Ambrose Bierce - O Dicionário do Diabo

"What does Dictionary of the Devil mean? Is it a dictionary written from the Devil's point of view? Or from the point of view of an author regarded as diabolical? Or is the spirit that animates this Dictionary diabolical? All these readings are possible.

This Dictionary announces right in its name that it is not intended to be informative, like ordinary dictionaries. Bierce is not interested in describing the world as it is. Bierce criticizes the foundations of the society of his time: patriotism, colonialism, militarism, clericalism, democratic demagogy. And the human vices of all times: opportunism, hypocrisy, stupidity and deceit. However, his main target is the manipulation of words and meanings.
Bierce distorts the meaning of words because words acquire distorted meanings. This is how he defines commerce as ‘plunder’, the catechism as ‘theological riddles’ or love as ‘a temporary dementia that is cured by marriage’. The Devil's Dictionary is a guerrilla manual against conformism. A guerrilla war moderately convinced of its powers but still committed to inconvenience and unrelenting criticism."

- Pedro Mexia