Over 1,000 barbed and brilliant definitions by the 19th-century journalist and satirist often called "the American Swift." Congratulations are "the civility of envy." A coward is "one who in an emergency thinks with his legs." A historian is a "broad-gauge gossip," more. H. L. Mencken called these "some of the most gorgeous witticisms in the English language."
The Devil's Dictionary
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About the Author
Roy Morris, Jr., is the editor of America's Civil War and the author of Ambrose Bierce: Alone in Bad Company and Sheridan: The Life and Wars of General Phil Sheridan. He lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
--This text refers to an alternate
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By A. Peters
Format:Paperback
I have found that this dictionary can serve a number of purposes. It can sit on your bookcase and look interesting, you can read it (in which case you'll probably burst out laughing on occasion) and you can learn parts of it to use as wit in conversation.
The last is the most entertaining and this book is packed full of wit (or maybe just honesty).
So buy it, and buy it now.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book is actually as devilish as it looks. I have burst into laughter many times while reading it. The definitions are really creative and shows that the author was very good at observing everything going around him. It tells the truth about the meaning of words, but always with a sense of humour, which they deserve. This dictionary is very entertaining, provocative and, yes, realistic. Mr.Bierce is not afraid to say what the others would not and that is always something I like in an author. It is physically thin but mentally thick, that is, it will provoke you to reconsider the definitions you have in your mind. It is both fun and an eye-opener. Probably the most entertaining dictionary in the world.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Originally this started off as small pieces in a newspaper, but over the years as it gradually grew it was compiled into a book. This edition does have an active table of contents, but for some unkonwn reason it doesn't come up on the go to menu, so click on beginning, and go back one page.
I know that a lot of people are aware of this 'dictionary' and what it is, but for those who aren't, Ambrose Bierce compiled an original dictionary and used his sense of humour in saying what words mean. For example marriage is 'the state or condition of a community of a master, mistress and two slaves, making in all, two.'
It is the blend of such cynicism and his satire which has made this a classic.
I know that a lot of people are aware of this 'dictionary' and what it is, but for those who aren't, Ambrose Bierce compiled an original dictionary and used his sense of humour in saying what words mean. For example marriage is 'the state or condition of a community of a master, mistress and two slaves, making in all, two.'
It is the blend of such cynicism and his satire which has made this a classic.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
free book
This was downloaded for nothing, so cannot complain. The books that are available for free download are not up to date or best sellers, but there are some good classics and books... Read more
Published 2 months ago by jeff g
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amusing and thought provoking
This is a publication that you can delve into from time to time and always come up with an amusing and clever definition that whilst a spoof generally hits the mark.
e.g. Read more
e.g. Read more
Published 3 months ago by B. Bloomfield
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not PC, but terribly funny
this is a strange book. The writer gives many definitions of ordinary words and quotations from other writers that are not funny at all, at least not to a 21st century reader. Read more
Published 6 months ago by fonziedog
5.0 out of 5 stars
calls a spade a spade
This book doesn`t really need a review as its a well known classic. The definitions are a little different but very observant and down to earth.
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Nicholas Wright
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Devil's Dictionary
I'm a fan of old literature and have heard about this book. It is racy (for it's day) and is a must for all scholars of archaic writing. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Katana13
4.0 out of 5 stars
You Little Devil, You!
I bought this 'dictionary' because it appealed to my sense of humour. It is the funniest book I have read in a long time, with it's interesting, often hilarious, twists on official... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Miss W. Merrymoon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Diabolically witty
This famous book, though not to everyone's tastes and certainly not PC, is a gem. Written over 100 years ago, it is a compilation of definitions which originally appeared in an... Read more
Published 14 months ago by puzzled94
1.0 out of 5 stars
NO TABLE OF CONTENTS, paragraph spacing, strange text used
I'm still looking for a decently produced (and inexpensive)version of this classic - and this one isn't it, albeit free; the problem is navigation, mainly, needing hundreds of... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Carol P
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still devilish
This is a faux-dictionary of tongue-in-cheek definitions of everyday words and phrases. In each case the definition pricks a popular conceit, or reveals the unspoken truth. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Stephen Hudson
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Kindle edition
This is a very poorly formatted edition. Variable fonts, page breaks everywhere, words appearing from nowhere and footnote references with no hyperlink. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2011 by Badger
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