The Devil's Dictionary

Books

Bierce exploits the comic potential of the dictionary format to mock the doublespeak prominent in post-Civil War politics. Using short, pithy entries on a variety of subjects, this "reference book" inverts the meaning of words, skewers popular hypocrisy and showcases Bierce's dark humor. Many of these entries began as newspaper columns Bierce wrote in the 1870s. One hundred years later, it is clear that the America he lampoons is not that different from our own.