The Realm of the Unreal by Ambrose Bierce
Tuesday’s Tale of Terror March 4, 2014
Our story begins with two men, Mr. Manrich and Dr. Dorrimore who is from India. The doctor is a Hindu juggler. Hindu jugglers are famous for swallowing fire and swords, charming snakes, and especially their disappearing acts. Chemistry, optics, psychology, and magnetism all play their roles. Dr. Dorrimore’s skills are quite exceptional and if you stumbled upon the good doctor on a dark night in a chill fog, you might feel unsettled sitting next to him.
Manrich begins his narrative with his traveling by horse and buggy to Newcastle …
“The hills are wooded, the course of the ravine is sinuous. In a dark night careful driving is required in order not to go off into the water. The night that I have in memory was dark, the creek a torrent, swollen by a recent storm…. Suddenly I saw a man almost under the animal’s nose, and reined in with a jerk that came near setting the creature upon its haunches.”
Manrich claims this is not a love story, and it is not. He is engaged to the lovely Miss Curray. But after he sees Dr. Dorrimore with Miss Corray, the juggler performs his most sinister performance in an abandoned cemetery.
Come meet thaumaturgist, Dr. Dorrimore.
The mysteriousness of this story has high suspense with disappearances and shocking presences to test any man’s sanity. I found these themes to parallel the mysteriousness of the author’s death. Historical accounts are that Ambrose Bierce disappeared in 1914 without a trace after crossing the border into Mexico. Theories abound of his being killed in the war to committing suicide, or, as one theory fictionalized: Bierce is a wizard and still alive trapped in another world … or realm. You can read about these theories concerning his death at Biercephile.com
“As to me, I leave here tomorrow for an unknown destination.”
— The last line of the last letter from Ambrose Bierce,
December 26, 1913
Read The Realm of the Unreal at Online Literature.com.
Listen to the audio at Librivox Recording
Other Reading Web Sites to Visit
Horror Novel Reviews Hell Horror HorrorPalace
Monster Librarian Tales to Terrify Spooky Reads
Lovecraft Ezine Rob Around Books The Story Reading Ape Blog
The Gothic Wanderer Sirens Call Publications
For Authors/Writers: The Writer Unboxed
It has an eerie ring to it, especially knowing that his death is such a mystery.
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Paula,Did your 2nd book-in-print come out yet?
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Soon, Tom. Certainly by the end of the month. Thanks for asking. I will post when it’s available.
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Hi Paula,
I’ve read this story relatively recently and enjoyed it. The pitch-black encounter in the ravine is great writing, as i recall. Bierce is a favorite, and I am eagerly awaiting his story “Beyond the Wall” to come up in my 2014 short story reading challenge.
Thanks so much for sharing the link about his mysterious disappearance too. I’ve been wondering about that for years and look forward to browsing that site.
-Jay
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Thank you, Jay. Always like your comments.
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I LOVE the way the old masters used words “As to me, I leave here tomorrow for an unknown destination.“ :)
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