The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter: Classic Tales Edition

Written by Ambrose Bierce

Narrated by B.J. Harrison

A knot of monks happens upon a gallows in the middle of a dark forest. Hanging from the gallows is a fresh corpse, and underneath the dangling wretch a young woman performs a haunting dance. When Ambrosius falls in love with this outcast woman, his efforts to suppress his natural feelings result in a gradual descent toward calamity and tragedy.

Bierce’s subtle transformation of the monk Ambrosius from innocent monk to violent zealot is masterfully done, ranking this among Bierce’s finest achievements.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.J. Harrison
• Release date: Oct 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781950524013

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and Civil War veteran. A prolific and versatile writer, Bierce was regarded as one of the most influential journalists in the United States, and as a pioneering writer of realist fiction. His story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” has been described as “one of the most famous and frequently anthologized stories in American literature.”  

Reviews for The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter

[starbox_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

93 p novella, purporting to be adapted from an ancient German text.Narrated by young monk Ambrosius, sent to a monastery in Alpine Bavaria. He he encounters the "untouchable" hangman and his lovely daughter Benedikta. She too is- by reason of her parentage- a social outcast, yet Ambrosius begins to fall in love.Our narrator seems - apart from his romantic feelings- a spiritually minded youth, ever dwelling on his vocation, and the majesty of nature.But Benedikt is being pursued by a worthless young noble- Rochus.......and an unexpected twist brings the tale to a sudden end.Quite an involving read.