The Fiend's Delight

£1,000 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

The first collection of Bierce’s writings to appear in book form, published during the author’s stay in England (1872-75). The stories, aphorisms (or ‘laughorisms’), invented reports and poems are of a particularly morbid and grotesque nature, and are often only saved from complete misanthropy by wit and ironic insight. These last two qualities point towards the talent and reluctant compassion that would manifest themselves in Bierce’s later, best-known stories, such as An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge . Rare.

• Year: 1873

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