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Bon-Bon
A short story about Bon-Bon, the famous chef/philosopher meeting the devil.
23 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1832
17 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Allan Poe
10.4k听books27.6k听followersThe name Poe brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. His works have been in print since 1827 and include such literary classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. This versatile writer鈥檚 oeuvre includes short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and hundreds of essays and book reviews. He is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the modern detective story and an innovator in the science fiction genre, but he made his living as America鈥檚 first great literary critic and theoretician. Poe鈥檚 reputation today rests primarily on his tales of terror as well as on his haunting lyric poetry.
Just as the bizarre characters in Poe鈥檚 stories have captured the public imagination so too has Poe himself. He is seen as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles. This is the Poe of legend. But much of what we know about Poe is wrong, the product of a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to defame the author鈥檚 name.
The real Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Edgar was the second of three children. His other brother William Henry Leonard Poe would also become a poet before his early death, and Poe鈥檚 sister Rosalie Poe would grow up to teach penmanship at a Richmond girls鈥� school. Within three years of Poe鈥檚 birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe鈥檚 siblings went to live with other families. Mr. Allan would rear Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had dreams of being a writer in emulation of his childhood hero the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in a young Poe鈥檚 handwriting on the backs of Allan鈥檚 ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business.
For more information, please see
Just as the bizarre characters in Poe鈥檚 stories have captured the public imagination so too has Poe himself. He is seen as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles. This is the Poe of legend. But much of what we know about Poe is wrong, the product of a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to defame the author鈥檚 name.
The real Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Edgar was the second of three children. His other brother William Henry Leonard Poe would also become a poet before his early death, and Poe鈥檚 sister Rosalie Poe would grow up to teach penmanship at a Richmond girls鈥� school. Within three years of Poe鈥檚 birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe鈥檚 siblings went to live with other families. Mr. Allan would rear Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had dreams of being a writer in emulation of his childhood hero the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in a young Poe鈥檚 handwriting on the backs of Allan鈥檚 ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business.
For more information, please see
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 5, 2023
Pierre Bon-Bon es un restaurador con una gran capacidad para la filosof铆a y para los negocios y el regateo. Pierre es el due帽o del caf茅 "Le Pebre" y le encanta el buen comer y el buen beber.
Una tempestuosa noche, el diablo le hace una visita sorpresa y le propone un trato macabro.
Relato tambi茅n titulado "El trato perdido". Con tintes g贸ticos y tenebrosos.
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Pierre Bon-Bon is a restaurateur with a great capacity for philosophy, business and bargaining. Pierre is the owner of the caf茅 "Le Pebre" and loves good food and drink.
One stormy night, the devil pays him a surprise visit and proposes a macabre deal.
Story also entitled "The bargain lost". With gothic and tenebrous overtones.
Una tempestuosa noche, el diablo le hace una visita sorpresa y le propone un trato macabro.
Relato tambi茅n titulado "El trato perdido". Con tintes g贸ticos y tenebrosos.
-------------------------
Pierre Bon-Bon is a restaurateur with a great capacity for philosophy, business and bargaining. Pierre is the owner of the caf茅 "Le Pebre" and loves good food and drink.
One stormy night, the devil pays him a surprise visit and proposes a macabre deal.
Story also entitled "The bargain lost". With gothic and tenebrous overtones.
October 11, 2022
A story about a chef meeting the devil. The story itself wasn鈥檛 very interesting but I did find interesting how the story talks about the ancient Chinese and Greek believing our stomach was linked to our souls and minds. Gives a lot more suspicious meaning to commercialized foods being systemically de-nutritionalized and becoming basically poison.
July 11, 2022
Bon-Bon is another dark satire that takes on philosophical ideas, including the soul (where it is located, how much a soul can be worth, etc). In addition, Poe plays with the archetypal deal with the devil as the frame for these philosophical discussions.
Bon-Bon is a French chef and restaurateur who fancies himself a philosopher of equal standing to Voltaire, Plato and Aristophanes. One winter night, Bon-Bon finds himself discussing philosophy with the Devil. The Devil has a ledger and green glasses; one assumes the ledger is his way of keeping track of who he comes across in Hell and the glasses allow him to see the soul. In fact, the Devil eats souls and through the night he and Bon-Bon have a rousing discussion about souls, the culinary arts and philosophy. The Devil claims to have eaten the souls of many famous philosophers and compares them to different culinary experiences, not all of them good. Interesting commentary there. Bon-Bon wants to engage the Devil with the hopes of publishing his own philosophical ideas in a book and becoming famous. The Devil is less than impressed by poor Bon-Bon, who has preceded to get obnoxiously drunk. After refusing to eat Bon-Bon鈥檚 soul, which Bon-Bon feels equivalent to a souffl茅 or a stew, the Devil takes his leave. Bon-Bon, feeling affronted, attempts to throw a wine bottle at the Devil鈥檚 head and only succeeds in knocking himself out.
I love a good Devil鈥檚 deal piece. This one is funnier than most. I love the satire. The discussion of different philosophers and the weight of the soul is thought-provoking and funny at the same time. I would put this story as the equivalent of the story The Duc de L鈥橭melette - satire, funny, deal with the Devil. Both great stories and different from Poe鈥檚 more famous pieces.
Bon-Bon is a French chef and restaurateur who fancies himself a philosopher of equal standing to Voltaire, Plato and Aristophanes. One winter night, Bon-Bon finds himself discussing philosophy with the Devil. The Devil has a ledger and green glasses; one assumes the ledger is his way of keeping track of who he comes across in Hell and the glasses allow him to see the soul. In fact, the Devil eats souls and through the night he and Bon-Bon have a rousing discussion about souls, the culinary arts and philosophy. The Devil claims to have eaten the souls of many famous philosophers and compares them to different culinary experiences, not all of them good. Interesting commentary there. Bon-Bon wants to engage the Devil with the hopes of publishing his own philosophical ideas in a book and becoming famous. The Devil is less than impressed by poor Bon-Bon, who has preceded to get obnoxiously drunk. After refusing to eat Bon-Bon鈥檚 soul, which Bon-Bon feels equivalent to a souffl茅 or a stew, the Devil takes his leave. Bon-Bon, feeling affronted, attempts to throw a wine bottle at the Devil鈥檚 head and only succeeds in knocking himself out.
I love a good Devil鈥檚 deal piece. This one is funnier than most. I love the satire. The discussion of different philosophers and the weight of the soul is thought-provoking and funny at the same time. I would put this story as the equivalent of the story The Duc de L鈥橭melette - satire, funny, deal with the Devil. Both great stories and different from Poe鈥檚 more famous pieces.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2020
鈥淚f Pierre Bon-Bon had his failings 鈥� and what great man has not a thousand? 鈥� if Pierre Bon-Bon, I say, had his failings, they were failings of very little importance 鈥� faults indeed which, in other tempers, have often been looked upon rather in the light of virtues.鈥�
鈥� Edgar Allan Poe
This short story is one of Poe's best comic stories featuring a verbal interchange between the Devil and a restaurateur Pierre Bon-Bon renowned for his omelets who also believes himself a profound philosopher. The story heavily satirizes a whole list of classical philosophers including Plato and Aristotle, all of which the Devil has claimed to have eaten their souls. When a very drunken Bon-Bon offers the Devil his soul stating it would make a delicious stew the Devil refuses saying he wouldn't take advantage of someone in his "present disgusting and ungentlemanly situation." Bon-Bon in a fit of temper throws a wine bottle at the Devil which misses him and severs the chain holding the lamp up above his head which falls and knocks him out. Well there's a twist for you with the Devil actually turning down a soul especially since it was ungentlemanly to seal a bargain with one who was drunk.
鈥� Edgar Allan Poe
This short story is one of Poe's best comic stories featuring a verbal interchange between the Devil and a restaurateur Pierre Bon-Bon renowned for his omelets who also believes himself a profound philosopher. The story heavily satirizes a whole list of classical philosophers including Plato and Aristotle, all of which the Devil has claimed to have eaten their souls. When a very drunken Bon-Bon offers the Devil his soul stating it would make a delicious stew the Devil refuses saying he wouldn't take advantage of someone in his "present disgusting and ungentlemanly situation." Bon-Bon in a fit of temper throws a wine bottle at the Devil which misses him and severs the chain holding the lamp up above his head which falls and knocks him out. Well there's a twist for you with the Devil actually turning down a soul especially since it was ungentlemanly to seal a bargain with one who was drunk.
December 3, 2019
"Bon-Bon" (1835) is a comic tale, extensively revised, which was first published in the Philadelphia Saturday Courier (December, 1832) as "The Bargain Lost." Whereas the original was merely a brief anecdote concerning the devil and a drunken Italian philosopher, the revised version features a French philosopher instead, one who is also a cook. Since human souls are food for the devil, the change brings with it a few ironies.
I鈥檝e never been particularly fond of Poe鈥檚 humorous pieces. I think he usually tries way too hard. But I have to admit this is one of his better comic efforts, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I鈥檒l end with the following monologue of Monsieur the Devil, who discusses the preservation of souls (not for salvation, of course, but for eating), and the advantages of taking possession of the human soul鈥攁nd consuming it鈥攑rior to death, a process which鈥攈is Lordship claims鈥攅ntails no inconvenience to the living whatsoever:
Why we are sometimes exceedingly pushed for provisions. You must know that, in a climate so sultry as mine, it is frequently impossible to keep a spirit alive for more than two or three hours; and after death, unless pickled immediately, (and a pickled spirit is not good,) they will 鈥� smell 鈥� you understand, eh? Putrefaction is always to be apprehended when the souls are consigned to its in the usual way 鈥� there are several ways of managing. The most of us starve: some put up with the pickle: for my part I purchase my spirits vivente corpore, in which case I find they keep very well 鈥� Why, sir, the body is not at all affected by the transaction. I have made innumerable purchases of the kind in my day, and the parties never experienced any inconvenience. There were Cain and Nimrod, and Nero, and Caligula, and Dionysius, and Pisistratus,(29) and 鈥� and a thousand others, who never knew what it was to have a soul during the latter part of their lives; yet, sir, these men adorned society. Why is n鈥檛 there A鈥斺€�, now, whom you know as well as I? Is he not in possession of all his faculties, mental and corporeal? Who writes a keener epigram? Who reasons more wittily? Who 鈥斺€� but, stay! I have his agreement in my pocket-book.鈥�
April 6, 2022
It's not a BAD story, but honestly, it could have been better especially for a story where a mortal converses with the devil. I don't think comedy was Poe's str0ng suit, but that's okay, because I've never come across an author who I would give all 5 stars to. At least Poe tried, and this is a worthy part of Poe's library for Poe enthusiasts.
October 9, 2020
En "Bon-Bon", Edgar Allan Poe retoma el mito del Fausto e introduce en el relato, como tantos otros autores, creando una particular variante de Mefist贸feles o del Diablo, como uno quiera verlo.
Lo grotesco, por primera vez en un cuento de Poe se mezcla con lo humor铆stico y funciona.
El final queda abierto y no sabemos si el Diablo logra su cometido o no.
Lo grotesco, por primera vez en un cuento de Poe se mezcla con lo humor铆stico y funciona.
El final queda abierto y no sabemos si el Diablo logra su cometido o no.
November 8, 2023
亘賵賳 - 亘賵賳 賴賷 賯氐丞 賯氐賷乇丞 賱丕 鬲鬲噩丕賵夭 25 氐賮丨丞 毓賳 胤亘丕禺 賮賷賱爻賵賮貙 賷購賯丕亘賱 丕賱卮賷胤丕賳貙 賵鬲噩乇賷 亘賷賳賴賲丕 賲丨丕丿孬丞 賮賱爻賮賷丞 賵賲購孬賷乇丞 賱賱丕賴鬲賲丕賲 賮賷 賮賱爻賮鬲賴丕貙 賵賱賰賳 賰丕賳 賷購賲賰賳 賱賱賯氐丞 兀賳 鬲賰賵賳 兀賮囟賱 賲賳 匕賱賰 亘賰孬賷乇貙 賮兀賰孬乇 賲賳 賳氐賮賴丕 囟丕毓 賮賷 賳賯賱 氐賮丕鬲 賵兀賮賰丕乇 丕賱胤亘丕禺貙 賵賮賯胤 兀氐亘丨鬲 賲孬賷乇丞 賱賱丕賴鬲賲丕賲 毓賳丿賲丕 丿禺賱 丕賱卮賷胤丕賳 毓賱賶 丕賱丨賰丕賷丞貙 賵亘丿兀鬲 丕賱丨賵丕乇丕鬲 亘賷賳賴賲丕貙 賱賱賯氐丞 丕爻賲 丌禺乇 賵賴賵 "丕賱氐賮賯丞 丕賱禺丕爻乇丞"貙 賵賰賳鬲 兀乇賶 賴匕丕 丕賱毓賳賵丕賳 兀賮囟賱 賱賱賯氐丞貙 丨賷孬 兀賳賴 賱賴 丿賱丕賱丞 乇賲夭賷丞 賲乇鬲亘胤丞 亘賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱賯氐丞.
December 13, 2015
Pierre Bon-Bon este un filosof de veac XIX la care Poe, caracteriz芒ndu-l, face aluzie prin "prea pu牛ini sunt oamenii 卯nzestra牛i cu o nemaipomenit膬 ad芒ncime de g芒ndire 艧颈 care s膬 nu aib膬 卯n acela艧颈 timp 卯nclinare spre b膬utur膬". Apoi, Poe face o reflec牛ie monumental膬: "艦i dac膬 ad芒ncimea de g芒ndire e doar pricinuit膬 艧颈 stimulat膬 de aceast膬 卯nclinare, sau mai degrab膬 dovedit膬 prin ea, iat膬 un lucru ginga艧 艧颈 greu de hot膬r芒t".
Mie aceast膬 proz膬 scurt膬 mi-a adus aminte de dou膬 mari romane universale, "Doctor Faustus" 艧颈 "Maestrul 艧颈 Margareta", c膬ci 卯n paginile sale prezint膬 convorbirea unui filosof cu diavolul 卯n vederea "cump膬r膬rii" sufletului 卯n schimbul unui adev膬r care are s膬-l fac膬 celebru. 脦ns膬, bine卯n牛eles, Pierre Bon-Bon este un filosof stoic 艧颈 "jocul pe degete" este reciproc, 卯ns膬 asta nu-l scute艧te de fatalitatea deciziei sale...
Mie aceast膬 proz膬 scurt膬 mi-a adus aminte de dou膬 mari romane universale, "Doctor Faustus" 艧颈 "Maestrul 艧颈 Margareta", c膬ci 卯n paginile sale prezint膬 convorbirea unui filosof cu diavolul 卯n vederea "cump膬r膬rii" sufletului 卯n schimbul unui adev膬r care are s膬-l fac膬 celebru. 脦ns膬, bine卯n牛eles, Pierre Bon-Bon este un filosof stoic 艧颈 "jocul pe degete" este reciproc, 卯ns膬 asta nu-l scute艧te de fatalitatea deciziei sale...
March 14, 2017
The Devil comes to dinner, and the chief is on the menu. I really enjoyed this story mostly because of the devil standing on his dignity at the end. Not the conclusion you would expect.
December 6, 2018
Bon-Bon is another interesting read from Poe, one that isn鈥檛 quite a full two-star rating but was close enough to be rounded up.
At first, I wasn鈥檛 sure about this one. It felt like one of those stories where we had unnecessary words and weren鈥檛 quite getting to the point. Then, when the discussion started, I found myself entertained. The ending was sudden, but it fit right in with the story. In other words, this one grew on me.
I wasn鈥檛 crazy about Bon-Bon, but it was another interesting Poe read.
At first, I wasn鈥檛 sure about this one. It felt like one of those stories where we had unnecessary words and weren鈥檛 quite getting to the point. Then, when the discussion started, I found myself entertained. The ending was sudden, but it fit right in with the story. In other words, this one grew on me.
I wasn鈥檛 crazy about Bon-Bon, but it was another interesting Poe read.
August 14, 2015
To me, Pierre Bon-Bon is interesting as a character because he's equal parts carnal and intellectual. The descriptions of the devil really freaked me out- in a good way. (especially when he takes of his spectacles)
I think 'showdown' could have concluded better, but how would you expect it to end when you're dealing with satan?
Note:
Is the devil the narrator?
Quotes:
If Pierre Bon-Bon had his failings--and what great man has not a thousand?--if Pierre Bon-Bon, I say, had his failings, they were failings of very little importance--faults indeed which, in other tempers, have often been looked upon rather in the light of virtues.
"Eyes! my dear Bon-Bon--eyes! did you say?--oh!--ah!--I perceive! The ridiculous prints, eh, which are in circulation, have given you a false idea of my personal appearance. Eyes!--true. Eyes, Pierre Bon-Bon, are very well in their proper place--that, you would say, is the head?--right--the head of a worm. To you, likewise, these optics are indispensable--yet I will convince you that my vision is more penetrating than your own. There is a cat I see in the corner--a pretty cat--look at her--observe her well. Now, Bon-Bon, do you behold the thoughts--the thoughts, I say--the ideas--the reflections--which are being engendered in her pericranium? There it is, now--you do not! She is thinking we admire the length of her tail and the profundity of her mind. She has just concluded that I am the most distinguished of ecclesiastics, and that you are the most superfluous of metaphysicians. Thus you see I am not altogether blind; but to one of my profession, the eyes you speak of would be merely an encumbrance, liable at any time to be put out by a toasting-iron, or a pitchfork. To you, I allow, these optical affairs are indispensable. Endeavor, Bon-Bon, to use them well--my vision is the soul."
I think 'showdown' could have concluded better, but how would you expect it to end when you're dealing with satan?
Note:
Is the devil the narrator?
Quotes:
If Pierre Bon-Bon had his failings--and what great man has not a thousand?--if Pierre Bon-Bon, I say, had his failings, they were failings of very little importance--faults indeed which, in other tempers, have often been looked upon rather in the light of virtues.
"Eyes! my dear Bon-Bon--eyes! did you say?--oh!--ah!--I perceive! The ridiculous prints, eh, which are in circulation, have given you a false idea of my personal appearance. Eyes!--true. Eyes, Pierre Bon-Bon, are very well in their proper place--that, you would say, is the head?--right--the head of a worm. To you, likewise, these optics are indispensable--yet I will convince you that my vision is more penetrating than your own. There is a cat I see in the corner--a pretty cat--look at her--observe her well. Now, Bon-Bon, do you behold the thoughts--the thoughts, I say--the ideas--the reflections--which are being engendered in her pericranium? There it is, now--you do not! She is thinking we admire the length of her tail and the profundity of her mind. She has just concluded that I am the most distinguished of ecclesiastics, and that you are the most superfluous of metaphysicians. Thus you see I am not altogether blind; but to one of my profession, the eyes you speak of would be merely an encumbrance, liable at any time to be put out by a toasting-iron, or a pitchfork. To you, I allow, these optical affairs are indispensable. Endeavor, Bon-Bon, to use them well--my vision is the soul."
October 24, 2016
Certainly an interesting concept but Poe's writing style makes it almost interminable to get through. I've noticed that he has a tendency to ramble throughout his writing, needlessly prolonging the dull parts, which in turn leaves hardly any time for the more entertaining aspects within the book.
February 24, 2018
An original idea turning the expression 鈥渇ood for thoughts鈥� into 鈥渢houghts for food鈥�. I enjoyed the discussion between Mr Bon-Bon and the demon despite the quirky 19th century style. Nice twist at the end.
October 6, 2016
I've arranged my thoughts on this short story into a haiku:
"Satan's learned patience,
If souls are like refreshments,
Since tempting ol' Faust."
"Satan's learned patience,
If souls are like refreshments,
Since tempting ol' Faust."
June 28, 2018
Another Poe story where the Devil makes a grand appearance. It's a "humorous" story depending on how funny you think Poe is. (Me, not so much.)
A restaurant owner is also a highly regarded philosopher.
Although, mark me, his doctrines were by no means very generally comprehended, still it did not follow that they were difficult of comprehension.
One drunken night he is accosted by the devil and they have a raucous back-and-forth with lots of "witty" quips. I just don't appreciate Poe's humor. I'm dead inside to it. Poe has done me in. I've tried to appreciate his writing, but the more I read, the more numb I become. He's just not as interesting as I imagined he'd be.
A restaurant owner is also a highly regarded philosopher.
Although, mark me, his doctrines were by no means very generally comprehended, still it did not follow that they were difficult of comprehension.
One drunken night he is accosted by the devil and they have a raucous back-and-forth with lots of "witty" quips. I just don't appreciate Poe's humor. I'm dead inside to it. Poe has done me in. I've tried to appreciate his writing, but the more I read, the more numb I become. He's just not as interesting as I imagined he'd be.
July 16, 2019
This is exactly my type of humor.
It's a clever satire of academic pretension as well as many prestigious philosophers, although I wasn't a fan of the ending. Too forced of a joke. Everything else, though, was hilarious.
"Indeed! 鈥� why it was I who told Aristotle that by sneezing men expelled superfluous ideas through the proboscis."
"Which is 鈥� hiccup! 鈥� undoubtedly the case," said the metaphysician, while he poured out for himself another bumper of Mousseux, and offered his snuff-box to the fingers of his visiter.
It's a clever satire of academic pretension as well as many prestigious philosophers, although I wasn't a fan of the ending. Too forced of a joke. Everything else, though, was hilarious.
August 17, 2021
Bourdain gains access to Poe's scribbles in Hell.
Read
May 4, 2022Watch the livestream discussion
November 9, 2024
3.5 猸怉s铆 qued茅 馃く
March 28, 2023
It is an eye-opening experience to recognize that a favored author has a very human, mean-streak as part of his personality evidenced by his works. In Bon-Bon, which was originally named The Bargain Lost, Poe demonstrates just such a trait of being a bit of a douchebag. The Bargain Lost was the fifth story published by The Philadelphia Saturday Courier printed in the December 1, 1831 edition. Poe had submitted five stories for a writing contest, where he did not win, but all of the stories were good enough to get published. Bon-Bon is about a chef who is also a philosopher that gets into an argument with the devil. The story is meant as a satire on the pretentious nature of philosophers, and mentions Plato, Aristophanes, Hippocrates, and Voltaire by name with an epigraph by Shakespeare where even the Bard may be included as part of the targeted. Imagine the sheer audacity of a new-up-and-coming writer tearing into established "sacred cows" and decrying their work as pompous including Shakespeare in the bargain. IMHO, this is what Poe is doing here and in a rather ostentatious way, as well. I enjoyed the narrative on its face, but even more when coupled with the research in order to enhance my understanding. This story fits with my three criteria for a classic: longevity (older than 50 years), paradigm altering (making a mark on he genre), and exceptionalism (Poe raises some eyebrows here with his irreverence toward the giants of philosophy. 4 very ballsy Grey Geeks or 4 stars in GoodReads-speak.
March 4, 2023
This humorous tale begins as a kind of spin-off of Rabelais' blending of food and text, as the portrait of a French chef-philosopher, who then has a tipsy-to-drunken conversation with His Majesty, the Devil. The surprise ending is totally worth the wait--and the wait is mildly entertaining and quite witty as well.
July 18, 2010
A strange humorous tale (what do you expect from Poe) about a chef/philosopher who has a drunken meeting with the devil and discusses the flavor of souls. I just don't seem to get Poe's humor, although this tale is a bit better than his other attempts at humor that I've read.
April 28, 2018
Very funny tale about a restaurant owner who meets the devil. Poe throws off the reader at first by treating it as a character review. Crafty! Most readers do not know this and ignorantly miss the many enjoyable puns to their loss.
October 1, 2017
3.5
Well written with highly worn idea pored out in a new way with a fine story line and weak characters. It will be amusing to debate about this story.
Well written with highly worn idea pored out in a new way with a fine story line and weak characters. It will be amusing to debate about this story.
February 9, 2022
Another miss for Poe on my read through of his complete works. Once again, I read through his story but the meaning and the humor is lost on me. Maybe this is a pearls before swine moment. Anyway, there is this man named Bon-Bon. He likes to cook and he fancies himself to be metaphysician. This is not to say he is doctor, but a philosopher. One cold night the devil visits Bon-Bon, they break out a couple cold ones, and the devil tells our hero of the souls of all the philosophers he has eaten. I think there may have been some jokes here but I only knew who like three of the fifty philosophers were. The devil also made a joke in Greek that I think I understood (I speak Greek fluently but not natively), but it still wasn鈥檛 very funny and I couldn鈥檛 get figure out the Greek alphabet on my iPhone to verify my translation. But here goes. The devil told Aristotle that the mind is an instrument (the avlos) Then he realized that was true, so he switched the lambda upside down made it a gamma and told Aristotle that the mind is an 鈥榓vgos鈥� which I think is an egg, but it鈥檚 not how I would have said it. Haha? Anyway, I don鈥檛 think speaking Ancient Greek and being familiar with every Greek philosopher ever should be a prerequisite for enjoying a story published in America. I give this story 2 hiccups out of 5.
May 18, 2024
A fun story about a Philosopher/Cook who has a late night talk with the Devil. Discussing many things from where a soul is housed in the human body to how the soul of popular and well-known authors taste to the Devil - who loves to eat them. As Bon-Bon, our cook, proceeds to get exceedingly drunk, we see he see's himself a little higher in intellect than many of the philosophers and great authors they discuss. His pride overflowing, we see a horrific ending coming and struggle not to warn our arrogant cook in our heads while reading. However, the ending pleasantly ended in a different way, not at all what was expected, which makes me once again applaud Poe, for his out-of-the box-thinking that I so very much adore. Many have criticized his flagrant disregard for the great writers in this story, thinking he is above them all, but I think there is a little bit of personality our dear Bon-Bon and Poe share. While arrogance and pride seem to be the strongest trait of the evening I feel there lies something beneath that isn't so cut and dry. I will not go into detail, as I feel the readers need to decide for themselves if Poe's a jerk or there's something more to him. As for me, he is still one of my favorite authors and this was beautiful writing. I only lament it wasn't longer.
April 11, 2024
FULL REVIEW ON MY WEBSITE
This concept of this story is interesting, however Edgar Allan Poe writing style makes it almost interminable to get through. This story really shows that Edgar Allan Poe has a tendency to ramble throughout his writing, needlessly prolonging the dull parts, which in turn leaves hardly any time for the more entertaining aspects within the book.
However this story doesn鈥檛 fail to turn the expression 鈥渇ood for thoughts鈥� into 鈥渢houghts for food鈥�. However the whole story is another Edgar Allan Poe story where the Devil makes a grand appearance.
The narratorial voice was excellent. The plot was comical, which was the intent. But these things are the basic things which makes a story / book good. We need much more to give a story / book 5 stars or even 4.
This concept of this story is interesting, however Edgar Allan Poe writing style makes it almost interminable to get through. This story really shows that Edgar Allan Poe has a tendency to ramble throughout his writing, needlessly prolonging the dull parts, which in turn leaves hardly any time for the more entertaining aspects within the book.
However this story doesn鈥檛 fail to turn the expression 鈥渇ood for thoughts鈥� into 鈥渢houghts for food鈥�. However the whole story is another Edgar Allan Poe story where the Devil makes a grand appearance.
The narratorial voice was excellent. The plot was comical, which was the intent. But these things are the basic things which makes a story / book good. We need much more to give a story / book 5 stars or even 4.
December 24, 2018
quand un bon vin meuble mon estomac,
je suis plus savant que balzac -
plus sage que pibrac ;
mon brass seul faisant l'attaque
de la nation coseaque,
la mettroit au sac ;
de charon je passerois le lac,
en dormant dans son bac ;
j'irois au fier eac,
sans que mon coeur fit tic ni tac,
pr茅senter du tabac.
french vaudeville -- thats explain much about story
-- half satire story and i loved it . .Bargain with devil will remind you faust. except the alcohol and twist ending. poe always use shock effect in the end of his stories by using different twists. description of mr bonbon was also good, character structure done well as introduction.
je suis plus savant que balzac -
plus sage que pibrac ;
mon brass seul faisant l'attaque
de la nation coseaque,
la mettroit au sac ;
de charon je passerois le lac,
en dormant dans son bac ;
j'irois au fier eac,
sans que mon coeur fit tic ni tac,
pr茅senter du tabac.
french vaudeville -- thats explain much about story
-- half satire story and i loved it . .Bargain with devil will remind you faust. except the alcohol and twist ending. poe always use shock effect in the end of his stories by using different twists. description of mr bonbon was also good, character structure done well as introduction.
July 16, 2022
A fun story starting out with a delightful profile of the philosopher and chef Bon Bon. On one uniquely chilling evening Bon Bon finds to his amazement and great interest to be entertaining the devil himself. Even though its a bit of a lark, the description of the devil is enjoyably eerie. He gets into a braggadocious roll about all the philosphers he's eaten and who's souls are delicious and whos rancid. Not to be outdone Bon Bon drunkenly tries to tempt the devil with how savory his own soul would be. The devil politely declines and drops a chandalier on Bon Bons head.
I suppose we learn that even the devil has standards and our self worth truly is found in the eye of the beholder.
I suppose we learn that even the devil has standards and our self worth truly is found in the eye of the beholder.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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