A Cynic Looks at Life by Ambrose Bierce
"A Cynic Looks at Life" by Ambrose Bierce is a collection of essays and philosophical reflections written during the early 20th century. The book examines the nature of civilization, human behavior, and societal norms, often adopting a critical and cynical perspective. Bierce's insightful yet scathing observations about life and humanity highlight the dark absurdities of the world, reflecting the complex interplay of morality, egoism, and the human condition. In this thought-provoking work,
Bierce challenges the notion that civilization inherently improves human nature, arguing that it rather reveals humanity's flaws and contradictions. He adopts a skeptical approach to topics such as patriotism, societal inequalities, and the might of majorities, suggesting that progress often comes at the cost of suffering and unjust practices. The essays blend wit with a profound exploration of ethical dilemmas, resulting in a compelling critique of civilization and a reflection on the human experience. Through his sharp commentary, Bierce encourages readers to question accepted norms and recognize the inherent contradictions within themselves and society. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Read or download for free
| How to read | Url | Size | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read now! | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16340.html.images | 119 kB | |||
| EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16340.epub3.images | 124 kB | |||
| EPUB (older E-readers) | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16340.epub.images | 124 kB | |||
| EPUB (no images, older E-readers) | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16340.epub.noimages | 104 kB | |||
| Kindle | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16340.kf8.images | 231 kB | |||
| older Kindles | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16340.kindle.images | 221 kB | |||
| Plain Text UTF-8 | https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16340.txt.utf-8 | 109 kB | |||
| Download HTML (zip) | https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16340/pg16340-h.zip | 123 kB | |||
| There may be more files related to this item. | |||||
Similar Books
About this eBook
| Author | Bierce, Ambrose, 1842-1914? |
|---|---|
| Editor | Haldeman-Julius, E. (Emanuel), 1888-1951 |
| Title | A Cynic Looks at Life |
| Series Title | Little Blue Book # 1099 |
| Note | Reading ease score: 59.3 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. |
| Contents | Civilization -- The gift o' gab -- Natura benigna -- The death penalty -- Immortality -- Emancipated woman -- A mad world -- Epigrams of a cynic. |
| Credits |
Produced by Ted Garvin, Dave Macfarlane and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Essays |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 16340 |
| Release Date | Jul 21, 2005 |
| Most Recently Updated | Dec 12, 2020 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 165 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
