I had not read Poe for many years and certainly do not recall that his diction was so difficult to follow. His syntax and style are so complicated that it is difficult to pursue the story. In fact, sometimes the syntax was so difficult, it obscured the meaning of the sentence. In "The Fall of the House of Usher," for example, I found one sentence which was interrupted by ten dependant clauses set off within in comas.
Moreover, in order to show off his command of language and ability to use complicated syntax, Poe often presents concepts through redundant sentences. The simplest of details receive the most complicated of descriptions.
Poe was required reading in high school and college when I was young, used then as exemplary writing. If I were teaching today, I would require a story or two to be read for their creative and imaginative content but would hold class discussions on why his style is so complicated and the implications of that pedantry upon the overall meaning and impact of his stories.
In the case of this book, I listened to it and also had to find written copies of the stories to accompany it. Poe's diction made the oral reading difficult to follow and I suspect also made it difficult for the narrators to deliver.
In spite of the label of "classics," I think it is probably time to consign Poe's writing to the dust bin. ( )