He had friends,” said Richard A. Kopley, author of “Edgar Allan Poe: A Life,” recently published by the University of Virginia Press. “He had friends who loved him, he had some enemies, and he lived ...

Mr. Kopley intends this biography to be “accessible to all.” Alas, while “Edgar Allan Poe” will no doubt assist those in academia, the armchair Poe enthusiast is likely to find it tough going.