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The Sardonic Humor of Ambrose Bierce
Insulting poems, cruel epigrams, parodies of bad fiction, character assassinations by America’s bitterest, wittiest humorist. Selection includes lampoon of Oscar Wilde; ghoulish horror stories; sarcasm that caused duels, more. Edited by George Barkin.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
About the author
Ambrose Bierce
2,477 books1,350 followersdied 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!"
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!"
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 7, 2008
This is wonderful dark humor if you can appreciate dark, sarcastic humor. It's difficult to sum up this book but I will try. A hottie laundress who screws up laundry, eating babies for Christmas dinner, Santa bashing, wedding night mishaps, a bibliophile ship captain, "The Clothing of Ghosts" and historical academic issues. Bitter Bierce's work is not for the light hearted.
Some of the poems were cryptic. While reading I got the feeling of I-guess-I-had-to-be-there-to-understand. He slanders many people of his time reminding me of the modern day Eminem. Ones who talk smack about him end up in his writing in a negative way. I am really interested in his beef with Rudyard Kipling. I would like to know more about that. While reading this I did have to break out "The Oxford Dictionary of Difficult terms". I did learn some new words so it can't be all that bad
If you love children this may be tough to read in places. If you find spanking despicable and have the number of social services programmed into your phone ready to call an offending neighbor this book is NOT for you. If you are able to distinguish the difference between sarcasm and reality then you will probably get through the book. If you don't love children I'm sure you'll still enjoy the book.
I did enjoy this book. It is dark and I must admit I will be reading a more uplifting book. Maybe "Anne of Green Gables."
Some of the poems were cryptic. While reading I got the feeling of I-guess-I-had-to-be-there-to-understand. He slanders many people of his time reminding me of the modern day Eminem. Ones who talk smack about him end up in his writing in a negative way. I am really interested in his beef with Rudyard Kipling. I would like to know more about that. While reading this I did have to break out "The Oxford Dictionary of Difficult terms". I did learn some new words so it can't be all that bad
If you love children this may be tough to read in places. If you find spanking despicable and have the number of social services programmed into your phone ready to call an offending neighbor this book is NOT for you. If you are able to distinguish the difference between sarcasm and reality then you will probably get through the book. If you don't love children I'm sure you'll still enjoy the book.
I did enjoy this book. It is dark and I must admit I will be reading a more uplifting book. Maybe "Anne of Green Gables."
November 21, 2019
If you like your humor dark, Ambrose Bierce is the writer for you. This collection contains poems, essays, caustic epitaphs, and even a short play. All of them written with a pen dipped in acid. My one complaint about this book is that footnotes would have been helpful. His bitter jibes at people you've never heard of would mean more if placed in context. Many of the people who are the objects of his scorn are long forgotten.
This is a book to be dipped into a little at a time. Keep it by your bedside and read a few pages while decompressing after a bad day. Bierce is not embarrassed by or ashamed of his anger and expresses it much better than most people can. Enjoy.
This is a book to be dipped into a little at a time. Keep it by your bedside and read a few pages while decompressing after a bad day. Bierce is not embarrassed by or ashamed of his anger and expresses it much better than most people can. Enjoy.
January 23, 2019
I must admit, I'm a fan of the sardonic humor of Ambrose Bierce. Despite our very different religious worldviews, the author was a public enemy of cant and hypocrisy and a lot of what is included here is simply hilarious. A great many of the works here are part of the author's political discourse, and his sometimes sour views of politicians and cultural figures. Designed as a companion volume to the author's famous Devil's Dictionary, this book allows the reader to see a broad degree of humorous writing from someone who was pretty savage and unsparing in his comical approach. Not everyone, then or now, is going to appreciate the way that this humor works out, but I personally did. It must be admitted that these humorous selections are short, and so the humor keeps coming, at least until one gets to the longer prose stories, and some of the stories may be familiar to the reader, like the author's collection of his favorite homicides, a contribution to humorous as well as crime/mystery literature, but since when is it a problem to read a few stories over again when they are so enjoyable?
As the sardonic humor can be found across a wide variety of the works of Ambrose Bierce, it is no surprise that this work contains selections from a wide variety of his works. Almost half of the book is made up of verses included from the author's works such as: Shapes Of Clay, Ante-mortem Epitaphs, The Scrap Heap, and Black Beetles In Amber. Included are his notorious slapdown of Oscar Wilde, whom he disliked for his foppery and a comment on how it was that Rudyard Kipling made himself unwelcome in San Francisco, along with some tell-off verses about mostly forgotten politicians of the Guilded Age like Elihu Root, of whom it is said that to do dirty political tricks would be a step up rather than a step down from his standard of behavior, and even a lengthy and impressive Latin poem that demonstrates some admirable linguistic ability. After this the editor includes some fables from The Mummery, Fantastic Fables, and Aesopus Emendatus. The rest of the book consists of short stories from collections like Negligible Tales, The Parenticide Club (including such classics as "My Favorite Murder," "Oil Of Dog," "An Imperfect Conflagration," and "The Hypnotist"), The Fourth Estate, The Ocean Wave, and Tangential Views, which are a welcome addition to any collection of humorous tales.
What is it that make these poems and stories so funny? There are at least a few reasons. For one, the author is skilled versifier, which helps. He has a great deal of cultural knowledge (witness his skill in Latin as well as his clever fables in the manner of Aesop), and that certainly adds a lot of appeal when it comes to his intellect. For another, there is something satisfying about the way that the author skewers the self-important and corrupt politicians, of which his day and age (and ours as well) had many easy targets. For those with a cynical sense of humor about politics and culture, Bierce demonstrates how witty rhymes and clever zingers can really improve one's feeling about the ability of people to at least state their discontent with a corrupt political system. And if this does not necessarily make for better leaders or better elite aspirants, it at least makes one feel better. That is, ultimately, why a book like this is still read and enjoyed, because it gives both timely and timeless truths about the lack of legitimacy cultural and political leaders have and the way that those who see and understand this are able to cope with the reality that we are generally governed poorly without being too despondent over such matters.
As the sardonic humor can be found across a wide variety of the works of Ambrose Bierce, it is no surprise that this work contains selections from a wide variety of his works. Almost half of the book is made up of verses included from the author's works such as: Shapes Of Clay, Ante-mortem Epitaphs, The Scrap Heap, and Black Beetles In Amber. Included are his notorious slapdown of Oscar Wilde, whom he disliked for his foppery and a comment on how it was that Rudyard Kipling made himself unwelcome in San Francisco, along with some tell-off verses about mostly forgotten politicians of the Guilded Age like Elihu Root, of whom it is said that to do dirty political tricks would be a step up rather than a step down from his standard of behavior, and even a lengthy and impressive Latin poem that demonstrates some admirable linguistic ability. After this the editor includes some fables from The Mummery, Fantastic Fables, and Aesopus Emendatus. The rest of the book consists of short stories from collections like Negligible Tales, The Parenticide Club (including such classics as "My Favorite Murder," "Oil Of Dog," "An Imperfect Conflagration," and "The Hypnotist"), The Fourth Estate, The Ocean Wave, and Tangential Views, which are a welcome addition to any collection of humorous tales.
What is it that make these poems and stories so funny? There are at least a few reasons. For one, the author is skilled versifier, which helps. He has a great deal of cultural knowledge (witness his skill in Latin as well as his clever fables in the manner of Aesop), and that certainly adds a lot of appeal when it comes to his intellect. For another, there is something satisfying about the way that the author skewers the self-important and corrupt politicians, of which his day and age (and ours as well) had many easy targets. For those with a cynical sense of humor about politics and culture, Bierce demonstrates how witty rhymes and clever zingers can really improve one's feeling about the ability of people to at least state their discontent with a corrupt political system. And if this does not necessarily make for better leaders or better elite aspirants, it at least makes one feel better. That is, ultimately, why a book like this is still read and enjoyed, because it gives both timely and timeless truths about the lack of legitimacy cultural and political leaders have and the way that those who see and understand this are able to cope with the reality that we are generally governed poorly without being too despondent over such matters.
June 30, 2018
Bierce could write, that's for sure. And he's a clever master of wordplay. But unlike Twain, who could wrap his sarcasm in a loveable outer shell, Bierce just lets the vitriol run free. It gets tiresome, and so does his cruel and sadistic humor. Worst of all is how dated his humor is. So much depends on knowing who he is satirizing, and Dover didn't bother to add any footnotes or explanatory material. You would be better off with "The Devil's Dictionary" or some of his short stories, rather than this compendium of bile.
January 31, 2016
Bierce has no equal for a certain type of nasty sarcasm delivered in a silky, tongue-in-cheek way. What do you mean, you haven't read him yet?
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews