Beschreibung
Produktdetails
Format
ePUB
Kopierschutz
Nein
Family Sharing
Nein
Text-to-Speech
Ja
Erscheinungsdatum
07.05.2026
Verlag
Waking Lion PressSeitenzahl
61 (Printausgabe)
Dateigröße
1743 KB
Auflage
1. Auflage
Sprache
Englisch
EAN
9781434106551
The first major collection of Ambrose Bierce's short stories, In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians went through multiple editions and titles, with Bierce adding, removing, and revising the stories each time. The version of the stories as collected here follows the final selection and revisions made by Bierce for his Collected Works, Volume 2, published in 1909, and is broken up into two sections, "Soldiers" and "Civilians."
Bierce fought for the Union in the American Civil War from the very first organized action at Philippi. He went on to fight in some of the deadliest battles of the war, at Shiloh and Chickamauga. He joined Sherman's army on its march to Atlanta, and was grievously wounded in the head at Kennesaw Mountain. These locations serve as backdrops in his gritty and realist short stories in the "Soldiers" collection, most especially in the surreal story "Chickamauga." While these stories are set in the war, Bierce covers a wide range of themes, from the fear of death in "Parker Adderson, Philosopher," the requirements of duty for a soldier in "A Horseman in the Sky," and what one might do for love in "Killed at Resaca."
Perhaps the most well-known story in "Soldiers" is "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Kurt Vonnegut called it "the greatest American short story," saying "It is a flawless example of American genius, like 'Sophisticated Lady' by Duke Ellington or the Franklin stove."
Bierce, much like Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft, was an American pioneer in what he called his "tall tales"-psychological, supernatural, grotesque, and horror fiction. Many stories in "Civilians," such as "The Man and the Snake," "A Holy Terror," and "The Suitable Surroundings," foreshadow his later and darker works as studies in psychological horror. "The Eyes of the Panther" is a tragic, near-supernatural (though the reader is left guessing) tale of a woman of "feline beauty" and the man seeking her hand. Other stories found in the collection are satirical and ironic, like "The Famous Gilson Bequest" and "The Applicant."
Bierce's writing earned him the title "Bitter Bierce" from his contemporaries, as one finds precious little hope and compassion in his stories, with death-often cruel-a recurring theme. A very rare exception can be found in "A Lady from Redhorse," an epistolary romance.
Perfect for readers who crave haunting tales that blur the line between reality and the supernatural, this definitive collection showcases Bierce's masterful ability to transform the horrors of war into unforgettable literary nightmares. With his firsthand Civil War experience and razor-sharp prose, Bierce delivers stories that will linger in your mind long after the final page. A must-read for fans of classic American horror and anyone fascinated by the dark psychological aftermath of America's bloodiest conflict.
Kundinnen und Kunden meinen
Verfassen Sie die erste Bewertung zu diesem Artikel
Helfen Sie anderen Kund*innen durch Ihre Meinung
Kurze Frage zu unserer Seite
Vielen Dank für dein Feedback
Wir nutzen dein Feedback, um unsere Produktseiten zu verbessern. Bitte habe Verständnis, dass wir dir keine Rückmeldung geben können. Falls du Kontakt mit uns aufnehmen möchtest, kannst du dich aber gerne an unseren Kund*innenservice wenden.
zum Kundenservice