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In the Midst of Life; Tales of Soldiers and Civilians

In the Midst of Life; Tales of Soldiers and Civilians

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Genre(s): , ,

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Number of Chapters: 30

Length: 11 hours and 11 minutes

Language: English

These stories detail the lives of soldiers and civilians during the American Civil War. This is the 1909 edition. The 1909 edition omits six stories from the original 1891 edition; these six stories are added to this LibriVox recording (from an undated English edition). The 1891 edition is entitled In The Midst Of Life; Tales Of Soldiers And Civilians. The Wikipedia entry for the book uses the title Tales of Soldiers and Civilians.

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – after December 26, 1913) was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist. Today, he is best known for his short story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and his satirical lexicon, The Devil's Dictionary. The sardonic view of human nature that informed his work – along with his vehemence as a critic, with his motto "nothing matters" – earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce." Despite his reputation as a searing critic, however, Bierce was known to encourage younger writers, including poet George Sterling and fiction writer W. C. Morrow. Bierce employed a distinctive style of writing, especially in his stories. This style often embraces an abrupt beginning, dark imagery, vague references to time, limited descriptions, the theme of war, and impossible events. In 1913, Bierce traveled to Mexico to gain a first-hand perspective on that country's ongoing revolution. While traveling with rebel troops, the elderly writer disappeared without a trace. Since the book is a compilation of short stories, there is not an overarching plot. However, there are literary elements, or plot devices, that are shared throughout. Bierce's stories often begin mid-plot, with relevant details withheld until the end, where the dramatic resolution unfolds differently than expected, to a degree where most are considered twist endings. His characters were described by George Sterling as: "His heroes, or rather victims, are lonely men, passing to unpredictable dooms, and hearing, from inaccessible crypts of space, the voices of unseen malevolencies."... Bierce served as a union soldier during the Civil War and his experiences as a soldier served as an inspiration for his writing, particularly for the Soldiers section. In this way, Bierce's war treatments anticipate and parallel Ernest Hemingway's later arrival, whereas the civilian tales later influence horror writers. (Summary by Wikipedia and David Wales)

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The Suitable Surroundings (David Wales)
A Tough Tussle (David Wales)
An Inhabitant of Carcosa (David Wales)
The Middle Toe Of The Right Foot (David Wales)
Haita The Shepherd (David Wales)
A Horseman In The Sky (David Wales)
An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge (David Wales)
Chickamauga (David Wales)
A Son Of The Gods (David Wales)
One Of The Missing (David Wales)
Killed At Resaca (David Wales)
The Affair At Coulter's Notch (David Wales)
The Coup De Grace (David Wales)
Parker Adderson, Philosopher (David Wales)
An Affair Of Outposts (David Wales)
The Story Of A Conscience (David Wales)
One Kind Of Officer (David Wales)
One Officer, One Man (David Wales)
George Thurston (David Wales)
The Mocking-bird (David Wales)
The Man Out Of The Nose (David Wales)
An Adventure At Brownville (David Wales)
The Famous Gilson Bequest (David Wales)
The Applicant (David Wales)
A Watcher By The Dead (David Wales)
The Man And The Snake (David Wales)
A Holy Terror (David Wales)
The Boarded Window (David Wales)
A Lady From Red Horse (David Wales)
The Eyes Of The Panther (David Wales)
The audiobook In the Midst of Life; Tales of Soldiers and Civilians falls under the genres of , , . It is written by .