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"Satanic Supplement"
Why review what is in itself a review of the English language? Would the author of it approve of it or would it be met by a sardonic writing that would machine-gun this review or blast it to smithereens? It is but my own folly to attempt such a thing, but then again a bit of sucking up or groveling never hurt a bit apart from doing it to a prickly bush.

A short review would be to simply write that the read is as enjoyable as being on the inside of a modern slaughterhouse. There is little that can be shred from that and I like to entrench (A verb that was not so commonly used before 1914) myself a bit before the coming collateral damage. I actually prefer the... More > modern version of trenches (50 m deep bunkers with a self contained atmosphere), partly because they purport to have less rats.

A longer review that could be useful for the cover flaps should include the words “Edible” and “History”, but only because the back-cover of my hard-copy version of the Devil's dictionary includes such words. In addition to this, phrases such as “highly entertaining...” and “the author has a refreshing look on the twenty-first century use and disuse of the English language that is insanely appropriate” and others could be proffered.

To go into some more detail, by comparing the meanings of “Edible” from this new version and the old version one gets an idea how much the twentieth century has improved the situation of people. When using the Satanic Supplement's meaning of “Human” this is not so hard to understand. History has changed as well, both definitions of the noun seem equally valid today although the Satanic Supplement's definition seems to cover recent history a bit better. But then again, 50 years from now nobody will care about B&B;'s or O'B and B's follies.

The Satanic Supplement's lack of misogyny is refreshing. One of the reasons could be that in these modern times we (males) all have come to understand that we (males) have the same if not more propensity to make mistakes/errors and to take part in crimes as our species counterparts. The Devil's Dictionary is cynical about many things but extra cynical about things having to do with women, which is unnecessary. Of course modern Literature is all about women having a different emotional life than man and the lack of understanding between both counterparts is notorious according to many writers. But I am all for a socialized cynicism where both sexes are equally cast into reality.

The rest of this review will contain some sentences common to reviews so for those with a sensitive stomach I encourage to skip this reading until the last sentence.

When excluding the aphorisms, phrases and verses from these two books some might find that them to be less entertaining (A word which apparently did not change its meaning since the Devil's Dictionary). However, even without the enlightening contributions of Rev. Beamish, B. Snitch, M. Zipley, C. Jitterthwick G. Flockett, and B. Dribb, the Satanic Supplement still seems powerful enough to give His Lowness a twitch of a sardonic smile.

To my mind the Satanic Supplement is a worthy extension of the Devil's Dictionary and certainly is far above “the Cynic's this and that” books that Ambrose Bierce so seemed to abhor a hundred years ago.

So in accordance to the writer and compiler, I hope that I can now start receiving blessings that are to no advantage to me except when I have to part from them and that I will become conspicuously miserable. < Less