Edgar Allan Poe defined 'the prose tale' as:

1. AA narrative which can be read at one sitting of from half an hour to two hours
2. BA narrative which can be read within five minutes or less
3. CA narrative that can be read at one sitting of from one hour to four hours
4. DA narrative that may be enjoyed in a single spell of less than half an hour

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Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. A narrative which can be read at one sitting of from half an hour to two hours

Explanation

In his 1842 review of Hawthorne's Twice-Told Tales, Poe praised the tale that requires 'from a half-hour to one or two hours in its perusal', so that a single 'unity of effect' can be achieved.