The "Public Ledger" in Philadelphia called it "a capital story". George Lippard wrote in the "Citizen Soldier" that the story was "characterised by thrilling interest and a graphic though sketchy power of description. It is one of the best stories that Poe ever wrote." "Graham's Magazine" printed a review in 1845 which called the story "quite remarkable as an instance of intellectual acuteness and subtlety of reasoning". Thomas Dunn English wrote in the "Aristidean" in October 1845 that "The Gold-Bug" probably had a greater circulation than any other American story and "perhaps it is the most "ingenious" story Mr. POE has written; but... it is not at all comparable to the 'Tell-tale Heart'—and more especially to 'Ligeia'". Poe's friend Thomas Holley Chivers said that "The Gold-Bug" ushered in "the Golden Age of Poe's Literary Life".