Project Gutenberg
2003-02-01
Public domain in the USA.
189
Bierce, Ambrose
1842
1913
Grile, Dod
The Parenticide Club
My favorite murder -- Oil of Dog -- An Imperfect Conflagration -- The Hypnotist.
Produced by Paul J. Hollander. HTML version by Al Haines.
"The Parenticide Club" by Ambrose Bierce is a collection of darkly humorous short stories written in the late 19th century. The book presents a satirical exploration of familial relationships and societal norms, with a particular focus on murder and moral absurdity. Through Bierce’s wit and quirky narrative style, the stories delve into the often grim motivations for familial discord and the extremes to which individuals will go in the name of revenge or self-interest. The collection features four narratives, each brimming with Bierce's signature mordant humor. In "My Favorite Murder," the protagonist recounts his chilling and ludicrous trial for the murder of his uncle, where absurdity reigns as he justifies his actions with a family-friendly twist. "Oil of Dog" tells the story of a young man whose parents' greed leads to their demise, while "An Imperfect Conflagration" hilariously describes a failed attempt to cover up a double murder by burning the evidence. The final story, "The Hypnotist," showcases a whimsical and chaotic scene where the protagonist uses hypnotism on his parents, leading to an uproarious turn of events. Together, these tales illustrate Bierce's cynical view of human nature and the complexities of familial ties, wrapped in a unique blend of humor and horror. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 61.9 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
en
Short stories, American
Horror tales, American
Murderers -- Fiction
Parricide -- Fiction
PS
Text
Category: Short Stories
Category: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery
Category: Humour
Category: American Literature
71064
2025-08-02T08:46:00.561296
text/html
65570
2021-01-08T23:36:29
text/html
96704
2025-08-02T08:46:04.356243
application/epub+zip
95332
2025-08-02T08:46:02.206241
application/epub+zip
95334
2025-08-02T08:46:01.191272
application/epub+zip
187771
2025-08-02T08:46:06.002224
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
179986
2025-08-02T08:46:03.767265
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
154234
2022-09-02T11:23:06.340553
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
63244
2025-08-02T08:46:00.318259
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
63150
2021-01-08T23:36:29
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
19913
2025-08-02T08:46:06.131252
application/rdf+xml
12912
2025-08-02T08:46:01.705252
image/jpeg
3367
2025-08-02T08:46:01.458255
image/jpeg
26285
2021-01-08T23:36:29
application/octet-stream
application/zip
25466
2021-01-08T23:36:29
application/octet-stream
application/zip
94362
2025-08-02T08:46:00.568277
application/octet-stream
application/zip
Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at
https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog
More titles under Herman, William (Author of The dance of death)
en.wikipedia