The Devil's Dictionary

<p><I>The Devil's Dictionary</I> (1906) is a work of satire by Ambrose Bierce. Although he is commonly remembered for his chilling short stories on the experiences of Civil War soldiers Bierce was recognized in his day as a leading journalist and humorist who spent decades ruffling feathers and drawing laughter with his witty opinion columns poems and definitions. Toward the end of his career he decided to compile these satirical definitions into a book following in the footsteps of Samuel Johnson Noah Webster and Gustave Flaubert. Immensely popular upon publication <I>The Devil's Dictionary</I> inspired countless imitators but remains one-of-a-kind. Reading Bierce's definitions today it's not hard to imagine the controversy they must have caused matched only by the laughs they must have roused when published at the onset of the twentieth century. Written during a period of undaunted industrial growth of immense wealth and promise in a nation recently torn apart by civil war <I>The Devil's Dictionary</I> preserves a tantalizing touch of irreverence and doubt which must remain funny to those who know humor when they sense it. AIR n. A nutritious substance supplied by a bountiful providence for the fattening of the poor. CONSERVATIVE n. A statesman who is enamoured of existing evils as distinguished from the Liberal who wishes to replace them with others. Crafted for the cynic quoted by the misanthrope Bierce's definitions prove profoundly entertaining and frequently accurate-sort of-over a century after they were published. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript this edition of Ambrose Bierce's <I>The Devil's Dictionary</I> is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.</p>