Devil Stories: An Anthology

by Maximilian J. Rudwin

INTRODUCTION Of all the myths which have come down to us from the East, and of all the creations of Western fancy and belief, the Personality of Evil has had the strongest attraction for the mind of man. The Devil is the greatest enigma that has ever confronted the human intelligence. So large a place has Satan taken in our imagination, and we might also say in our heart, that his expulsion therefrom, no matter what philosophy may teach us, must for ever remain an impossibility. As a character in imaginative literature Lucifer has not his equal in heaven above or on the earth beneath, In contrast to the idea of Good, which is the more exalted in proportion to its freedom from anthropomorphism, the idea of Evil owes to the presence of this element its chief value as a poetic theme. The discrowned arch- angel may have been inferior to St. Michael in military tactics, but he certainly is his superior in matters literary...

Genres: Anthologies

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1921

Reviews

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devil Stories: An Anthology itself is of little more than historical interest. Many of the stories are worthwhile, poignant or droll by turns; most, alas, are simply authorial japes. Perhaps only after April 8, 1966 could the devil get his due as a subject of mass market fiction, thanks to Ira Levin, William Peter Blatty, and their epigones?

Rudwin's notes on each story are a treasure for the reader of forgotten folklore, tales, and strange stories. They make reading some of his selections worth the aggravation.

The stories in this anthology are not horror fiction in the modern sense. Most are - or try to be - comedy or satire. The Devil is used as a rhetorical foil in most, as authors attempt to demonstrate their theses or conceits by minor negations.

Full: http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2021...

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Read in the Gutenberg edition, which is amazingly free of typos) A wide-ranging collection, with some folk stories mixed with literary. As in any anthology, some pieces worked better than others, but some outstanding bits, including "The Devil in a Nunnery," with the devil playing music that causes nuns to confess their deepest secrets, "The Devil and Tom Walker" (Washington Irving), "Devil Puzzlers," and "The Devil and the Old Man," by John Masefield. (I've read a number of Masefield's works for children; must look for more of his work for adults.) Found E. A. Poe a bit too much, so "Bon-Bon" got a skip. Rudwin's tiny essays between each story are interesting and informative. A fun collection.

[Brian Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid anthology consisting mostly of humorous interpretations of the devil, with a few downbeat tales thrown in. Not one I didn’t enjoy, but obviously many on the theme of selling one’s soul. The last quarter of the book featured notes and histories on each story and the legends they were based on. FYI, there’s usually a way out of a diabolical contract if you’re clever enough.

[Lisa Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this delightful 1921 anthology in a collectible book store. The stories are mostly from the mid- to late 1800s. "The Devil and Tom Walker" (1824) by the great Washington Irving could have been ripped from yesterday's headlines about political and financial misdeeds and machinations. The prose is vivid, tight, and bold--not at all what I usually associate with Victorian writing. Another standout is "The Devil's Wager" (1833) by William Makepeace Thackeray, a story that also roasts the political and financial foibles of the time and waxes eloquently about the evils of strong drink. The one disappointment was "Bon-Bon" (1835) by Edgar Allen Poe. This story is about an obese, indulgent gourmand but is half written in French (I'm not kidding), a language I don't read or speak. So I couldn't follow the story, which rambled too much.

Still, if you're looking for some good old-fashioned fun about outwitting the Devil or having him outwit you, this is a great little anthology.