Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (1842–1914-ish) was an American author, poet, journalist, and Civil War veteran. A prolific and versatile writer, he was regarded as one of the most influential journalists in the United States and — infusing his stories with his brutal and absurd wartime experiences — became a pioneer of realist fiction. One of his most famous short stories, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” is a deceptively simple tale that opens on a man about to be hanged, then quietly unravels everything you think you know about time, perception, and reality as the story slips between the savage clarity of execution and the strange, almost dreamlike possibility of escape. With cold precision and dark wit, Bierce explores consciousness at the edge of oblivion and asks how far can thoughts of freedom carry a man when his body is already falling?
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“Bierce is remembered chiefly, if he is remembered at all, as the author of a magnificent Civil War story called ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.’” —The News and Observer
“The cleverness of invention in such a tale as ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ is undeniable.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
“I consider anybody a twerp who hasn’t read the greatest American short story, which is ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,’ by Ambrose Bierce. It isn’t remotely political. It is a flawless example of American genius.” —Kurt Vonnegut
“‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.’ That story, we have long maintained, is the most perfect American short story.” —The Chattanooga News
“Anybody who thinks that, under any circumstances, one nightmare is enough, may be directed to the story called ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ as a particularly excellent specimen.” –The Graphic
“His savagery and his cynicism repelled most readers. But no more superb stories have been written than ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.’” —The Signal
“Ambrose Bierce, that master of strange matters, is well represented by ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.’” —The Detroit Free Press
“The story ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ is a masterpiece — few like it have ever been written . . . sufficient in itself to stamp Mr. Bierce as one of the greatest masters of the short story.” —The Tampa Tribune
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