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Fantastic Fables
A MORAL Principle met a Material Interest on a bridge wide enough for but one.
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1899
36 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Ambrose Bierce
2,441 books1,301 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 - 29 of 51 reviews
March 10, 2022
This book was written in 1898 and comprises 245 fantastic fables from Ambrose Bierce.
These tales lampoon greedy politicians, judges, holy men, poets and many others.
I would suggest the meaning in some of the stories is connected to the era in which the book was written and so might not mean too much in our present day.
The tales are satirical, acerbic, and sometimes sarcastic, but in most cases I think I saw the point Bierce was making.
The tales won't provide belly laughs but might make you smile and will make you think.
These tales lampoon greedy politicians, judges, holy men, poets and many others.
I would suggest the meaning in some of the stories is connected to the era in which the book was written and so might not mean too much in our present day.
The tales are satirical, acerbic, and sometimes sarcastic, but in most cases I think I saw the point Bierce was making.
The tales won't provide belly laughs but might make you smile and will make you think.
March 27, 2018
Since Sunday I’ve been leafing through this little book. I don’t say “reading” because I’m not reading it from cover to cover, because it’s just not possible. Not because it’s too difficult or anything like that. It’s just… Uninteresting. I can’t quite remember why I bought it. Probably because it contained the word “Fantastic” on its title and was written by a renowned author.
Turns out, not everything that is a classic is good.
And not that Fantastic Fables is bad per se. It’s just out of its time. If you’re not a mildly rich man from the 1860s, this piece is probably not for you. Contrary to its back cover, most of its fantastical anecdotes are not meant for a wider audience. It’s a piece written to be critical about its time, and some very specific aspects of it.
Once in a while, you can bump into something more universal or contemporary. For the majority of its pages, it’s History you’re reading there, and if you know little about the state of things in the US in the nineteenth century, it’s not gonna make a lot of sense to you.
You can see Bierce has a sharp sense of humor in any century (and eventually sexist, as you’d expect), and probably was funny enough on his own time. Fortunately, this time has passed.
One interesting thing: he actually uses abstract ideas as characters, such as a Pugilist meeting the Community’s Moral Sense, which is a hell of a shameless narrative that I really liked.
I’m probably never going back to this, but it was good to know about its existence.
Turns out, not everything that is a classic is good.
And not that Fantastic Fables is bad per se. It’s just out of its time. If you’re not a mildly rich man from the 1860s, this piece is probably not for you. Contrary to its back cover, most of its fantastical anecdotes are not meant for a wider audience. It’s a piece written to be critical about its time, and some very specific aspects of it.
Once in a while, you can bump into something more universal or contemporary. For the majority of its pages, it’s History you’re reading there, and if you know little about the state of things in the US in the nineteenth century, it’s not gonna make a lot of sense to you.
You can see Bierce has a sharp sense of humor in any century (and eventually sexist, as you’d expect), and probably was funny enough on his own time. Fortunately, this time has passed.
One interesting thing: he actually uses abstract ideas as characters, such as a Pugilist meeting the Community’s Moral Sense, which is a hell of a shameless narrative that I really liked.
I’m probably never going back to this, but it was good to know about its existence.
April 29, 2025
These are short stories presented as testimonies. They are fantastic and masterfully condensed in a few lines, in a stripped-down style that has remained very modern. But I reached the saturation threshold quickly, especially since the endings are suddenly predictable.
April 11, 2025
The residents of Patagascar were fervently certain that Ambrose Bierce was bitterly cynical, while the citizens of Madagonia were devout in their belief that he was cynically bitter. Adamant as the two factions were, they quickly set upon each other in a violent fury that soon left every member of either camp murdered on the ground. Thus establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that both sides were equally correct.
In these 245 fables Bierce, our acidic Aesop, happily eviscerates hypocrisy, greed, and corruption everywhere in the society of 1898. His targets are extensive with especial focus on politicians, lawyers, California, and the Women's Press Association. Approximately half the fables are still illuminating with most of the rest being now obscure or making so minor a point (at least to modern eyes) that they have little substance. A very few are simply funny, such as the Distinguished Naturalist travelling in Australia who upon first seeing a kangaroo was baffled by "the uncommon magnitude of that grasshopper." The section "Aesopus Emendatus" in which Bierce updates some ancient fables is especially good. Fantastic Fables may well improve your vocabulary and knowledge of history while sharpening the necessary skills to detect the corrupt skull beneath the carefully-fashioned pastel fuzzy face of society. We desperately need the Ambrose Bierce of our own time. Sadly, not as good as his beyond brilliant Devil's Dictionary (1911). [3★]
In these 245 fables Bierce, our acidic Aesop, happily eviscerates hypocrisy, greed, and corruption everywhere in the society of 1898. His targets are extensive with especial focus on politicians, lawyers, California, and the Women's Press Association. Approximately half the fables are still illuminating with most of the rest being now obscure or making so minor a point (at least to modern eyes) that they have little substance. A very few are simply funny, such as the Distinguished Naturalist travelling in Australia who upon first seeing a kangaroo was baffled by "the uncommon magnitude of that grasshopper." The section "Aesopus Emendatus" in which Bierce updates some ancient fables is especially good. Fantastic Fables may well improve your vocabulary and knowledge of history while sharpening the necessary skills to detect the corrupt skull beneath the carefully-fashioned pastel fuzzy face of society. We desperately need the Ambrose Bierce of our own time. Sadly, not as good as his beyond brilliant Devil's Dictionary (1911). [3★]
March 15, 2011
Bierce is here the anti-Aesop and his fables take on politicians, businessmen, and religioius leaders especially (but also women's groups and authors). Many are darkly funny, some fall a bit flat, and some need historical translation.
The Honourable Member
A member of a Legislature, who had pledged himself to his Constituents not to steal, brought home at the end of session a large part of the dome of the Capitol. Thereupon the Constituents held an indignation meeting and passed a resolution of tar and feathers.
"You are most unjust," said the Member of the Legislature. "It is true I promised you I would not steal; but had I ever promised you that I would not lie?"
The Constituents said he was an honourable man and elected him to the United States Congress, unpledged and unfledged.
The Honourable Member
A member of a Legislature, who had pledged himself to his Constituents not to steal, brought home at the end of session a large part of the dome of the Capitol. Thereupon the Constituents held an indignation meeting and passed a resolution of tar and feathers.
"You are most unjust," said the Member of the Legislature. "It is true I promised you I would not steal; but had I ever promised you that I would not lie?"
The Constituents said he was an honourable man and elected him to the United States Congress, unpledged and unfledged.
January 30, 2019
Critical of its time - yes, and many of the views much appreciated. I see why I picked this up and why Bierce appeals to me - because we share the same views on certain aspects of politics, society, how things are run etc. But that's about it really, it was hard for me to tell if some of these were meant to be funny because other wise they didn't make sense to me.
December 30, 2025
Bierce’s greatest stories these are not, but they weren’t supposed to be. These are miniature fables, so short that sometimes three or four fit on a page. They are simple, and witty, and sometimes funny. Concepts become anthropomorphized and take on character, animals represent ideas or qualities, small conflicts symbolize larger and more significant problems in human life, or as critiques of human nature and weakness and social rot.
Bierce’s creativity and wit come through in all 245 stories, even those that are three or four sentences. Though none are profound or impactful enough to be remembered long after reading, and although their brevity means that in any reading the stories will inevitably blend together into a stream of tiny blips, themes and recurring ideas eventually take shape, showing us where Bierce’s mind was during this period of his life. His critiques are sharp, but sometimes difficult to understand due to the specificity to the time and society he was critiquing. When his target is human nature or general social ills, or the amusement of puns and language and clever inversions of expectations, it is satisfying and funny. A fun thing to read in short bursts, since there isn’t much here that will keep one gripped and glued to its pages.
Bierce’s creativity and wit come through in all 245 stories, even those that are three or four sentences. Though none are profound or impactful enough to be remembered long after reading, and although their brevity means that in any reading the stories will inevitably blend together into a stream of tiny blips, themes and recurring ideas eventually take shape, showing us where Bierce’s mind was during this period of his life. His critiques are sharp, but sometimes difficult to understand due to the specificity to the time and society he was critiquing. When his target is human nature or general social ills, or the amusement of puns and language and clever inversions of expectations, it is satisfying and funny. A fun thing to read in short bursts, since there isn’t much here that will keep one gripped and glued to its pages.
July 12, 2016
Hay pocos autores de los que compro todo lo que se publica, a veces sólo porque hay una antología que trae un relato inédito y con eso es suficiente. Es el caso con Bierce, con esta estupenda antología de Alianza que no tiene desperdicio y que aunque habré leído ya (casi) todas estas fábulas la traducción es excelente y siempre hace bien volver a Bierce.
April 8, 2022
Bierce, sarkazam, ironija, glupost, i sve ostale čari meni dragog američkog humora.
(Čovjek je shvatio kakva je to forma basna i koliko toga se u nju može ubaciti, na štetu te tzv. didaktične prirode)
(Čovjek je shvatio kakva je to forma basna i koliko toga se u nju može ubaciti, na štetu te tzv. didaktične prirode)
December 31, 2018
While it's comforting, in a way, to know that the politics of the past was just as crazy and corrupt as what we're going through today, that's most of what this book has going for it. In many cases, it seems like the author was trying to be overly cleaver at the expense of clarity. Also, some of the fables depend on context that has been lost over 100 years.
March 10, 2024
Boy he really hated the Women’s Press Association
June 25, 2022
Witty. Sarcastic. Acerbic. Smart.
September 9, 2023
Aesops's Fables have been around for at least 2,500 years and are as valid today as they were in ancient times and with this collection of modern fables with Ambrose Bierce's twist of sardonic wit it gives the lessons of fables new life to the old. This book contains hundreds of satirical fables that gleefully and energetically lampoon hypocritical moralists, crooked politicians, un-holy holy men and other individuals and institutions. Where Bierce sees injustice, he pokes it with his well-crafted verbal barbs.
⭐ next to checkmarks indicate ones that particularly tickled my fancy and rated well above average.
The Moral Principle and the Material Interest ✔⭐
The Crimson Candle ✔⭐
The Blotted Escutcheon and the Soiled Ermine ✔
The Ingenious Patriot ✔⭐
Two Kings ✔
An Officer and a Thug ✔
The Conscientious Official ✔
How Leisure Came ✔
The Moral Sentiment ✔
The Politicians ✔
The Thoughtful Warden ✔
The Treasury and the Arms ✔
The Christian Serpent ✔
The Broom of the Temple ✔
The Critics ✔⭐
The Foolish Woman ✔
Father and Son ✔
The Discontented Malefactor ✔
A Call to Quit ✔
The Man and the Lightning ✔
The Lassoed Bear ✔
The Ineffective Rooter ✔
A Protagonist of Silver ✔
The Holy Deacon ✔
A Hasty Settlement ✔⭐
The Wooden Guns ✔
The Reform School Board ✔⭐
The Poet’s Doom ✔
The Noser and the Note ✔
The Cat and the King ✔
The Literary Astronomer ✔
The Lion and the Rattlesnake ✔
The Man with No Enemies ✔
The Alderman and the Raccoon ✔
The Flying-Machine ✔
The Angel’s Tear ✔
The City of Political Distinction ✔
The Party Over There ✔
The Poetess of Reform ✔
The Unchanged Diplomatist ✔
An Invitation ✔
The Ashes of Madame Blavatsky ✔
The Opossum of the Future ✔⭐
The Life-Savers ✔⭐
The Australian Grasshopper ✔
The Pavior ✔⭐
The Tried Assassin ✔
The Bumbo of Jiam ✔⭐
The Two Poets ✔⭐
The Thistles upon the Grave ✔
The Shadow of the Leader ✔⭐
The Sagacious Rat ✔⭐
The Member and the Soap ✔
Alarm and Pride ✔
A Causeway ✔⭐
Two in Trouble ✔⭐
The Witch’s Steed ✔⭐
The All Dog ✔
The Farmer’s Friend ✔⭐
Physicians Two ✔⭐
The Overlooked Factor ✔⭐
A Racial Parallel ✔
The Honest Cadi ✔⭐
The Kangaroo and the Zebra ✔
A Matter of Method ✔⭐
The Man of Principle ✔
The Returned Californian ✔
The Compassionate Physician ✔⭐
Two of the Damned ✔
The Austere Governor ✔
Religions of Error ✔⭐
The Penitent Elector ✔
The Tail of the Sphinx ✔
A Prophet of Evil ✔
The Crew of the Life-boat ✔
A Treaty of Peace ✔
The Nightside of Character ✔
The Faithful Cashier ✔
The Circular Clew ✔
The Devoted Widow ✔⭐
The Hardy Patriots ✔
The Humble Peasant ✔
The Various Delegation ✔
The No Case ✔
A Harmless Visitor ✔
The Judge and the Rash Act ✔
The Prerogative of Might ✔
An Inflated Ambition ✔⭐
Rejected Services ✔
The Power of the Scalawag ✔⭐
At Large—One Temper ✔⭐
The Seeker and the Sought ✔
His Fly-Speck Majesty ✔
The Pugilist’s Diet ✔
The Old Man and the Pupil ✔
The Deceased and his Heirs ✔⭐
The Politicians and the Plunder ✔
The Man and the Wart ✔
The Divided Delegation ✔
A Forfeited Right ✔
Revenge ✔
An Optimist ✔⭐
A Valuable Suggestion ✔
Two Footpads ✔
Equipped for Service ✔
The Basking Cyclone ✔
At the Pole ✔
The Optimist and the Cynic ✔⭐
The Poet and the Editor ✔
The Taken Hand ✔⭐
An Unspeakable Imbecile ✔⭐
A Needful War ✔
The Mine Owner and the Jackass ✔
The Dog and the Physician ✔⭐
The Party Manager and the Gentleman ✔⭐
The Legislator and the Citizen ✔
The Rainmaker ✔
The Citizen and the Snakes ✔
Fortune and the Fabulist ✔
A Smiling Idol ✔⭐
Philosophers Three ✔⭐
The Boneless King ✔⭐
Uncalculating Zeal ✔
A Transposition ✔
The Honest Citizen ✔
A Creaking Tail ✔
Wasted Sweets ✔
Six and One ✔
The Sportsman and the Squirrel ✔⭐
The Fogy and the Sheik ✔⭐
At Heaven’s Gate ✔
The Catted Anarchist ✔
The Honourable Member ✔⭐
The Expatriated Boss ✔
An Inadequate Fee ✔
The Judge and the Plaintiff ✔⭐
The Return of the Representative ✔
A Statesman ✔
Two Dogs ✔
Three Recruits ✔
The Mirror ✔
Saint and Sinner ✔⭐
An Antidote ✔
A Weary Echo ✔
The Ingenious Blackmailer ✔⭐
A Talisman ✔
The Ancient Order ✔
A Fatal Disorder ✔
The Massacre ✔
A Ship and a Man ✔
Congress and the People ✔
The Justice and His Accuser ✔
The Highwayman and the Traveller ✔
The Policeman and the Citizen ✔
The Writer and the Tramps ✔
Two Politicians ✔
The Fugitive Office ✔
The Tyrant Frog ✔
The Eligible Son-in-Law ✔
The Statesman and the Horse ✔
An Ærophobe ✔
The Thrift of Strength ✔⭐
The Good Government ✔
The Life-Saver ✔
The Man and the Bird ✔
From the Minutes ✔
Three of a Kind ✔
The Fabulist and the Animals ✔
A Revivalist Revived ✔
The Debaters ✔
Two of the Pious ✔
The Desperate Object ✔
The Appropriate Memorial ✔
A Needless Labour ✔
A Flourishing Industry ✔
The Self-Made Monkey ✔
The Patriot and the Banker ✔
The Mourning Brothers ✔
The Disinterested Arbiter ✔
The Thief and the Honest Man ✔
The Dutiful Son ✔⭐
Aesopus Emendatus (Improved)
The Cat and the Youth ✔
The Farmer and His Sons ✔
Jupiter and the Baby Show ✔
The Man and the Dog ✔
The Cat and the Birds ✔
Mercury and the Woodchopper ✔
The Fox and the Grapes ✔⭐
The Penitent Thief ✔
The Archer and the Eagle ✔
Truth and the Traveller ✔⭐
The Wolf and the Lamb ✔
The Lion and the Boar ✔⭐
The Grasshopper and the Ant ✔
The Fisher and the Fished ✔
The Farmer and the Fox ✔
Dame Fortune and the Traveller ✔⭐
The Victor and the Victim ✔
The Wolf and the Shepherds ✔
The Goose and the Swan ✔
The Lion, the Cock, and the Ass ✔
The Snake and the Swallow ✔
The Wolves and the Dogs ✔
The Hen and the Vipers ✔
A Seasonable Joke ✔
The Lion and the Thorn ✔
The Fawn and the Buck ✔
The Kite, the Pigeons, and the Hawk ✔
The Wolf and the Babe ✔
The Wolf and the Ostrich ✔
The Herdsman and the Lion ✔
The Man and the Viper ✔
The Man and the Eagle ✔
The War-horse and the Miller ✔
The Dog and the Reflection ✔
The Man and the Fish-horn ✔
The Hare and the Tortoise ✔⭐
Hercules and the Carter ✔⭐
The Lion and the Bull ✔✔
The Man and his Goose
The Wolf and the Feeding Goat ✔
Jupiter and the Birds ✔⭐
The Lion and the Mouse ✔
The Old Man and his Sons ✔⭐
The Crab and his Son ✔
The North Wind and the Sun ✔
The Mountain and the Mouse ✔
The Bellamy and the Members ✔
Old Saws with New Teeth Certain Ancient Fables Applied to the Life of Our Times
The Wolf and the Crane ✔
The Lion and the Mouse ✔⭐
The Hares and the Frogs ✔
The Belly and the Members ✔
The Piping Fisherman ✔
The Ants and the Grasshopper ✔
The Dog and His Reflection ✔
The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox ✔
The Ass and the Lion’s Skin ✔
The Ass and the Grasshoppers ✔⭐
The Wolf and the Lion ✔
The Hare and the Tortoise ✔
The Milkmaid and Her Bucket ✔
King Log and King Stork ✔
The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion ✔
The Monkey and the Nuts ✔
The Boys and the Frogs ✔
⭐ next to checkmarks indicate ones that particularly tickled my fancy and rated well above average.
The Moral Principle and the Material Interest ✔⭐
The Crimson Candle ✔⭐
The Blotted Escutcheon and the Soiled Ermine ✔
The Ingenious Patriot ✔⭐
Two Kings ✔
An Officer and a Thug ✔
The Conscientious Official ✔
How Leisure Came ✔
The Moral Sentiment ✔
The Politicians ✔
The Thoughtful Warden ✔
The Treasury and the Arms ✔
The Christian Serpent ✔
The Broom of the Temple ✔
The Critics ✔⭐
The Foolish Woman ✔
Father and Son ✔
The Discontented Malefactor ✔
A Call to Quit ✔
The Man and the Lightning ✔
The Lassoed Bear ✔
The Ineffective Rooter ✔
A Protagonist of Silver ✔
The Holy Deacon ✔
A Hasty Settlement ✔⭐
The Wooden Guns ✔
The Reform School Board ✔⭐
The Poet’s Doom ✔
The Noser and the Note ✔
The Cat and the King ✔
The Literary Astronomer ✔
The Lion and the Rattlesnake ✔
The Man with No Enemies ✔
The Alderman and the Raccoon ✔
The Flying-Machine ✔
The Angel’s Tear ✔
The City of Political Distinction ✔
The Party Over There ✔
The Poetess of Reform ✔
The Unchanged Diplomatist ✔
An Invitation ✔
The Ashes of Madame Blavatsky ✔
The Opossum of the Future ✔⭐
The Life-Savers ✔⭐
The Australian Grasshopper ✔
The Pavior ✔⭐
The Tried Assassin ✔
The Bumbo of Jiam ✔⭐
The Two Poets ✔⭐
The Thistles upon the Grave ✔
The Shadow of the Leader ✔⭐
The Sagacious Rat ✔⭐
The Member and the Soap ✔
Alarm and Pride ✔
A Causeway ✔⭐
Two in Trouble ✔⭐
The Witch’s Steed ✔⭐
The All Dog ✔
The Farmer’s Friend ✔⭐
Physicians Two ✔⭐
The Overlooked Factor ✔⭐
A Racial Parallel ✔
The Honest Cadi ✔⭐
The Kangaroo and the Zebra ✔
A Matter of Method ✔⭐
The Man of Principle ✔
The Returned Californian ✔
The Compassionate Physician ✔⭐
Two of the Damned ✔
The Austere Governor ✔
Religions of Error ✔⭐
The Penitent Elector ✔
The Tail of the Sphinx ✔
A Prophet of Evil ✔
The Crew of the Life-boat ✔
A Treaty of Peace ✔
The Nightside of Character ✔
The Faithful Cashier ✔
The Circular Clew ✔
The Devoted Widow ✔⭐
The Hardy Patriots ✔
The Humble Peasant ✔
The Various Delegation ✔
The No Case ✔
A Harmless Visitor ✔
The Judge and the Rash Act ✔
The Prerogative of Might ✔
An Inflated Ambition ✔⭐
Rejected Services ✔
The Power of the Scalawag ✔⭐
At Large—One Temper ✔⭐
The Seeker and the Sought ✔
His Fly-Speck Majesty ✔
The Pugilist’s Diet ✔
The Old Man and the Pupil ✔
The Deceased and his Heirs ✔⭐
The Politicians and the Plunder ✔
The Man and the Wart ✔
The Divided Delegation ✔
A Forfeited Right ✔
Revenge ✔
An Optimist ✔⭐
A Valuable Suggestion ✔
Two Footpads ✔
Equipped for Service ✔
The Basking Cyclone ✔
At the Pole ✔
The Optimist and the Cynic ✔⭐
The Poet and the Editor ✔
The Taken Hand ✔⭐
An Unspeakable Imbecile ✔⭐
A Needful War ✔
The Mine Owner and the Jackass ✔
The Dog and the Physician ✔⭐
The Party Manager and the Gentleman ✔⭐
The Legislator and the Citizen ✔
The Rainmaker ✔
The Citizen and the Snakes ✔
Fortune and the Fabulist ✔
A Smiling Idol ✔⭐
Philosophers Three ✔⭐
The Boneless King ✔⭐
Uncalculating Zeal ✔
A Transposition ✔
The Honest Citizen ✔
A Creaking Tail ✔
Wasted Sweets ✔
Six and One ✔
The Sportsman and the Squirrel ✔⭐
The Fogy and the Sheik ✔⭐
At Heaven’s Gate ✔
The Catted Anarchist ✔
The Honourable Member ✔⭐
The Expatriated Boss ✔
An Inadequate Fee ✔
The Judge and the Plaintiff ✔⭐
The Return of the Representative ✔
A Statesman ✔
Two Dogs ✔
Three Recruits ✔
The Mirror ✔
Saint and Sinner ✔⭐
An Antidote ✔
A Weary Echo ✔
The Ingenious Blackmailer ✔⭐
A Talisman ✔
The Ancient Order ✔
A Fatal Disorder ✔
The Massacre ✔
A Ship and a Man ✔
Congress and the People ✔
The Justice and His Accuser ✔
The Highwayman and the Traveller ✔
The Policeman and the Citizen ✔
The Writer and the Tramps ✔
Two Politicians ✔
The Fugitive Office ✔
The Tyrant Frog ✔
The Eligible Son-in-Law ✔
The Statesman and the Horse ✔
An Ærophobe ✔
The Thrift of Strength ✔⭐
The Good Government ✔
The Life-Saver ✔
The Man and the Bird ✔
From the Minutes ✔
Three of a Kind ✔
The Fabulist and the Animals ✔
A Revivalist Revived ✔
The Debaters ✔
Two of the Pious ✔
The Desperate Object ✔
The Appropriate Memorial ✔
A Needless Labour ✔
A Flourishing Industry ✔
The Self-Made Monkey ✔
The Patriot and the Banker ✔
The Mourning Brothers ✔
The Disinterested Arbiter ✔
The Thief and the Honest Man ✔
The Dutiful Son ✔⭐
Aesopus Emendatus (Improved)
The Cat and the Youth ✔
The Farmer and His Sons ✔
Jupiter and the Baby Show ✔
The Man and the Dog ✔
The Cat and the Birds ✔
Mercury and the Woodchopper ✔
The Fox and the Grapes ✔⭐
The Penitent Thief ✔
The Archer and the Eagle ✔
Truth and the Traveller ✔⭐
The Wolf and the Lamb ✔
The Lion and the Boar ✔⭐
The Grasshopper and the Ant ✔
The Fisher and the Fished ✔
The Farmer and the Fox ✔
Dame Fortune and the Traveller ✔⭐
The Victor and the Victim ✔
The Wolf and the Shepherds ✔
The Goose and the Swan ✔
The Lion, the Cock, and the Ass ✔
The Snake and the Swallow ✔
The Wolves and the Dogs ✔
The Hen and the Vipers ✔
A Seasonable Joke ✔
The Lion and the Thorn ✔
The Fawn and the Buck ✔
The Kite, the Pigeons, and the Hawk ✔
The Wolf and the Babe ✔
The Wolf and the Ostrich ✔
The Herdsman and the Lion ✔
The Man and the Viper ✔
The Man and the Eagle ✔
The War-horse and the Miller ✔
The Dog and the Reflection ✔
The Man and the Fish-horn ✔
The Hare and the Tortoise ✔⭐
Hercules and the Carter ✔⭐
The Lion and the Bull ✔✔
The Man and his Goose
The Wolf and the Feeding Goat ✔
Jupiter and the Birds ✔⭐
The Lion and the Mouse ✔
The Old Man and his Sons ✔⭐
The Crab and his Son ✔
The North Wind and the Sun ✔
The Mountain and the Mouse ✔
The Bellamy and the Members ✔
Old Saws with New Teeth Certain Ancient Fables Applied to the Life of Our Times
The Wolf and the Crane ✔
The Lion and the Mouse ✔⭐
The Hares and the Frogs ✔
The Belly and the Members ✔
The Piping Fisherman ✔
The Ants and the Grasshopper ✔
The Dog and His Reflection ✔
The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox ✔
The Ass and the Lion’s Skin ✔
The Ass and the Grasshoppers ✔⭐
The Wolf and the Lion ✔
The Hare and the Tortoise ✔
The Milkmaid and Her Bucket ✔
King Log and King Stork ✔
The Wolf Who Would Be a Lion ✔
The Monkey and the Nuts ✔
The Boys and the Frogs ✔
October 29, 2018
While this book does not take long to read, it is not worth the time.
June 1, 2020
A product of its time, most of the political commentary will be lost without the historical context. Still, a classic worth examining if you are a fan of Bierce’s other work.
September 12, 2021
Имам помешани чувства, час ми се свиѓа, час не ми се свиѓа ....чудна работа :)))) затоа од мене ЕДНА златна средина :)
January 1, 2022
I especially liked: Lion and Mouse; A Faulty Performance; The Secret of Happiness; Sheep and Lion; Soldier and Vulture; Wolf and Tortoise; A Revivalist Revived; Citizen and Snakes.
August 22, 2021
Fábulas fantásticas consta de 99 pequeños relatos que, a la manera de las fábulas de antaño, nos muestran las opiniones del autor sobre los temas más diversos.
El primer libro que leo del famoso autor estadounidense, Ambrose Bierce, me ha sabido a poco. Está claro que es un escritor correcto, aunque, por desgracia, poco puedes analizar en este libro compuesto por microrelatos. Está claro que Bierce, ha copiado el estilo de escritura de las fábulas antiguas. Así que nos encontramos con un lenguaje enrevesado y, por momentos, algo artificioso, sin ninguna descripción y con una extensión que varía de las pocas líneas a las dos páginas..
Fábulas fantásticas utiliza las viejas historias que todos hemos leído de niños y las transforma en relatos atroces, interesantes o simplemente curiosos.
No se puede decir que sigan un hilo argumental. Cada historia es distinta y presentan múltiples temas. Aunque los que más parece abundar son los que tratan sobre la corrupción política, la crítica a determinados usos y costumbres sociales y la sátira hacia el mundo editorial.
Definitivamente Fábulas fantásticas es un libro peculiar producto de la época en la que vivía el autor. Aunque, por desgracia, muchas de sus fábulas no han perdido su vigencia en la actualidad.
El primer libro que leo del famoso autor estadounidense, Ambrose Bierce, me ha sabido a poco. Está claro que es un escritor correcto, aunque, por desgracia, poco puedes analizar en este libro compuesto por microrelatos. Está claro que Bierce, ha copiado el estilo de escritura de las fábulas antiguas. Así que nos encontramos con un lenguaje enrevesado y, por momentos, algo artificioso, sin ninguna descripción y con una extensión que varía de las pocas líneas a las dos páginas..
Fábulas fantásticas utiliza las viejas historias que todos hemos leído de niños y las transforma en relatos atroces, interesantes o simplemente curiosos.
No se puede decir que sigan un hilo argumental. Cada historia es distinta y presentan múltiples temas. Aunque los que más parece abundar son los que tratan sobre la corrupción política, la crítica a determinados usos y costumbres sociales y la sátira hacia el mundo editorial.
Definitivamente Fábulas fantásticas es un libro peculiar producto de la época en la que vivía el autor. Aunque, por desgracia, muchas de sus fábulas no han perdido su vigencia en la actualidad.
June 30, 2018
Favorilerim arasinda yer alan bu kitabı 18 yıl sonra ikinci kez okudum ve ilk okumamdan bile daha çok beğendim. Orijinal adi "Fantastic Fables" olan bu mikro-hikayeler toplamı, klasik fabldaki kıssadan hisse geleneğinin çok ötesine geçiyor ve masum bir şekilde ders vermek yerine, yozlaşmışlığı bütün acımasızlığıyla ortaya döküyor. Hiciv yönüyle Saltıkov-Sçedrin'in "Büyüklere Masallar" üslubuna benzerlik gösterse de, metinlerin bazılarını, hicvin önüne geçen absürdlük nedeniyle "sürrealist fıkra" saymak da mümkün. Bierce'in daha önce okuduğum korku hikayelerinde de ironi ustalığını fark etmiştim, ama burada onun neden "bitter" lakabını aldığını ve bu lakabı sonuna kadar hak ettiğini görmüş oldum: Tüm toplumu, tüm kurumları, tum meslek erbablarını (tabii ki en başta politikacıları) hedef tahtasına koyuyor ve güncelliğini hiç kaybetmeyen eleştiriler yapıyor. Üstadın bir başka kara mizah klasiği olan "Şeytanın Sözlüğü"nü okumak için sabırsızlanıyorum.
Not: Bu çeviride, orijinaldeki 35 fabla, çeşitli çeviri zorlukları nedeniyle yer verilmemiş. Umarım yeni bir çeviride tam metin okuma imkanımız olur.
Not: Bu çeviride, orijinaldeki 35 fabla, çeşitli çeviri zorlukları nedeniyle yer verilmemiş. Umarım yeni bir çeviride tam metin okuma imkanımız olur.
August 9, 2023
I totally failed to engage with Ambrose Bierce - clearly my failure to enjoy or appreciate his work is a monitory one, I may be singular in my failure to like or appreciate his stories, but like the character who, after the troops of the king of Sardinia over-ran the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, insisted on not voting for Italian unification, not because he thought he could prevent it but to register his dissent.
So I don't expect my dislike of these stories and my belief that Bierce is purely antiquarian interest and not worth reading will have absolutely no impact on the number of people pronouncing this a great classic work. I don't think it is, I think it generally a load of boring crap.
So I don't expect my dislike of these stories and my belief that Bierce is purely antiquarian interest and not worth reading will have absolutely no impact on the number of people pronouncing this a great classic work. I don't think it is, I think it generally a load of boring crap.
June 8, 2022
Interesting entertaining listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy ghost 👻 hauntings and horror tales by Ambrose Bierce has sense of humor. I would highly recommend this novella to readers looking for something a little different in a novel. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of eye and health issues. 2022
Another will written fantasy ghost 👻 hauntings and horror tales by Ambrose Bierce has sense of humor. I would highly recommend this novella to readers looking for something a little different in a novel. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of eye and health issues. 2022
May 19, 2020
Bite-sized stories and musings that give you something to consider whilst shitting.
March 2, 2021
Tra favole di sua invenzione e riscrittura cinica di favole della tradizione Bierce si presenta come abile nell'uso del sarcasmo
July 10, 2022
There are some really good stories in here, but the meaning of most is either obscured by time, language, or both.
Read
April 29, 2023I don't know if the absurdity was intentional or from the antiquated cultural and political allusions, probably a bit of both. Either way, hilarious.
March 19, 2024
Seems to be a series of anecdotes or political satire that do not make sense without the context.
March 11, 2017
El Ladrón arrepentido
Un Niño a quien la Madre había enseñado a robar, al hacerse hombre se convirtió en funcionario público. Un día lo sorprendieron con las manos en la masa y lo condenaron a muerte.
Cuando iba hacia el cadalso pasó por delante de la Madre y le dijo:
-¡Mira lo que has hecho! Si no me hubieras enseñado a robar no estaría ahora metido en esto.
-¡Tienes razón! -dijo la Madre-. Pero, dime, ¿quién te enseñó a que te descubrieran?
Un Niño a quien la Madre había enseñado a robar, al hacerse hombre se convirtió en funcionario público. Un día lo sorprendieron con las manos en la masa y lo condenaron a muerte.
Cuando iba hacia el cadalso pasó por delante de la Madre y le dijo:
-¡Mira lo que has hecho! Si no me hubieras enseñado a robar no estaría ahora metido en esto.
-¡Tienes razón! -dijo la Madre-. Pero, dime, ¿quién te enseñó a que te descubrieran?
December 26, 2021
Too snide to convey much wisdom. A vocabulary-builder lacking relevance and substance.
August 16, 2016
Отличный сборник притчц, на манер "Эзоповых басен на новый лад" того же автора, которых на сайте этом не обнаружено (как и многого другого - например, какого чёрта выставлять номер журнала 68го года с фантастическими рассказами, в том числе Роберта Янга - а-ля каждый бросится искать его электронные копии, чтобы прочесть всё по порядку и уловить "концепцию", а затем только писать рецензию на ОДИН рассказ, проиведший достаточное впечатление? Или удивляет манера некоторых товарищей, и не только пост-советских, указывать имя автора кириллицей при наличии английского варианта и добавлять единым тэгом ещё и редактора - на примере "Избранных диалогов", которые, оказывается, составлялись Платоном в чуть ли не андрогинном соавторстве с Владимиром Шкодой). Особого цинизма отслежено не было - и, о, Господи, как это бы цинично, видимо, прозвучало! :)
В сравнении (в котором нет, естественно, нужды ;) ) с теми же баснями Эзопа, в данном сборнике гораздо более сокращён "дзэновский" настрой, поскольку добрая половина притчц носит остро социальный характер лишь с толикой индивидуализма. В то же время, непременно может обнаружиться сходство с "Парижским сплином" Бодлера - по сути, изобрести сходные переживания под воздействием опиатов не составит особого труда, а по правде, эти переживания даже не будет нужды изобретать. Однако, отсылки к чистому ("культовому") американизму могли бы испортить впечатление определённому сорту читателей, к которому, пока (или уже) лишь частично, к счастью, отношусь и я - к примеру, "Убийца под Судом" и "Глупая Женщина". А "Прах Мадам Блаватской" - просто прелесть.
Стоит отметить и эту чудесную манеру возводить будто такие привычные подлежащие в собственные имена (и нарицательные), в последователи которой призван записаться рано или поздно каждый, кто отдаёт предпочтение индуктивному подходу при рассмотрении явлений и факторов действительности окружающей действительности.
В сравнении (в котором нет, естественно, нужды ;) ) с теми же баснями Эзопа, в данном сборнике гораздо более сокращён "дзэновский" настрой, поскольку добрая половина притчц носит остро социальный характер лишь с толикой индивидуализма. В то же время, непременно может обнаружиться сходство с "Парижским сплином" Бодлера - по сути, изобрести сходные переживания под воздействием опиатов не составит особого труда, а по правде, эти переживания даже не будет нужды изобретать. Однако, отсылки к чистому ("культовому") американизму могли бы испортить впечатление определённому сорту читателей, к которому, пока (или уже) лишь частично, к счастью, отношусь и я - к примеру, "Убийца под Судом" и "Глупая Женщина". А "Прах Мадам Блаватской" - просто прелесть.
Стоит отметить и эту чудесную манеру возводить будто такие привычные подлежащие в собственные имена (и нарицательные), в последователи которой призван записаться рано или поздно каждый, кто отдаёт предпочтение индуктивному подходу при рассмотрении явлений и факторов действительности окружающей действительности.
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