Twists Work Best When You Don't See Them

I read A Twist in the Tale recently. It collects 4 short stories, each of which end with a twist. The twists would have been more effective if, the title hadn't told you they were coming ahead of time.

I'd say Dusk, by Saki (aka Hector Hugh Munro) worked best because it ended with a double twist. I thought I knew what the surprise was but, no! I had been fooled! Also, I was intrigued by the main character, Norman Gortsby. I wonder if he often comes to the park to watch people. Why does he think of dusk as the hour of the defeated? I'd ask what it was he'd failed at, but it's more fun to speculate on.

The other stories aren't bad, but perhaps because the writers place more focus on the main character, I have fewer questions about them, and find them less interesting. An Occurrence at Owl Creek by Ambrose Bierce had a very Twilight Zone feel. Though, considering the relative timing, I guess it's more appropriate to say the Twilight Zone had An Occurrence at Owl Creek feel to it.

Each story is prefaced by a couple of pages detailing the life of the author. It points out that Bierce served as an Union scout in the Civil War, but casts a Union scout as the villain of this story. I can see that interpretation, and I don't know whether Bierce intended it that way or not, but I'm not sure I agree. The main character makes his own choice, is tripped up by his desire to serve, or his desire for glory*.

I hadn't read O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi before, but I was familiar with the concept, from an episode of Futurama if nothing else. It was a quick gag there, so the story does a better job of making me feel for the characters. I can't help but feel for them at how things went, since both of them had good intentions. Even in fiction, perhaps especially in fiction, life isn't fair.

* I don't believe he took the actions he did purely out of desire to help, because he seems so grateful to get back to his home, I think he realized he'd made a poor decision, or at least had acted for the wrong reasons.