John Bartine's Watch
"JOHN BARTINE'S WATCH" is a short story by Ambrose Bierce, first published in 1892. The story follows the protagonist, John Bartine, who buys a watch that he believes will help him manage his time more effectively. However, the watch seems to have a mind of its own and causes chaos in Bartine's life, leading him to question the nature of time and its relationship with humanity. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1892 · Genre: Horror, Short Story, Supernatural · 2,625 words
First lines
"THE exact time? Good God! my friend, why do you insist? One would think-but what does it matter; it is easily bedtime-isn't that near enough? But, here, if you must set your watch, take mine and see for yourself."
With that he detached his watch-a tremendously heavy, old-fashioned one-from the chain, and handed it to me; then turned away, and walking across the room to a shelf of books, began an examination of their backs.
What this Textopian page supports
John Bartine's Watch is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1892 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1892 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Short Story, Supernatural, Gothic Fiction, Psychological Thriller
- Length: 2,625 words
- Structure: 1 section, 38 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for John Bartine's Watch by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering John Bartine's Watch?
- How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Horror first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- One Morning by Ambrose Bierce
- Detected by Ambrose Bierce
- Four Of A Kind by Ambrose Bierce
- A Man With Two Lives by Ambrose Bierce
- An Arrest by Ambrose Bierce
- A Resumed Identity by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Horror — The story is a chilling account of a watch imbued with a curse that predicts the death of its owner, exhibiting elements typical of horror novels.
- Short Story — Considering its length and structure, the novel falls under the short story genre.
- Supernatural — The presence of supernatural elements, such as a curse and prediction of death by the watch, assign this story to the supernatural genre.
- Gothic Fiction — The book contains several elements of the gothic fiction genre, including dark and eerie settings, a sense of horror and dread, as well as the supernatural elements.
Tags
mystery · thriller · detective · crime · fiction · literature · classic · american · gothic · horror · supernatural · time-travel