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Ambrose Bierce Trivia Quiz

Best known for his disppearence in Mexico, Ambrose Bierce left behind a body of work unique in American letters.

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
26,222

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
308

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What war was Bierce a veteran of? Hint

Civil War

War of 1812

Mexican War

Spanish-American War

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Which battle formed the backdrop and title of one of Bierce's stories? Hint

Gettysburg

Vicksburg

Antietam

Chickamauga

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Question 3 of 10

3. From what creek did spy Peyton Farquhar ostensibly escape to avoid hanging? Hint

Battle Creek

Owl Creek

Cripple Creek

Egret Creek

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Question 4 of 10

4. In what story does Jerome Searing risk being shot by his own rifle? Hint

The Mocking-Bird

One Of The Missing

The Coup de Grace

A Son of the Gods

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Question 5 of 10

5. In what similar story is a man cornered by a poisonous snake? Hint

The Man and The Snake

Cobra!

Death Rattle

Copperhead

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which Bierce story is similar to Maupassant's 'The Horla'? Hint

What Was It?

Unseen Terror

The Invisible Thing

The Damned Thing

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Question 7 of 10

7. From Bierce's Devil's Dictionary: Coward,n., One who in a perilous emergency thinks with his______. Hint

feet

head

guts

legs

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Question 8 of 10

8. War,n., A by-product of the_______________. Hint

munitions business

capitalist system

arts of peace

slave system

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Question 9 of 10

9. Ghost,n., The outward and visible sign of______________. Hint

an inward fear

a murder

death

a cemetery

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Question 10 of 10

10. What year did Bierce vanish? Hint

1920

1900

1913

1895

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What war was Bierce a veteran of?

Answer: Civil War

Unlike Stephen Crane, Bierce was a Union soldier in the War.

2. Which battle formed the backdrop and title of one of Bierce's stories?

Answer: Chickamauga

Told form the viewpoint of a deaf-mute child, this is one of the most powerful depictions of war ever penned.

3. From what creek did spy Peyton Farquhar ostensibly escape to avoid hanging?

Answer: Owl Creek

No doubt Bierce's best-known and most anthologized story, it became an Oscar-winning short by Robert Enrico.

4. In what story does Jerome Searing risk being shot by his own rifle?

Answer: One Of The Missing

Searing's rifle-pit is shelled by the enemy, and his own rifle is pointed at him as a result. Yet he is found dead...of extreme fright.(He tried to fire it...and it was empty!)

5. In what similar story is a man cornered by a poisonous snake?

Answer: The Man and The Snake

Again, a man dies of extreme terror...caused by a STUFFED snake!

6. Which Bierce story is similar to Maupassant's 'The Horla'?

Answer: The Damned Thing

Like 'Horla'' Bierce's 'Damned Thing' is a classic of unseen horror.

7. From Bierce's Devil's Dictionary: Coward,n., One who in a perilous emergency thinks with his______.

Answer: legs

Stephen Crane would agree!

8. War,n., A by-product of the_______________.

Answer: arts of peace

The next one is especially Biercian.

9. Ghost,n., The outward and visible sign of______________.

Answer: an inward fear

In many of his best stories, Bierce explores the psychological landscape of 'inward fear'.

10. What year did Bierce vanish?

Answer: 1913

In his last letter, Bierce wrote,'To be a gringo in Mexico-ah, that is euthanasia!'

Source: Author tjoebigham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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