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The Collected Writings Of Ambrose Bierce
Here is a collection of the best and most representative writings of the legendary journalist who disappeared in Mexico in 1913.
The range of Bierce's writing is enormous, and this collection displays his virtuosity at his best. The bitter wit and sharp observation of The Devil's Dictionary; the hilarious Fantastic Fables and Negligible Tales; the tales of horror and the supernatural of Can Such Things Be? and the realistic, gripping Civil War stories of In the Midst of Life are only some of the marvelous Bierce material that will amuse, shock and entertain today's readers.
Here is what the late Edmond Wilson wrote about The Collected Writings of Ambrose Bierce:
"It is a good thing to have Bierce revived... The preface which Clifton Fadiman has contributed is one of the ablest presentations of a writer that I remember to have seen from his hand."
The New York Times said:
"The most useful single book of Bierce stuff now readily available."
The range of Bierce's writing is enormous, and this collection displays his virtuosity at his best. The bitter wit and sharp observation of The Devil's Dictionary; the hilarious Fantastic Fables and Negligible Tales; the tales of horror and the supernatural of Can Such Things Be? and the realistic, gripping Civil War stories of In the Midst of Life are only some of the marvelous Bierce material that will amuse, shock and entertain today's readers.
Here is what the late Edmond Wilson wrote about The Collected Writings of Ambrose Bierce:
"It is a good thing to have Bierce revived... The preface which Clifton Fadiman has contributed is one of the ablest presentations of a writer that I remember to have seen from his hand."
The New York Times said:
"The most useful single book of Bierce stuff now readily available."
810 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
20 people are currently reading
938 people want to read
About the author
Ambrose Bierce
2,409 books1,296 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 7, 2014
I absolutely love Ambrose Bierce well beyond his real worth and talent. I forgive him all of his transgressions, from his crusty antiquated prose style to more than a few quaintly outdated story ideas. However, there are just a few things that he’s written that are beyond reproach in my book. It’s the wading through his many published works to find them that can be something of a chore. For me, it’s a labor of love. For when you finally stumble across one of his finer efforts, there are hardly any words to describe the amazement of his darkly disturbing humor and equally bleak worldview, all of which more than justifies his nickname as “Bitter” Bierce.
Essentially, most, if not all, of his original books are out of print but there are a great many collections of his works out there still circulating that keeps his name alive. However, this particular collection holds the majority of my favorites all in one volume and makes for the perfect one stop shopping for all of your Bierce needs.
For the uninitiated, I think that picking up a copy of this one volume is all they will ever need. I would suggest first reading “The Devil’s Dictionary,” as being as good an introduction as any for what lies in store for them ahead. This is not a novel or story but something of an actual dictionary of sorts where words are listed and then defined…only not in the normal definition. Here are a few examples:
ADMIRATION, n. Our polite recognition of another’s resemblance to ourselves.
ALONE, adj. In bad company.
APOLOGIZE, v.i. To lay the foundation for future a offence.
You get the general idea.
I strongly advise to skip the co-authored novel present here titled “The Monk And The Hangman’s Daughter,” in its entirety. My next recommendation would be to read the stories in the section called “In The Midst Of Life; Tales Of Soldiers And Civilians,” which is sure to strike an occasional chord or two with the reader. If nothing else, leap straight to “Chickamauga,” which is one of his most undeniably greatest stories ever. This tale starts as seemingly nothing more than a playful outing with a young child pretending to be a soldier alone by himself. He grows tired and falls asleep where he lays and when he wakes up the tale quickly turns morbidly absurd if not surreal. The ending is one of great horror and shock, as well possessing a masterful twist that reveals the true nature of this little boys adventure in several respects.
Ambrose was a veteran of the Civil War for the Union side and was present for many of the most horrific battles ever fought in this war. He was actually present at the battle of Chickamauga, which is reported to have had over 34,000 casualties in a span of just two days. This surely sparked much of his avowed distaste for humanity as a whole, as well as caused a serious dark streak in his work.
Overall, one will not find another story in this collection better than this particular one here, nor in any other book written by Ambrose [or quite possibly by any other writer of this time]. However, there are still a few gems scattered here and there that are still worth mining for. Most of these can be classified as “horror” or at the very least “suspense.” Often times these deal with the otherworldly but more often than not they are rooted firmly in reality.
Some of my favorites are Killed At Resaca, The Coup de Grace, A Watcher By The Dead, The Suitable Surroundings, One Summer Night, A Tough Tussle, The Damned Thing and Haita The Shepherd to name but a few. The other story that I must call special attention to is “Oil Of Dog,” which was originally published in a collection called “The Parenticide Club.” This entire collection naturally deals with the demise of ones parents as the title clearly implies. Although a rather distasteful an abhorrent subject for many people, I’m quite sure that there are more than a few out there that will find the subject matter quite heartening. This one story in particular that I mention is an absolute work of clever absurdity that even for those that love and respect their elders will find themselves laughing despite themselves.
Essentially, most, if not all, of his original books are out of print but there are a great many collections of his works out there still circulating that keeps his name alive. However, this particular collection holds the majority of my favorites all in one volume and makes for the perfect one stop shopping for all of your Bierce needs.
For the uninitiated, I think that picking up a copy of this one volume is all they will ever need. I would suggest first reading “The Devil’s Dictionary,” as being as good an introduction as any for what lies in store for them ahead. This is not a novel or story but something of an actual dictionary of sorts where words are listed and then defined…only not in the normal definition. Here are a few examples:
ADMIRATION, n. Our polite recognition of another’s resemblance to ourselves.
ALONE, adj. In bad company.
APOLOGIZE, v.i. To lay the foundation for future a offence.
You get the general idea.
I strongly advise to skip the co-authored novel present here titled “The Monk And The Hangman’s Daughter,” in its entirety. My next recommendation would be to read the stories in the section called “In The Midst Of Life; Tales Of Soldiers And Civilians,” which is sure to strike an occasional chord or two with the reader. If nothing else, leap straight to “Chickamauga,” which is one of his most undeniably greatest stories ever. This tale starts as seemingly nothing more than a playful outing with a young child pretending to be a soldier alone by himself. He grows tired and falls asleep where he lays and when he wakes up the tale quickly turns morbidly absurd if not surreal. The ending is one of great horror and shock, as well possessing a masterful twist that reveals the true nature of this little boys adventure in several respects.
Ambrose was a veteran of the Civil War for the Union side and was present for many of the most horrific battles ever fought in this war. He was actually present at the battle of Chickamauga, which is reported to have had over 34,000 casualties in a span of just two days. This surely sparked much of his avowed distaste for humanity as a whole, as well as caused a serious dark streak in his work.
Overall, one will not find another story in this collection better than this particular one here, nor in any other book written by Ambrose [or quite possibly by any other writer of this time]. However, there are still a few gems scattered here and there that are still worth mining for. Most of these can be classified as “horror” or at the very least “suspense.” Often times these deal with the otherworldly but more often than not they are rooted firmly in reality.
Some of my favorites are Killed At Resaca, The Coup de Grace, A Watcher By The Dead, The Suitable Surroundings, One Summer Night, A Tough Tussle, The Damned Thing and Haita The Shepherd to name but a few. The other story that I must call special attention to is “Oil Of Dog,” which was originally published in a collection called “The Parenticide Club.” This entire collection naturally deals with the demise of ones parents as the title clearly implies. Although a rather distasteful an abhorrent subject for many people, I’m quite sure that there are more than a few out there that will find the subject matter quite heartening. This one story in particular that I mention is an absolute work of clever absurdity that even for those that love and respect their elders will find themselves laughing despite themselves.
August 17, 2014
Do you ever start reading a book, then suddenly started hearing quotes from it all over the place, then realised that you must have been glossing over the author and the book your whole life? Well, it turns out that Ambrose Bierce is one of those authors, even though he was writing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. If you're in a rush, just read The Devil's Dictionary, as it is both the funniest and the most-quoted of his works.
March 28, 2008
Bierce's one-paragraph fables are quite amazing.
December 23, 2020
There’s a lot more to Ambrose Bierce (1842-c1914) than ”Chickamauga” and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and The Devil’s Dictionary.
To my surprise, much of his writing could be characterized, reluctantly, as snippets of prose. Much of his writing suggests that he habitually wrote with tongue in cheek.
Much of his writing invites the reader to infer that Bierce was more or less perpetually unhappy about a lot of things.
If he had a sense of humor, he must have stored it in a dark place, because his laconic punchlines are mostly lachrymose or belligerently cynical.
It’s a style that takes some getting used to.
If you’re of a mind to do it.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com
To my surprise, much of his writing could be characterized, reluctantly, as snippets of prose. Much of his writing suggests that he habitually wrote with tongue in cheek.
Much of his writing invites the reader to infer that Bierce was more or less perpetually unhappy about a lot of things.
If he had a sense of humor, he must have stored it in a dark place, because his laconic punchlines are mostly lachrymose or belligerently cynical.
It’s a style that takes some getting used to.
If you’re of a mind to do it.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com
February 24, 2016
This was on my grandma's book shelf so I read it when I was about 10 and the stories traumatized me for life. Need to read again.
January 16, 2021
The man had one note. Do not read a collection of Bierce. If you want to read him, read individual things separately - unless of course, you want to realize that he wrote only one idea (people ain't no good), and had one story line, and one set of vocabulary. The 'Incident at Owl Creek Bridge' really is an example of his very best work, and most of us read that in middle school. That really sums him up, you need go no further. The "devil's dictionary' is amusing briefly, but then you realize that in essence all the definitions are the same.
Bierce saw the ridiculousness and brutality of war, he also seemed to recognize that the rich treated the poor horribly and inhumanely (and 'poor' also seemed to include Mexicans and Native peoples to some small degree). He was not a fan of political imperialism nor expansionism. So, I generally find I agree with him -- but he never seems to allow for any iota of kindness or goodness in people (a few devoted wives to horrible husbands - but that in itself is another kind of exploitation).
The most interesting thing about Bierce is how is life ended . . . we don't know. He disappeared in the Mexican desert.
Bierce saw the ridiculousness and brutality of war, he also seemed to recognize that the rich treated the poor horribly and inhumanely (and 'poor' also seemed to include Mexicans and Native peoples to some small degree). He was not a fan of political imperialism nor expansionism. So, I generally find I agree with him -- but he never seems to allow for any iota of kindness or goodness in people (a few devoted wives to horrible husbands - but that in itself is another kind of exploitation).
The most interesting thing about Bierce is how is life ended . . . we don't know. He disappeared in the Mexican desert.
June 28, 2020
A compellingly evil fucker if ever there was one. So much to recommend it.
September 12, 2021
My review is already surpassed and spoken for by Rob. Go read his 4-star review.
August 7, 2025
My thoughts on Ambrose Bierce: https://kellyfordon.substack.com/p/th...
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August 21, 2016The Collected Writings Of Ambrose Bierce.
Started reading this 810 page tome way way back circa 2009. I always am drawn to the thickest book on the shelves in the stores or on the second hand stalls whenever I come across them. ALways look for value for money as books can be quite expensive. Never having heard of Ambrose Bierce I didn't know what to expect. I found it hard going and didn't have the mindset at the time to finish this book. Found it again recently during a clear out and I have decided to give it another try, taking it story by story until I finish. Can't say when that is likely to be.
Started reading this 810 page tome way way back circa 2009. I always am drawn to the thickest book on the shelves in the stores or on the second hand stalls whenever I come across them. ALways look for value for money as books can be quite expensive. Never having heard of Ambrose Bierce I didn't know what to expect. I found it hard going and didn't have the mindset at the time to finish this book. Found it again recently during a clear out and I have decided to give it another try, taking it story by story until I finish. Can't say when that is likely to be.
November 5, 2010
This book by Bierce I got to know as a student of American studies in Tübingen in the mid 70s. Because it fascinated me, I chose it for my master's thesis. In selecting for Good Reads I found on page 245 an index card with the following notes: 11 short stories p. 225-402 - 1 On A Mountain (Alleghany, 1861, Ohio border, brigade), 2 What I Saw of Shiloh (1862, Tennessee R., Pittsburg Landing), 3 A little of Chickamanga (Gen. Hazen - Bragg + Time, 1898 - B. as topographical engineer) ... 11 A Sole Survivor ... A. Bierce Coll. Works, VI Ashes of the Beacon, 1-6 also in A.B. Ambrose Bierce's Civil War, edited by William Mc Cann, Chicago 1956 ... (dali48)
December 9, 2012
I won't lie to you - this is a long book.
Ambrose Bierce shares my birthday, misanthropy and was also the youngest child...so I immediately felt a kinship with the man. I loved the Devil's Dictionary. It was shocking that most of it is still applicable today.
He is much, much more than An Occurance at Owl Creek - and the overall cynicism and hatred of humanity is infused in clever wit and interesting views...lots of patricide (which, I'm not one to get behind, but whatever floats your boat).
But definitely worth a read if you're really a fan OR if you want to read more about him and his stories. (Or you're a college kid)
Ambrose Bierce shares my birthday, misanthropy and was also the youngest child...so I immediately felt a kinship with the man. I loved the Devil's Dictionary. It was shocking that most of it is still applicable today.
He is much, much more than An Occurance at Owl Creek - and the overall cynicism and hatred of humanity is infused in clever wit and interesting views...lots of patricide (which, I'm not one to get behind, but whatever floats your boat).
But definitely worth a read if you're really a fan OR if you want to read more about him and his stories. (Or you're a college kid)
May 15, 2019
Have read so many short weird stories of Ambrose Bierce that I don't know where to begin describing you that this man has it all: horror, sarcasm and humour, philosophy, sad stories, weird stories, fables, the guy was a Titan! A Giant! Anything, just anything, by him is worth reading! He even is the creator of Carcosa, Hastur, Lake Hali, so if you're big fan of Chambers you will surely enjoy Bierce
Read
August 17, 201510/17/10: "The Suitable Surroundings" (1891)
10/21/10: "The Death of Halpin Frayser" (1893) (Unsolved)
10/23/10: "The Middle Toe of the Right Foot" (1891)
10/25/10: "The Damned Thing" (1894)
10/26/10: "Haita the Shepherd" (1891)
10/26/10: "An Inhabitant of Carcosa" (1887)(First read 12/19/07)
10/21/10: "The Death of Halpin Frayser" (1893) (Unsolved)
10/23/10: "The Middle Toe of the Right Foot" (1891)
10/25/10: "The Damned Thing" (1894)
10/26/10: "Haita the Shepherd" (1891)
10/26/10: "An Inhabitant of Carcosa" (1887)(First read 12/19/07)
May 24, 2008
Where's my copy now that I want to reread it? DAMN.
November 10, 2015
Some of the stories became redundant. While the dictionary is impressive and witty, I find it difficult to read through without my mind wandering. The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter was excellent.
February 28, 2013
The bible of the great Bierce containing a marvelous cross section of his talent.
March 2, 2016
Wish he'd written more ghost stories. The infamous goat scene is never far from my thoughts.
September 14, 2018
I love Ambrose Bierce. Not for most readers, Bierce has a dark side to rival Poe.
February 4, 2019
Great collection by one of the gods of gothic writing!
March 15, 2019
fierce ambrosia
August 31, 2008
A great, yet highly underappreciated writer. Sardonic humor abounds!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews