The Devil's Dictionaries: The Best of the Devil's Dictionary & the American Heretic's Dictionary

by See Sharp Press (Editor), Ambrose Bierce, Charles Bufe

This compilation of hundreds of biting, witty, cruel, and hilarious definitions combines the best 200 definitions from Ambrose Bierce's classic The Devil's Dictionary , with more than 500 definitions from the most humorous and stinging entries in Chaz Bufe's The American Heretic's Dictionary . This new edition includes 50 new definitions from Bufe and new biting illustrations by San Francisco artist and filmmaker J. R. Swanson. The Bierce definitions focus on his favorite targets, including religion, jingoism masquerading as patriotism, the "lickspittle" press, the thievery inherent in the American economic system, and the multitude of idiocies and hypocrisies pervading American social and political life. Bufe's definitions share many of the same targets, but also skewer such contemporary plagues as the "right to life" movement, religious fundamentalism, the IRS, and the puritanically "politically correct." Bufe also turns a jaundiced eye on both male and female sexual attitudes, something which Bierce, writing in much more conservative times, was not free to do.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Language

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

Reviews

[Primadonna]

Cynical and sometimes sadistic, yet I had many good chuckles reading this one.

[Natasha]

The original is something of a classic. I didn't care much for the added bit and so I didn't make it through. But then it's more of a reference/coffee table book, so it's not a thing I'd read straight through anyway? I had this idea it'd be fun to do a take on this (too) but make it only positive definitions. It would probably come off as sarcastic though.

Man, I'm glad no one really reads these things.

[Davidlandes]

scathing, trenchant, devastating

[Thomas]

These are painfully truthful tests of your sense of humor and vocabulary. They are not easy to read but they are worth the time.

[J W]

Excellent and funny. A must for the cynic (see "realist")

[Bryan]

For when you have to keep things real.

[Michele bookloverforever]

I laughed a lot. cringed a bit. delightful.