Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" A Comparative Study on Intertextuality and Paratextuality in Turkish Context

The American poet, writer, and critic Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most important figures in Romanticism in American literature, establishing Gothic literature's themes of darkness, madness, and psychological exploration. Besides horror-themed stories and poems, he is also known to have invented the detective fiction genre. His story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841) is one of the most famous detective stories in the history of detective fiction. These books by Poe not only made a worldwide impact but also had a great impact on Turkish Gothic literature. As Gothic literature became more accepted with books published in Turkey, so did the cover arts on the translations, which became more visually appealing and engaging. This study examines the 2024 translation of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allan Poe, using Gerard Genette's analysis of intertextual and paratextual elements. The goal is to understand how the intertextual and paratextual elements on the front cover of this recent Turkish translation influence readers' interpretation and experience of the novel. There has not been much research done on front covers before regarding the issues of intertextuality. In that regard, this study could potentially explore the impact of intertextuality and paratextuality on reader interpretation and engagement with front covers. The result shows that the analysis of the 2024 version of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" by Ren Publishing successfully helps readers gain a better understanding of Poe's broader literary universe, making the story more meaningful to them.