One Summer Night by Ambrose Bierce
A young man named John is on a journey to find his missing friend, who has been gone for several days. Along the way, he encounters various strange and eerie occurrences, including a ghostly figure in a tree and a mysterious woman who seems to be following him. As the night wears on, John becomes increasingly uneasy and disoriented, unsure of what is real and what is just a product of his own feverish imagination. Ultimately, he comes to a disturbing realization about the true nature of his friend's disappearance.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1879 · Genre: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction · 688 words
First lines
THE fact that Henry Armstrong was buried did not seem to him to prove that he was dead: he had always been a hard man to convince. That he really was buried, the testimony of his senses compelled him to admit.
His posture-flat upon his back, with his hands crossed upon his stomach and tied with something that he easily broke without profitably altering the situation-the strict confinement of his entire person, the black darkness and profound silence, made a body of evidence impossible to controvert and he accepted it without cavil.
What this Textopian page supports
One Summer Night is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1879 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: 1879 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Supernatural
- Length: 688 words
- Structure: 1 section, 13 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for One Summer Night by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering One Summer Night?
- 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
- A Bad Night by Ambrose Bierce
- A Man by Ambrose Bierce
- A Challenge by Ambrose Bierce
- A Guest by Ambrose Bierce
- A Cold Greeting by Ambrose Bierce
- The Woful Tale Of Mr Peters by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Horror — The book is written by Ambrose Bierce who is known for his horror writing and this publication features supernatural and macabre themes.
- Short Stories — Ambrose Bierce traditionally writes short stories and this book is a collection of his works.
- Fiction — The events and characters in the book are not real, hence this is a work of fiction.
- Supernatural — Themes of the supernatural are present throughout the stories.
Tags
mystery · thriller · suspense · gothic · horror · supernatural · fiction · novel · short story · classic · literature · american literature