Realms of the Unreal and Other Stories (Ambrose Bierce)

Having previously spot-read and enjoyed his Devil's Dictionary (review here), I was excited to open an Ambrose Bierce short story collection, produced by the Folio Society.  I like Bierce because of his take on humanity- I believe he accurately portrays our fallen nature in his witty and consistently-sardonic prose (check out some of his quotes to get an idea of what I mean).  He's not a Christian, but he nails human nature.  This was going to be fun.

I was wrong; I put this down after reading about 20 of the 91 stories and 80 of the 533 pages (15%).  Bierce writes well, but I couldn't take more, because it was (in a word) . . . disturbing.  In some stories, his narrators commit and report on abominable crimes with an air of nonchalance or indifference.  They'd kill their parents and destroy their friends without so much as a twinge of regret.   I found it all alarming in the extreme.  Overall, I felt . . . unhealthy reading this.  His belief that "nothing matters" shines through, and it's both sad and shocking to see.  No wonder some called him "Bitter Bierce."

Though disconcerted, I'm glad I read parts of this, because I learned something.  Those who believe the world has no meaning and who understand human nature have a complete lack of hope.  They see the problem; not the solution.  This lack leads to despair (at best) and atrocity (at worst).  Bierce rightly perceived that humans are helplessly focused on themselves, without regard for how their self-centered actions damage those around them (and ultimately come back to destroy themselves).  The world is a mess, and nobody cares as long as they get their fair (or unfair) share of resources; as long as they have a good time.  Bierce gets that- but sees no way out; he has no hope.  Therefore, nothing matters.  We, the self-centered, are responsible for caring for everything else- the Earth and everyone on it.  God help us.  And if there is no God . . . we're doomed.

I suppose I'm ranting . . . I apologize.  Anyway, I liked Devil's Dictionary  better- read that to enjoy Bierce's wit without some of the more macabre elements.

Rating: B-