The Devil'S Dictionary - Bierce, Ambrose

. .

Résumé :
A razor sharp atlas of wordplay and wry wisdom, The Devil's Dictionary turns language into a stage for satire that still stings and delights. A brilliant, bite-sized canon of prose satire that makes you laugh and think at once. This collection reframes common terms through a caustic, gleefully mischevious lens, offering a compact humour anthology that is as much a language critique as a social mirror. Its wry definitions skewer morality, bureaucracy, and human folly with wit that crackles like dry heat in a summer street. The voice recalls late nineteenth century ironies, drawing clever parallels with Mark Twain while staking out its own stark, modern rhythm. It's ideal for college literature courses and for anthology collectors alike. The work's literary and historical significance is enduring: it stands as a masterclass in voice, economy, and fearless satire, preserving a pivotal moment in gilded age america literature while influencing later comic-critical tradition. The Devils Dictionary rewards repeat reading, inviting readers to reframe common sense and re-evaluate everyday language. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today's and future generations. More than a reprint - a collector's item and a cultural treasure. Whether you crave sharp social commentary, want a compact doorway into classic satire, or seek a touchstone for serious readers and curious newcomers, this volume satisfies with bite, breadth, and timeless appeal....

Biographie:
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American short-story writer, journalist, poet, and Civil War warrior. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration selected his book The Devil's Dictionary one of The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature. His narrative An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge has been regarded as one of the most famous and frequently anthologized stories in American literature, and his book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians has been chosen by the Grolier Club as one of the top 100 American books published before 1900. Bierce was born on June 24, 1842, in a log cabin on Horse Cave Creek in Meigs County, Ohio, to Marcus Aurelius Bierce (1799-1876) and Laura Sherwood Bierce. He was descended solely from English ancestors who arrived in North America as part of the Great Puritan Migration between 1620 and 1640. He frequently criticized Puritan values and those who made a fuss over ancestry. He was the tenth of thirteen children, all of them were named by their father with the letter A: Abigail, Amelia, Ann, Addison, Aurelius, Augustus, Almeda, Andrew, Albert, Ambrose, Arthur, Adelia, and Aurelia. His mother was descended from William Bradford....