Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories

"Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories" by Ambrose Bierce is a collection of short stories that delves into the macabre and supernatural, written in the late 19th century. Known for its dark humor and philosophical insights, the book explores themes of death, the afterlife, and the eerie occurrences that often accompany tragedy. With Bierce's signature sardonic wit, this compilation captures the reader's imagination while manipulating the boundaries between reality and the supernatural. The collection features various narratives, such as "Present at a Hanging," which recounts a murder mystery involving a peddler and a tragic apparition. Other stories, like "Charles Ashmore's Trail," center around a mysterious disappearance, immersing readers in a sense of unsettling mystery and horror. Bierce's characters often find themselves inexplicably drawn into encounters with the other side, whether through ghostly apparitions or haunting memories, revealing the macabre nature of existence and the lingering effects of past deeds. Each tale combines Bierce's clever constructs with a sense of dread and introspection, making the collection an engaging read for those intrigued by the eerie and unknown. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book The Devil's Dictionary was named one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration. His story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" has been described as "one of the most famous and frequently anthologized stories in American literature", and his book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians was named by the Grolier Club one of the 100 most influential American books printed before 1900.