Ambrose Bierce The Civil War Era POSTED BY VINNIE BLESI, February 9, 2012 Share
American writer Ambrose Bierce's prose from the late 1800's to early 1900's flowed off the page like melted butter from a knife. Although I have no interest in the Civil War in America, his fluid and descriptive style, as a writer who served in the Union Army makes every short story of his Civil War experience a treat to read. As a plus you will also find your vocabulary increased from the plain Jane novels of today.
Bierce's command of the English language and writing enabled him to convey emotion and descriptions without being verbose, resulting in stories that range from 4 to 10 pages. In addition many of his Civil War stories had "gotcha endings", long before EC comics or TV shows such as "The Twilight Zone"
In season five of "The Twilight Zone", Rod Serling introduced, to my knowledge, the only episode that was not produced for "The Twilight Zone", a French film of Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". The French production was faithful to the source material, especially paying attention to the wild forest and underbrush that Bierce always described as a challenge to the troops.
Ambrose Bierce's Civil War stories are a pleasure to read if you are a fan of the English language, yet they portray the horrors of the war, such as being bayoneted; they portray the heroism of both southern and union forces, and they portray the cowardice of some.
Bierce describes in his fluent writing the conflict that we don't really recognize anymore. That the Civil War was fought in brutal conditions of forest and underbrush, and that it was violent and many died.
Bierce went on to write the "Devil's Dictionary" and a slew of dark mystery short stories after his service in the Union Army.
Oddly enough according to Wikipedia, "In 1913, Bierce traveled to Mexico to gain a first-hand perspective on that country's ongoing revolution. While traveling with rebel troops, the elderly writer disappeared without a trace."
"Death By Culture" is ©2012 by Vinnie Blesi. All contents of Crazed Fanboy are ©2012 by Nolan B. Canova and Terence Nuzum. Share This Article on Facebook! Email
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