The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume 1

by Ambrose Bierce

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Ebooks, Civil War

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

died perhaps 1914

Caustic wit and a strong sense of horror mark works, including In the Midst of Life (1891-1892) and The Devil's Dictionary (1906), of American writer Ambrose Gwinett Bierce.

People today best know this editorialist, journalist, and fabulist for his short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and his lexicon.

The informative sardonic view of human nature alongside his vehemence as a critic with his motto, "nothing matters," earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce."

People knew Bierce despite his reputation as a searing critic, however, to encourage younger poet George Sterling and fiction author W.C. Morrow.

Bierce employed a distinctive style especially in his stories. This style often embraces an abrupt beginning, dark imagery, vague references to time, limited descriptions, the theme of war, and impossible events.

Bierce disappeared in December 1913 at the age of 71 years. People think that he traveled to Mexico to gain a firsthand perspective on ongoing revolution of that country.

Theories abound on a mystery, ultimate fate of Bierce. He in one of his final letters stated: "Good-bye. If you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot to rags, please know that I think it is a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease, or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico--ah, that is euthanasia!"

Reviews

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) was many things, but what comes across most in this, the first of twelve volumes of his collected works now available free on Gutenberg Project, is Bierce the satirist and in a way, Bierce the journalist. The first half of this volume are all short stories involving the protagonist travelling to strange new lands with unusual cultures and beliefs. In this way I was reminded of Gulliver's Tales, however with a level of absurdism and satire that made me think of Stanislaw Lem. Each of these stories is essentially a "What if"; What if death was considered the greatest achievement? What if money was considered vulgar and people paid their employers to let them work? and so on. While these make diverting and occasionally thought provoking stories individually, when they are collected as they are here then the similarities become obvious and you realise you are reading variations on a theme.
The second half of the book is based on Bierce's experiences as a soldier, and I have to admit that these stories held little interest for me so I only skimmed through them.

[solitaryfossil · Rating 2 out of 5]

The shorts about the Civil War were ok, but the 1st fifty percent of the collection was satirical/speculative(?)/fabulism(?), and not interesting at all. A hit-and-miss collection with too many misses. I’m hoping volume 2 is more fun to read.

[Jerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

One cannot help feeling a certain tenderness for men who know and value a good dinner.

There are basically three sections to this collection. The first is a sort of satire about the fall of the United States hundreds of years in the future. His method appears to be to attribute to people beliefs that they do not hold and then take them to a hyperlogical conclusion. But it may also be that his method is to take people's beliefs about other people and make fun of that.

In this apocalyptic future, kingdoms abound, as royalty are much more efficient and smarter than the citizens of a land; speaking out against what we would now call “the wisdom of crowds”, his narrator writes:

That a body of men can be wiser than its wisest member seems to the modern understanding so obvious and puerile an error that it is inconceivable that any people, even the most primitive, could ever have entertained it; yet we know that in America it was a fixed and steadfast political faith.

The Civil War section is the most interesting—and may also explain his (satirical) belief in an apocalyptic future. Bierce served in several capacities during the war, and writes more directly here than he does in his satire.

Riven and torn with cannon-shot, the trunks of the trees protruded bunches of splinters like hands, the fingers above the wound interlacing with those below. Large branches had been lopped, and hung their green heads to the ground, or swung critically in their netting of vines, as in a hammock. Many had been cut clean off and their masses of foliage seriously impeded the progress of the troops. The bark of these trees, from the root upward to a height of ten or twenty feet, was so thickly pierced with bullets and grape that one could not have laid a hand on it without covering several punctures. None had escaped. How the human body survives a storm like this must be explained by the fact that it is exposed to it but a few moments at a time, whereas these grand old trees had had no one to take their places, from the rising to the going down of the sun.

The last section, A Sole Survivor is practically a suicide note. Several great gatherings in his life and all end with some variation on ‘and I am the sole survivor.’ Reading this makes the theories that he committed suicide sound more plausible. But the reminiscences themselves are sweet to read.

I found these men agreeable, hospitable, intelligent, amusing. We worked too hard, dined too well, frequented too many clubs, and went to bed too late in the forenoon.

[Terry Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is exceptional, on a par with Mark Twain. Ambrose is witty, clever, humorous, sarcastic, and biting. His accounts of the Civil War are both sad and funny. His reminiscence as a Sole Survivor is melancholy. If you are looking for good essays that capture the fine art of the essence of great literature, then begin With Ambrose. In some respects Ambrose reminds me of the style of writing of Teddy Roosevelt. I also think that Ambrose is also an unsung peer of Mark Twain. Where Twain could also be verbose, Ambrose is descriptive yet concise. This was a joy to read. You can download it for free at the Gutenberg project.org

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The works of Ambrose Bierce are all available at gutenberg.org for free. This volume contains works of satire as well as journal accounts of Civil War battles. His satire aimed at the American government is just as applicable today as it was over 200 years ago. Nothing has changed. The Tamtonians has to be my favorite piece out of this volume.
I'm unsure why I wasn't exposed to Bierce early on. He is a contemporary of Mark Twain and his satire is equally well written. I found him quite by accident while watching Sex, Lies and Videotapes. In one scene there is a short stack of books on top of the TV and one of them has Ambrose Bierce on the spine, so I looked him up.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining listening 🎶🔰

Twenty-seven will written adventure thriller short stories by Ambrose Bierce each is different with interesting characters and conclusions. As with box 📦 sets some are better than others but I found overall satisfaction. I would recommend this novel to readers of fantasy adventure novels. Enjoy the adventure of reading all kinds of different types of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚. 2022 😮⏰

[Ivan Soto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as part of Classic American Literature: 13 books by Bierce in a single file, improved 1/7/2011 [Kindle Edition]