This week my daytime reading has been the paperback of 23 stories by the strange, sardonic American writer, Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?), who was shaped by his terrible Civil War experiences. The title story of this volume, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", is his best known work and was made one of the Twilight Zone episodes. Besides the eleven Civil War stories, the book includes his horror stories and his tall tales of the Old West. (Dover Thrift Edition, 2008, $3.50)
And we thought the 20th century invented cynical realism!
This is strong stuff!
8 comments:
Must admit you tweaked my interest with the reference to the Twilight Zone episode. I've seen most of them many years ago but I may have to go read that particular story to see if I remember it.
I bet you will remember it.
It's number 142 on this list:
http://www.tv.com/the-twilight-zone/show/237/episode.html?tag=tabs;episodes
Good Morning! Sorry it took me so long to get around to visiting - this book does sound interesting.
There aren't too many Twilight Zone shows that I remember. The description in the list does sound familiar though. The only one I strongly remember was titled "To Serve Man". It was a about aliens who came to Earth with gifts for humans that would provide more food and technology. They also offered them trips to their planet. When boarding the ship an alien (played by the actor who was Lurch in the TV Adams Family) had a book with the title "To Serve Man". At the end of the story one person about to board the ship discovers the book is a cook book!
Delicious ending!
Only if properly prepared.
A TV production of Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge was one of the most beautiful and poignant productions I have ever seen on TV before or since. I don't know if the one I vividly recall is the same episode of Twilight Zone you mention. It was a fine work of art and it ran several times.
Post a Comment