The Isle of Pines by Ambrose Bierce

Name: The Isle of Pines
Author: Ambrose Bierce

A group of sailors are stranded on a mysterious island with a strange, glowing tree in the center.

By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1892 · Genre: Fiction, Adventure, Romance · 1,718 words

First lines

FOR many years there lived near the town of Gallipolis, Ohio, an old man named Herman Deluse. Very little was known of his history, for he would neither speak of it himself nor suffer others. It was a common belief among his neighbors that he had been a pirate-if upon any better evidence than his collection of boarding pikes, cutlasses, and ancient flintlock pistols, no one knew. He lived entirely alone in a small house of four rooms, falling rapidly into decay and never repaired further than was required by the weather. It stood on a slight elevation in the midst of a large, stony field overgrown with brambles, and cultivated in patches and only in the most primitive way. It was his only visible property, but could hardly have yielded him a living, simple and few as were his wants.

What this Textopian page supports

The Isle of Pines 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: Fiction, Adventure, Romance, Historical Fiction
Length: 1,718 words
Structure: 1 section, 18 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for The Isle of Pines by Ambrose Bierce
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering The Isle of Pines?
How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Fiction — Given the narrative manner in which the story is told, it clearly falls within the realm of fictional works.
Adventure — The plot involves the exploration and survival on an uninhabited island, which entails a journey and adventure.
Romance — The story explores relationships and intimate connections between characters, qualifying it as a romance.
Historical Fiction — Although the author doesn't specify the era, there are elements of past periods subtly incorporated into the book, hinting at it being a work of historical fiction.