The Murders at the Rue Morgue: An Abridged Version

The Murders at the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe: An abridged version.

Fully Classroom-Ready: No Planning Required

Part of my Back to Basics series, this resource presents a clear, student-friendly abridgement of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue, making this challenging 19th-century text accessible to learners of all levels, especially EAL/SEND and low ability students.

This edition not only simplifies the original story while preserving its key ideas and atmosphere, but also includes an additional section explaining how Edgar Allan Poe created the modern detective genre, complete with comprehension questions to deepen understanding.

Students will be able to appreciate the mystery, follow Dupin’s logical deductions, and understand the story’s lasting influence on detective fiction.

What’s included in this lesson:

• A carefully abridged version of The Murders in the Rue Morgue
• An additional section: How Edgar Allan Poe created the detective story
• Engaging comprehension questions for both sections
• Extra critical-thinking questions to extend learning
• A complete set of answers to save teachers valuable planning time

This resource supports close reading, inference, and genre awareness, helping students move from understanding the plot to recognising its wider literary significance.

Includes both PDF and Word formats for easy classroom use.