Line Illuminator
"Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of Owl Creek bridge." - Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, page 16
The closing line from the book is one of the most depressing lines from Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Farquhar was so close to hugging his wife after being through a horrific ordeal. He walked all night with a broken neck (is that even possible?!) to get home and see his family. Peyton's tragic death in front of his wife instilled a sad ending to the book. Even though Farquhar's death was expected, after his escape, I thought he was going to make it. I wish that Bierce would have let Farquhar hug his wife and children before he died.
I think a lot of us who read this story have the same feelings, Selah! So did you believe u0 to the very end that Farquhar made it? If you go back & re-read, can you see some of the clues Bierce left for the reader that all was not as it seemed? I was totally taken in & manipulated by the author, myself, I will admit :) And why do you suppose we are so willing to believe the manipulation?
ReplyDeleteI think that it was sad Farquhar didn't get to hug his wife, even if it was in his imagination.
ReplyDeleteWhy are we so willing to believe the manipulation?
First of all, the book was very tricksy! When I read the ending I was completely surprised. (Suddenly, by one line, this okay-ish book turned into a literary masterpiece. I have never a story quite like this one in my whole life.) The second time I read it (yes, there was a second time) I caught some of the hints.
Perhaps one reason for our easy manipulation is because we always want to see things turn out right. Whether for ourselves, or others.
Hopefully this answer is semi-clear. Was anyone else completely surprised by the ending? Or should I say, was anyone not surprised by the ending?
I was also extremely surprised in the ending of the book. And because of that ending I actually liked the book even more. I also agree with Anne's thoughts on manipulation because I certainly thought he was going to make it to his family and it would be a happy ending but lo and behold Ambrose had a totally different idea when writing this book.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, I was almost completely UN-surprised by the ending, but not because I saw it coming. No, I have an older sister who spoiled the whole thing for me when she had to read it four years ago. RACHEL! Had it not been spoiled, I think I would have been surprised. Partly because when I read a book, I expect it to have a happy ending, though I often like it better if the ending is semi-happy or even sad. Think of how this book would have been if Peyton had reached his family safely. It would have been extremely unrealistic and pretty lame, despite his epic writing style. The sad ending is what made it interesting. So yah, I agree with both of you.
ReplyDeleteYou & Isaac can commiserate! He had the same experience four years ago with TWO of his siblings being in the class & talking about it non-stop. :(
DeleteUgh, Rachel. The ending was the best part of the book (I thought). Sorry you had to miss out :) Siblings...
ReplyDeleteI read the clues, and I’m not sure what to think! I agree with Annie that we are willing to believe the manipulation because we want to. I was surprised at ending also. Although I wish Farquhar would have lived, I agree with Bethany that it would have made a pretty lame ending.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that if it was a happy ending the book would have been pretty boring.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you a happy ending would have made the book seem like a child's fairy tale story.
DeleteI'm just gonna ask. On a scale from 1-10 how much do you guys like this book? 1 being bleh, and 10 being Yippee
ReplyDeleteFor me it's probably an 8. I really liked it :D
Maybe a 9. I love but yet find frustrating the haziness of his writing style and the tragic twist ending. In a way, the haziness drew me into the story even more and made me more invested in it. Does anyone else feel this way?
Delete7. I loved the description, but I really wish Bierce had cleared up a lot of questions, unlike Bethany.
DeleteI agree with Bethany, I think that the haziness made me want to investigate further :D
ReplyDeleteThere is so much discussion that can "evolve" from this story! But I can also see where the lack of clarity could be frustrating :)
This is true, the ending for me was really unexpected and I had to read through it again!
ReplyDelete