An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

by Christopher Sergel (Adaptor), Ambrose Bierce

Stage adaptation of the Ambrose Bierce short story.

An almost cheerful young man is about to be hanged for his attempt to blow up the Owl Creek Bridge during the Civil War. On this, Bierce creates the most surprising story of his career. With dramatic force, the situation is established. The man's nature and mission are quickly revealed in a moving encounter with his wife and two daughters. Then in one of the most exciting short scenes in literature, the audience is taken into the mind of the man at the moment of his execution.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, School, Horror, Historical, Plays

16 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1967

About the author

Christopher Sergel's interests and talents led him on many adventures throughout the world. As captain of the schooner Chance, he spent two years in the South Pacific; as a writer for Sports Afield magazine, he lived in the African bush for a year; as a lieutenant commander during WWII, he taught celestial navigation; as a playwright, his adaptation of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio was seen on Broadway. But throughout his life, his greatest adventure and deepest love was his work with Dramatic Publishing. During this time, he wrote adaptations of To Kill a Mockingbird, Cheaper By the Dozen, The Mouse That Roared, Up the Down Staircase, Fame, Black Elk Speaks and many more. His love of theatre and his caring for writers made him a generous and spirited mentor to many playwrights here and around the world. His inspiration and integrity attracted to the company fine writers including C.P. Taylor, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Arthur Miller, Roald Dahl and E.B. White - to name just a few. He once said he hoped to be remembered as E.B. White described Charlotte…
"…a true friend and a good writer."

Reviews

[ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic. Kurt Vonnegut recommended it in his autobiography. Only after finishing it did I realize I had watched this short film in high school.

[Sophie Plouffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is among the best short stories I have ever read. A need to read :)

[pj · Rating 4 out of 5]

saw the twilight zone adaption so the ending lost its punch

some of the prettiest writing i think i have ever read. it’s just lovely and visual and it adds so much to such a simple story.

maybe would have been 5 if i didn’t already know what was coming and it’d been able to maintain the shock value

[Patricia Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing short story that throws you a twist that you really weren't expecting. The imagery is great; highly recommended.

[Michaila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for school...why I'm going through a horror section who knows.

[Brice Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a good read for anyone who likes fiction. It is about a man who is not allowed to be in the military due to unconditional circumstances but wants to serve his country. The time period is during the American Civil War which is the North versus the South. A soldier rides to the home of the man and tells him the plan of the federal side and says the man could help his side by destroying the bridge they have rebuilt. The man decides that if he helps then he might get recognized and be seen as a hero even though he is not allowed to be recognized as a soldier. So, he decides to wait until night time before he goes to destroy the bridge that the federal soldiers have built. The plan fails when he arrives and is caught by the soldiers and is tied up and put on a wooden plank on the edge of the bridge. The soldiers step off, he falls towards the water with a noose around his neck, and then the rope snaps. The rest is for you to find out. I would recommend this short story to anyone who enjoys reading action, fiction, adventure, horror, and history because it is during a historic time period where soldiers were told to hang or kill anyone trying to stop them. It is a story that is interesting and will keep the reader at the edge of their seat. It leaves the reader on cliffhangers when it transfers from part one to part 2 and then to part 3.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kurt Vonnegut called this "a flawless example of American Literature." I agree. I love the structuring of the story and the visuality of the details. "Death is a dignitary who when he comes unannounced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him."

[Rebecca Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are my favorite kind of short stories. Pulls you in and holds you on the edge to the point of reminding yourself to breathe and leaves you saying "What the hell?"

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“To be hanged and drowned,” he thought,
“that is not so bad; but I do not wish to be shot. No; I will not
be shot; that is not fair."

And now he became conscious of a new disturbance.
Striking through the thought of his dear ones was a sound
which he could neither ignore nor understand, a sharp, distinct,
metallic percussion like the stroke of a blacksmith’s hammer
upon the anvil; it had the same ringing quality. He wondered
what it was, and whether immeasurably distant or near by—it
seemed both. Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling
of a death knell. He awaited each new stroke with impatience
and—he knew not why—apprehension. The intervals of silence
grew progressively longer; the delays became maddening. With
their greater infrequency the sounds increased in strength and
sharpness. They hurt his ear like the trust of a knife; he feared he
would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch.

jesus christ what an ending. I love it. death loop.

[Callie Ihnen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is about a man who is being hung for intervening with railroad construction by Union soldiers during the Civil War He did this to help the South. While being hanged, he feels the rope snap and he falls into the river below him. He then feels the soldiers shooting at him, but he swims under the water to dodge the bullets. He then walks 30 miles home to his wife, but upon arriving, he feels an intense pain throughout his body. In the end, he never escaped, he was hanged.

I personally like this book because its unlike anything I’ve ever read. I like the detail in this story and I can relate with him in certain instances. Great read!

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book I was super intrigued with the twist they had put in the story, especially how at the beginning of the book you are faced with a man about to be hung on a bridge. Next thing you know the man is being hung but his rope breaks and he falls into the the river to escape from the soldiers trying to kill him. Eventually he gets a way without being harmed and is now trying to get to his wife. Finally he makes it to her and their swear a sweet moment until he waked up from his dream and is hung to death.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noted as a horror story on the site read from (gutenberg.org), and I can see why it is catergorized as so. While reading the timeline, the reader feels and understands the emotions and thoughts of the character, while also not realizing that something must be off. There is nothing telling that the events happening to the man are nothing but a dream, but they are and the scene at the end could have just been the man being caught and a bullet put through his neck as he runs to embrace his wife, but no. His neck has just snapped.
Amazing quick read.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is considered by many to be Ambrose Bierce's best. A thirty-five year old farmer from the South finds himself on the gallows to be hanged by Federal soldiers. In just sixteen pages, Bierce paints a detailed picture not only of the scene, but of a man's thoughts. The twist at the end is a bonus. If you have ten minutes, check out the story on the public domain. I read from Guttenberg here https://www.gutenberg.org/files/375/3....

[krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought this story was very detailed. the ending made me shook in the sense that i didnt expect. like you know how in middle school you write stories and then end it with "it was all a dream." thats how i felt. i still dont know why the man challenged the bridge and didnt listen but oh well

READ FOR ENG1102

[Ryan T. Guinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed revisiting this excellent short story during a slow day at work. It is brilliant and inspiring for any aspiring author because of the vivid prose and the historical context was just a bonus for me. This probably won't be the last time I visit this one.

[Stormie Praster · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is an amazing story. It tells the story of a man who is suspected to be a spy and wanting to blow up owl creek bridge. We do not know if this is true, the story is showing what we assume would go through someones mind before they die. In the story we see as the man is about to be hung off the bridge he has hallucination of escaping and going home to his wife.

[Ellie Tichy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the story of The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge because it brings to light the reality of something, we all face. It shows what the mind is capable of in situations of extreme consequence. Expectation and reality are very different and very real.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this short story. The format is unusual for the time it was written, but it adds to the intrigue of the story and the shocking conclusion. The descriptions of each scene is vivid, placing you in the heart of the story, if not the very shoes of the protagonist.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. The author's ability to describe a scene and the emotions of the main character are second to none. His beautiful and vivid prose did not detract from the power and clarity of the story. I highly recommend this quick, but immersive story.

[Carrie Irick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this short story in high school, randomly remembered it tonight, and found it online to read with a fresh, adult set of eyes. I definitely don’t think I appreciated this one enough as a teenager

[Eric Weisheit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice little play! It would be an easy show to mount in limited space. The playwright really brings the brilliant story to life!!

[Candida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a short story collection a little bit like the twilight zone or one step beyond. It is a fun set of stories to read.

[Anna (abookobsessed) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read for my Am Lit class.

My most fav short story of all time!

[Carielyn Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

death is very proud. john donne would be pissed off.

[Carito GM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siempre que leo este cuento, me cuestiono los aspectos estéticos de la literatura

[Tasnim Naz Chowa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.

[Cindy DeLong · Rating 2 out of 5]

Depressing and weird.

[Beckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was good

[Bud Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember seeing this adapted as a TV episode on "The Twilight Zone" ... many years ago. I read this as part of my Halloween selections.