The Devil's Dictionary [Hardcover]

Ambrose Bierce (Author), Ralph Steadman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 2004

Bierce's classic work of satirical wit and Steadman's pointed pen redefine the way we see even the seemingly simplest of terms.

Acquaintance, n.: A person whom we know well enough to borrow from but not well enough to lend to.
Bride, n.: A woman with a great future behind her.
Consult, v: To seek another's approval of a course already decided on.

Ambrose Bierce's "dictionary" of epigrams, essays, verses, and vignettes targets the religious, the romantic, the political, and the economic, in equal measure. The book you need to define both friends and enemies, The Devil's Dictionary is also the perfect gift, showcasing Bierce's razor-sharp wit and Ralph Steadman's incisive pen to their best advantage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ambrose Bierce was an iconoclastic literary genius and this compilation of definitions (written for a satirical magazine during the 1880s) is a true American classic. Some may find Bierce sexist, nationalist and racist, but most readers will enjoy his malevolent scepticism and underlying rage against hypocrisy. Ralph Steadman's incisive illustrations perfectly complement the text. A typical example: Gold n. A yellow metal greatly prized for its convenience in the various kinds of robbery known as trade. The word was formerly spelled 'God' - the 'l' was inserted to distinguish it from the name of another inferior deity. Only two years after the book was published in 1911, Bierce disappeared after setting off for Mexico to join Pancho Villa's rebels against the corrupt dictatorial regime of Porfirio Diaz. His legacy is memorable. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914), friend and rival of Mark Twain, was one of nineteenth-century America's most renowned satirists. A Union veteran of the Civil War, he became one of the best-known writers and journalists in the country. In 1913 he set off for Mexico, then in the throes of revolution, and was never seen again.

Ralph Steadman, artist, writer, sculptor, political cartoonist, and designer of labels for vintage wines, is the author/illustrator of, most recently, the novel Doodaaa, as well as the illustrator of Lewis Carroll's Alice, George Orwell's Animal Farm, and Hunter Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. His work appears regularly in such publications as the New Yorker, the New York Times, GQ, Esquire, and the Los Angeles Times.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1 edition (January 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582343802
• ISBN-13: 978-1582343808
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #405,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Avoid This Incomplete Edition, January 11, 2004

By 

"oedipus" (Santa Clarita, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Dictionary (Hardcover)

The Bloomsbury edition illustrated by Ralph Steadman is ABRIDGED. Do not purchase unless you are buying it for the drawings.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wicked pleasure., November 8, 2010

By 

Nom de Tome "Readaholic" (Warren, Pa., USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Devil's Dictionary (Hardcover)

This is a deliciously wicked book full or wicked little truths. Delectable. Like petit fours, a delicious bit here and there to satisfy your wicked whims. :) Reading this is a delightful experience.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bitter Bierce at his very best..., December 5, 2007

By 

AmericanMe "Patriot" (Anywhere, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Dictionary (Hardcover)

Also known as "The Cynic's Workbook" this collection is classic and belongs in any library. Ambrose Bierce, like Mark Twain and few other of his contempories, had a biting wit that always left a mark.
Here is just a taste of his humor.

Philosophy: A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Eulogy. Praise of a person who has either the advantages of wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead.

The large font is a plus in this book. Good illustrations.

Good good stuff.