'He had power only to feel, and feeling was torment.'

One of the most anthologized short stories in American literature, Ambrose Bierce's 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' is regarded as a remarkable feat of genius, and has gone on to influence the likes of Ernest Hemingway and William Golding amongst others.

A haunting exploration of death, 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' masterfully blurs the lines between perception and reality in the final moments of a man's life. Set during the American Civil War, it follows Peyton Farquhar, a Confederate sympathiser, facing execution by Union soldiers. As the moment of his hanging nears, time appears to stretch and splinter, leading to a vivid and suspenseful journey that precariously sits on the cusp of both imagination and real life. An early example of the stream-of-consciousness narrative form, and masterfully crafted with psychological intensity, 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek' is a chilling commentary on the devastating consequences of war and the human will to survive. Today, it remains a landmark of American literature.

Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914) was an American journalist, short story writer and soldier. A pioneer of American Realism and heavily influenced by his service in the Civil War, his work often focused on themes of death, horror and the supernatural. He disappeared in 1913 when travelling to Mexico, never to be seen again.