#bookish queue

While we're on the topic of my favorite things, The Fall of the House of Usher is one of my favorite stories of all time.

I have this weird theory that, among his other mental and physical health issues, Roderick Usher was also a migraine sufferer. I know that sounds like a weird assertion to make, but hear me out, okay?

Since being diagnosed with what my ENT calls migraine disease, I’m learning a lot about them, and the symptoms go far beyond debilitating headaches (as I was previously led to believe).

The more I think about it, the more I feel certain that Roderick Usher suffered from migraine disease, among other things. Yes, he had a mental health disorder (or disorders), as well, but certain things strike me about Roderick. It just makes sense to me, considering his sensitivity to stimuli and more. Roderick exhibits smell and taste sensitivities/irregularities, as well as sensitivity to light and sound. They didn’t have the terminology for it back when Poe wrote The Fall of the House of Usher, of course. But it just makes absolute sense to me.