 Bitter Bierce is something fierce... |
| Review Date: December 5, 2007 |
| Reviewer: AmericanMe, Anywhere, USA |
These twelve stories really showcase the remarkable talent of Ambrose Bierce. I believe he took the foundations left by Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker and continued to build upon them. There are some great stories here that can be read aloud to a group of children or enjoyed silently by the fireplace. Either way, a nice haunting experience.
The subject of Bierce's own death is a mystery. He went missing in 1914, possibly to join up with Pancho Villa and was never heard from again.
Anyone looking for some classic reading material that only a handful of true American Literature fans know about, you've come to the right place in Ambrose Bierce's writings. |
Imaginative stories from a great writer
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| Review Date: June 18, 2004 |
| Reviewer: gac1003, |
| This contains only a small sampling of author Ambrose Bierce's work with ghost and horror stories. Most are the ghost sotries we are used to with vengeful spirits or loved ones trying to connect to the world of the living, but have just the right little twist to make them unique. In "The Middle Toe of the Right Foot," for example, what starts out as a duel in an empty house ends up with the death of a duelist by the ghosts that inhabit the palce and recognize him. Other stories deal with man's own fear of the unknown, such as in "The Man and the Snake" or "A Watcher of the Dead," in which the characters literally scare themselves to death. The most unique story in this collection, though, is the last one titles "Moxon's Master," which gives a dealy warning about the progress fo man and machine. These are all great tales to read aloud by the campfire and are sure to send just the right amount of chills down your spine. |
Chilling Collection of Imaginative Ghost Stories
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| Review Date: December 6, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Michael Wischmeyer, Houston, Texas |
| The Moonlit Road and Other Ghost and Horror Stories is another marvelous, inexpensive reprint from Dover Publications. These twelve stories selected from The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce are remarkably good. I intend to become much better acquainted with Ambrose Bierce. Bierce had an inventive imagination, much like Edgar Allan Poe. In this chilling collection we meet angry spirits seeking revenge, humans transformed into wild beasts, and individuals deranged by encounters with apparitions. Although written a century ago, several stories explored subjects that seemed surprisingly modern. The Man and the Snake is a frightening study of the psychology of one man's imagination. Time and space are transformed in A Psychological Shipwreck. And we meet an emotional, possibly unstable, thinking machine in Moxon's Master. I considered listing the stories that were my favorites. However, as I enjoyed all twelve stories, I decided to forego the exercise. Buy this little collection. You won't be disappointed. Ambrose Bierce fought at Shiloh and Chickamauga, was wounded at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain in 1864, and retired after the war at the rank of major. Later, as a newspaperman in San Francisco, his acerbic wit and penchant for satire made him a significant force in its vibrant literary community. In 1913 he disappeared while traveling in Mexico, possibly a victim of the Mexican Civil war. |
Something for the reading around the campfire....
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| Review Date: July 20, 2001 |
| Reviewer: Jeffrey Leeper, Seattle, WA USA |
| This small book contains 12 of Ambrose Bierce's short stories (The Eyes of the Panther, The Moonlit Road, The Boarded Window, The Man and the Snake, The Secret of Macarger's Gulch, The Middle Toe of the Right Foot, A Psychological Shipwreck, A Holy Terror, John Bartine's Watch, Beyond the Wall, A Watcher by the Dead, and Moxon's Master). The stories cover ghosts, revenge, and otherworldly messages. This is by no means a definitive collection of Bierce's work, but it is a good, inexpensive introduction. The stories are short and do not go into intense detail and background. These are compact and complete enough to be told around the campfire or just around the living room with the lights turned out. Bierce knows his reader and will often give the ending an unexpected twist. |
Worth the read
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| Review Date: May 30, 2001 |
| Reviewer: , |
| This book showcases the fine writing talents of Ambrose Bierce, famous for his "Devil's Dictionary" among other things. These ghost stories are very fine and show a lot of thought and imagination. The title story in particular is extemely powerful in its perspective changes and genuine feeling of sadness experienced by the characters. I recommend this book and edition wholeheartedly. |
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