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Ambrose Bierce
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The Complete Short Stories of Ambrose Bierce Paperback – 1 Dec. 1984

4.6 out of 5 stars 378 ratings
Before he trailed off into the wilds of Mexico, never to be heard from again, Ambrose Bierce achieved a public persona as "bitter Bierce" and "the devil's lexicographer." He left behind a nasty reputation and more than ninety short stories that are perfect expressions of his sardonic genius. Brought together in this volume, these stories represent an unprecedented accomplishment in American literature. In their iconoclasm and needle-sharp irony, their formal and thematic ingenuity and element of surprise, they differ markedly from the fiction admired in Bierce's time. Readers familiar with the classic An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge will want to turn to Bierce's other Civil War stories. Also included here are his horror stories, among them The Death of Halpin Frayser and The Damned Thing, and such tall tales as Oil of Dog and A Cargo of Cat.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0803260717
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0803260719
  3. Edition
    Reprint
  4. Publisher
    Bison Books
  5. Publication date
    1 Dec. 1984
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    13.46 x 3.18 x 20.24 cm
  8. Print length
    496 pages
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Product description

From the Back Cover

Before he trailed off into the wilds of Mexico, never to be heard from again, Ambrose Bierce achieved a public persona as 'bitter Bierce' and 'the devil's lexicographer.' He left behind a nasty reputation and more than ninety short stories that are perfect expressions of his sardonic genius. Brought together in this volume, these stories represent an unprecedented accomplishment in American literature.

About the Author

In her foreword, Cathy N. Davidson, author of The Experimental Fictions of Ambrose Bierce, shows that Bierce, in form and mood, left behind the writers of his time and anticipated those of our own.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bison Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 Dec. 1984
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803260717
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803260719
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 544 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.46 x 3.18 x 20.24 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 378 ratings

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Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce

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4.6 out of 5 stars
378 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • tony
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly good stories and writing
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 November 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I was 'introduced' toi this book when i was about 14 by my grandfather, a literary geniu and teacher of English. I never had a copy of the book but the stories stayed in my head for years-indeed until today....
    I have sought out a copy before only to see it was out of print but today i find it has been reprinted! I shall make a purchase after writing this. I managed to find a library copy about 10 years back and refamiliarised myself with the stories. It suprised me that at 14 I had managed to read them. I wasn't much of a reader and the language is rich and requires a bit of processing.
    The stories are set in very different settings and are so imaginative and the great thing about short stories is often the ending..its what you are reading for. The journey is compelling and the final lines that hold the twist never let one down.
    This is a literary masterpiece in my opinion unlike some of the rubbish that is currently regarded as such. I bought a William Boyd collection of short stories as he was heralded as a literey genius by Fi Glover on Saturday Live recently (BBC 4 radio) but it is really weak compared to Ambrose Bierce. Buy it!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Richard Law
    5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I heard mention of this book on a TV programme; the author received a head wound in the US war between the States and wrote these short stories thereafter. my junior school teacher read us a story (during the civil war centenary) about a little boy who got lost, went to sleep, woke up and found men crawling past him: thought it was a game but the one he tried to ride shook him off and couldn't speak because his jaw was shot away. He was attracted to a fire, which he tried to keep going by throwing stuff on including his wooden sword before he realised it was his house and found his mum lying dead. So I thought it must be from this collection - and so it is: called Chickamauga. Never forgot it from hearing it as an eight-year-old and now I'm reading the complete book. Challenging and fascinating, written by an eye witness, albeit with some poetic licence.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Tony Roberts
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating collection of Roald Dahl-esque stories
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 December 2007
    Format: Paperback
    I was given this book to read whilst researching for my own American Civil War novel by a friend. While not a collection of stories I would readily go out and read, I found them compelling and all with such an unexpected twist (similar to Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected) that I was eager to read through just to find out what this twist would be.

    The one that stands out in my mind is the one where a child witnesses the wounded Confederates dragging themselves back from the Battle of Chickamauga, something Bierce would know all about as he was actually there. For those who like this sort of thing - ghost/surreal stories - this is meat and drink to you. They all have a tale to tell, of ordinary people caught up in the terror and destruction of a civil war.

    I agree with the comment about giving this a one-star review, whoever this person was must surely not have known what was within these pages and expected an all-action adventure novel. It certainly isn't dull, but don't go expecting a Gods & Generals or Gettysburg type of thing.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Under appreciated author
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 September 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Compare to film
    One person found this helpful
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  • RayCraig
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 March 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Some excellent stories, some not so good. Interesting
    One person found this helpful
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  • richard.hamilton@btclick.com
    4.0 out of 5 stars Short story classics - I've never seen them all together
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 January 2001
    Format: Paperback
    Any reader who only gives this book One Star has to be out of his tiny mind. I've only read two of Bierce's collections of short stories - "In the Midst of Life", and "Can Such Things be?" But these include "An Incident at Owl Creek Bridge", "A Watcher by the Dead," and "The Man and the Snake." The first is one of his great Civil War stories, and the last two are horror, and are to be found in many highly-rated anthologies. I haven't read this collection of his complete stories - but any reader worth his salt, on the strength of those I have mentioned, would want to try them all. So try them!
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Jennifer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 January 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Good stories
    One person found this helpful
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  • mike
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well written
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 November 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Well written
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • miguel angel gimeno
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buenos
    Reviewed in Spain on 3 June 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Muy buenos
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  • Brad M.
    5.0 out of 5 stars great civil war stories
    Reviewed in Canada on 21 June 2023
    Verified Purchase
    wow I was amazed by his civil war stories they are powerful and not dated at all.
    His ghost offerings are more typical of the times but are good anyway.
    This guy could write!
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  • Whitney
    5.0 out of 5 stars Genius writing
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 July 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This author has the ability to format and present a completely compelling short story that is rich and emotional and leaves you with thoughts of it many days after. When I think literary hierarchy, he is there with the likes of Sasson, Owens, Hemingway, Vonnegut, Haara etc. This book separates into horror, war horror and tall tales. The latter being the shortest part and shortest tales and shortest in remembrance for myself. His war stories haunted me more Tran the horror. It is easily noticed the man knew the woods. The feel. The isolation. The darkness. The imagination at work in solitude and fear. He observed many minute details and replays them vividly. Out of all my anthologies this is the first and only one I picked up most often and have read the ENTIRE thing. If you are the type who like a list of some stand outs that aren’t commonly mentioned here ya go:

    Haita the Shepherd
    A diagnosis of death
    Suitable surroundings
    A baby tramp
    Boarded window
    Chickamauga
    Affair at Coulter’s Notch
    Coup de Grace
    Story of a Conscience and the below:

    An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge affected me in so many emotional ways I almost felt violated but satisfied as it is the best short story I have personally ever read.
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  • Robert Esquivel
    5.0 out of 5 stars In the same league with H.P. Lovecraft, Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, Jack London, and O'Henry
    Reviewed in Mexico on 16 September 2023
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    If you like surprise endings, scary stories, and mysterious disappearances (Including Bierce's own), treat yourself to this book from the Author of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"- one of my favorite Civil War stories.

    Rob in Yautepec
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  • Tor N.
    1.0 out of 5 stars Cheap print
    Reviewed in Germany on 8 July 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Terrible print. Hard to read.
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