in Schrecken versetzt – gefoltert – zerstört. Doch ich werde nicht versuchen, sie zu erklären. Für mich stellten sie wenig mehr als Entsetzen dar – für viele werden sie weniger schrecklich als bizarr erscheinen.

The opening paragraphs, as the reader shows them. Read on

Languages

The Black Cat · English (original)C1 Advanced · 3,850 words · ~20 min · Audio
Der schwarze Kater · GermanC1 Advanced · 3,843 words · ~20 min · Audio
Ο μαύρος γάτος · GreekC1 Advanced · 3,763 words · ~20 min
El gato negro · SpanishC1 Advanced · 3,823 words · ~20 min · Audio
Le Chat noir · FrenchC1 Advanced · 4,018 words · ~20 min · Audio
काली बिल्ली · HindiC1 Advanced · 4,454 words · ~25 min
Kucing Hitam · IndonesianC1 Advanced · 3,428 words · ~20 min
Il gatto nero · ItalianC1 Advanced · 3,666 words · ~20 min
黒猫 · JapaneseC1 Advanced
검은 고양이 · KoreanC1 Advanced · 2,749 words · ~15 min
De zwarte kat · DutchC1 Advanced · 4,093 words · ~25 min
Czarny kot · PolishC1 Advanced · 3,261 words · ~20 min
O Gato Preto · PortugueseC1 Advanced · 3,791 words · ~20 min
Pisica neagră · RomanianC1 Advanced · 3,925 words · ~20 min
Kara Kedi · TurkishC1 Advanced · 2,823 words · ~15 min
Con mèo đen · VietnameseC1 Advanced · 5,543 words · ~30 min
黑猫 · ChineseC1 Advanced

Questions

Which languages can I read The Black Cat in?

English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.

What level is it?

The original English is C1 Advanced. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are C1 Advanced. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 3,850 words: around 5–30 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

Is it free?

Yes. Read it online with no account. The downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.

Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?

Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.

The Black Cat

How it begins

Languages

Questions

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