Book Review | An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Owl Creek Bridge
Owl Creek Bridge

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce is not really a book, it is a short, very short story.  It is only 36 pages.  Readers of the blog probably know that I picked this one up primarily as a way to get another book under my belt during the summer reading contests that the local libraries always have.  The more books you read the more chances you have to win a prize.

“The condemned man stands on a bridge, his hands bound behind his back. A noose is tied around his neck…” – From An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Finding books to read in this way has introduced me to many new authors I would not have found on my own.  For example, I had never heard of this book but it has 16,800 ratings on goodreads, with an average rating of 4.02.  Which I agreed with giving it a 4/5 rating.

The photo above is from the Ambrose Bierce Project.  This is not Owl Creek bridge, but a similar bridge on the same river to give you an idea.  More pictures are available at the website.

I would say you won’t lose anything by reading this book including your time as it is so short, but don’t take my word for it:

“I consider anybody a twerp who hasn’t read the greatest American short story, which is ‘Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,’ by Ambrose Bierce.” – Kurt Vonnegut

If you can’t trust Kurt who can you?