
The Letters of Ambrose Bierce
The letters provide insight into Bierce's personal life, including his relationships with family and friends, as well as his thoughts on literature, politics, and social issues of the time. Many of the letters are addressed to his wife, Annie, while others are written to close friends and fellow writers, such as William Dean Howell and Mark Twain.
Some notable themes that emerge from the letters include Bierce's experiences during the Civil War, his views on slavery and race relations, and his thoughts on the role of literature in society. Additionally, the letters offer a glimpse into Bierce's writing process and provide insight into his creative approach to storytelling.
Overall, The Letters of Ambrose Bierce offers a unique perspective on the life and work of this influential American writer, providing readers with a more personal and intimate understanding of his thoughts and experiences.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1909 · Genre: Epistolary, Non-fiction, Biography · 60 chapters · 73,053 words
First lines
Though from boyhood a lover of tales of the terrible, it was not until my twenty-second year that I heard of Ambrose Bierce, I having then been for ten months a resident of Oakland, California. But in the fall of the year 1891 my friend Roosevelt Johnson, newly arrived from our town of birth, Sag Harbor, New York, asked me if I were acquainted with his work, adding that he had been told that Bierce was the author of stories not inferior in awesomeness to the most terrible of Poe's.
What this Textopian page supports
The Letters of Ambrose Bierce is listed on Textopian as a novel by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1909 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Epistolary, Non-fiction, Biography, Historical
- Length: 73,053 words
- Structure: 152 chapters, 1,319 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Letters of Ambrose Bierce 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 The Letters of Ambrose Bierce?
- How does this novel by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Epistolary first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
Genres
- Epistolary — As suggested by the title, the book is a collection of letters penned by Ambrose Bierce. Therefore, it fits into the epistolary genre which consists of documents such as letters and diary entries.
- Non-fiction — The book is a compilation of real-life correspondences of Ambrose Bierce, and hence, falls into the non-fiction genre.
- Biography — The book portrays the thoughts, viewpoints, and life experiences of the author Ambrose Bierce, and thereby, has elements of a biography.
- Historical — The letters offer insights into the historical period during which Bierce lived and wrote which categorizes it under the historical genre.
Tags
classic literature · American literature · letters · nonfiction · history · biography · autobiography · humor · satire · short stories · essays · criticism
Contents
- A Memoir of Ambrose Bierce
- [Angwin, July 31, 1892.]
- [St. Helena, August 15, 1892.]
- [St. Helena, August 17, 1892.]
- [St. Helena, August 28, 1892.]
- [St. Helena, September 28, 1892.]
- [St. Helena, October 6, 1892.]
- [St. Helena, October 7, 1892.]
- [St. Helena, October 15, 1892.]
- [St. Helena, November 6, 1892.]
- [Angwin, November 29, 1892.]
- [Angwin, December 25, 1892.]
- [Angwin, January 4, 1893.]
- [Angwin, Cal., January 14, 1893.]
- [Angwin, January 23, 1893.]
- [Angwin, February 5, 1893.]
- [Angwin, February 14, 1893.]
- [Angwin, February 21, 1893.]
- [Angwin, March 18, 1893.]
- [Angwin, March 26, 1893.]
- [Angwin, April 10, 1893.]
- [Angwin, April 10, 1893.]
- [Angwin, Calif., April 16, 1893.]
- [Angwin, April 18, 1893.]
- [Angwin, Cala., April 26, 1893.]
- [Berkeley, October 2, 1893.]
- [Berkeley, December 27, 1893.]
- [Oakland, July 31, 1894.]
- [San Jose, October 17, 1894.]
- [San Jose, October 28, 1894.]
- [San Jose, November 20, 1894.]
- [18 Iowa Circle, Washington, D. C., January 1, 1901.]
- [18 Iowa Circle, Washington, D. C., January 19, 1901.]
- [Washington, D. C., January 23, 1901.]
- [Washington, February 17, 1901.]
- [Washington, D. C., May 2, 1901.]
- [Washington, May 9, 1901.]
- [Washington, May 22, 1901.]
- [1825 Nineteenth St., N. W., Washington, D. C., June 30, 1901.]
- [1825 Nineteenth St., N. W., Washington, D. C., July 15, 1901.]
- [The Olympia, Washington, D. C., December 16, 1901.]
- [The Olympia, Washington, D. C., March 15, 1902.]
- [The Olympia, Washington, D. C., March 31, 1902.]
- [The Olympia, Washington, D. C., April 15, 1902.]
- [The Olympia, Washington, D. C., July 10, 1902.]
- [Washington, August 19, 1902.]
- [Address me at 1321 Yale Street, Washington, D. C., December 20, 1902.]
- [1321 Yale Street, Washington, D. C., March 1, 1903.]
- [The New York "American" Bureau, Washington, D. C., June 13, 1903.]
- [N. Y. "American" Bureau, Washington, D. C., [July, 1903].]
- [Aurora, Preston Co., West Virginia, August 15, 1903.]
- [Aurora, West Virginia, September 8, 1903.]
- [Aurora, West Virginia, September 12, 1903.]
- [Washington, D. C. [Postmarked October 12, 1903.]]
- [N. Y. Journal Office, Washington, D. C., October 21, 1903.]
- [Washington, D. C., October 29, 1903.]
- [Navarre Hotel and Importation Co., Seventh Avenue and 38th St., New York, December 26, 1903.]
- [Washington, D. C., January 8, 1904.]
- [Washington, D. C., February 5, 1904.]
- ["New York American" Office, Washington, D. C., February 29, 1904.]
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