The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce

The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce

A word book, straight up, with a twist The Devil's Dictionary is an American classic. A Yankee Oscar Wilde with a wicked edge to his tongue, gained from seeing the world early and cynically as it really was, Ambrose Bierce, friend and rival of Mark Twain, was one of America's first great writers and journalists. His razor-sharp wit and underlying rage against hypocrisy is perfectly complemented by Ralph Steadman's equally incisive pen and ink illustrations. Adore, v..t. To venerate expectantly. Bride, n. A woman with a great future behind her Corporation, n. An ingenious device for securing individual profit without individual responsibility. Debauchee, n. One who has so earnestly pursued pleasure that he has had the misfortune to overtake it.

Ambrose Bierce was an iconoclastic literary genius and this compilation of definitions (written for a satirical magazine during the 1880s) is a true American classicSome 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.

A veteran of the American Civil War who fought at Shiloh and Chickamauga in the Union ranks, Bierce became one of America's best-known writers and journalists, admired for his insolent, entertaining and sometimes courageous columns. In 1913 he set off for Mexico, then in the throes of revolution, and was never seen again. Ralph Steadman is the author of many illustrated books including Sigmund Freud, I Leonardo, The Big I Am, The Scar-Strangled Banner, Alice and Animal Farm. His most recent publication is the novel, Doodaaa.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9780747569671
ISBN 10	0747569673
Titel	The Devil's Dictionary
Autor	Ambrose Bierce
Buchzustand	Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart	Hardback
Verlag	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Erscheinungsjahr	2003-11-03
Seitenanzahl	192
Hinweis auf dem Einband	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.
Hinweis	Nicht verfügbar