“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce

(1890)

Many readers might come to this from the short film, made

rather confusingly in French. But it’s a tale set during the

American civil war. Peyton Farquhar is being hanged by

Union soldiers on a small bridge in Alabama. To say more

might ruin the experience of reading it. When I happened on

the story a few years ago, I thought I might be one of only a

few intrepid readers. Of course, it is considered to be one of

the best stories in American literature. Sebastian Barry