What do you think?
Rate this book
The Devil and Daniel Webster and Other Writings
The Devil and Daniel Webster is a short story about a successful lawyer who believes you can win your soul back from the devil.
Before his premature death in 1943, Stephen Vincent Benét was one of America's most prolific poets, novelists, and short-story writers. He is also, along with Robert Frost, Robert Lowell, and Robert Penn Warren, the only author to receive two Pulitzer prizes for his poetry. Featured in this anthology of his writings is a generous selection of his verse, anchored by his two Pulitzer Prize-winning poems, John Brown's Body and Western Star. Hailed by the New York Times as "an American Iliad," John Brown's Body (1929) is an epic chronicle of the Civil War, from the raid on Harper's Ferry to General Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
Through a versatile array of masterly short stories, Benét explored such subjects as American society, history, politics, and the supernatural. Among the two dozen stories selected for this volume are the haunting title story and the wrenching A Death in the Country. A final section representing Benét's nonfiction collects several of his penetrating essays on writing and education, including Most Unforgettable Character I've Known. Sensitively selected and thoughtfully arranged, this vibrant anthology will reintroduce readers to an American master.
Before his premature death in 1943, Stephen Vincent Benét was one of America's most prolific poets, novelists, and short-story writers. He is also, along with Robert Frost, Robert Lowell, and Robert Penn Warren, the only author to receive two Pulitzer prizes for his poetry. Featured in this anthology of his writings is a generous selection of his verse, anchored by his two Pulitzer Prize-winning poems, John Brown's Body and Western Star. Hailed by the New York Times as "an American Iliad," John Brown's Body (1929) is an epic chronicle of the Civil War, from the raid on Harper's Ferry to General Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
Through a versatile array of masterly short stories, Benét explored such subjects as American society, history, politics, and the supernatural. Among the two dozen stories selected for this volume are the haunting title story and the wrenching A Death in the Country. A final section representing Benét's nonfiction collects several of his penetrating essays on writing and education, including Most Unforgettable Character I've Known. Sensitively selected and thoughtfully arranged, this vibrant anthology will reintroduce readers to an American master.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
74 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Vincent Benét
257 books77 followersStephen Vincent Benét was born July 22, 1898, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, into a military family. His father had a wide appreciation for literature, and Benét's siblings, William Rose and Laura, also became writers. Benét attended Yale University where he published two collections of poetry, Five Men and Pompey (1915), The Drug-Shop (1917). His studies were interrupted by a year of civilian military service; he worked as a cipher-clerk in the same department as James Thurber. He graduated from Yale in 1919, submitting his third volume of poems in place of a thesis. He published his first novel The Beginning of Wisdom in 1921. Benét then moved to France to continue his studies at the Sorbonne and returned to the United States in 1923 with his new wife, the writer Rosemary Carr.
Benét was successful in many different literary forms, which included novels, short stories, screenplays, radio broadcasts, and a libretto for an opera by Douglas Moore based on "The Devil and Daniel Webster." His most famous work is the long poem John Brown's Body for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1929—a long narrative poem which interweaves historical and fictional characters to relate important events in the Civil War, from the raid on Harper's Ferry to Lee's surrender at Appomattox. During his lifetime, Benét also received the O. Henry Story Prize, the Roosevelt Medal, and a second Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for the posthumously-published Western Star, the first part of an epic poem based on American history. At the age of 44, Benét suffered a heart attack and died on March 13, 1943, in New York City.
Benét was successful in many different literary forms, which included novels, short stories, screenplays, radio broadcasts, and a libretto for an opera by Douglas Moore based on "The Devil and Daniel Webster." His most famous work is the long poem John Brown's Body for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1929—a long narrative poem which interweaves historical and fictional characters to relate important events in the Civil War, from the raid on Harper's Ferry to Lee's surrender at Appomattox. During his lifetime, Benét also received the O. Henry Story Prize, the Roosevelt Medal, and a second Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for the posthumously-published Western Star, the first part of an epic poem based on American history. At the age of 44, Benét suffered a heart attack and died on March 13, 1943, in New York City.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 5, 2007
In the mid eighties, my parents bought a rather amazing painting of Daniel Webster. They found it for cheap at an antique flea market in Pennsylvania, but the quality is so high that initally there was some question as to wether my folks had stumbled upon a portrait that Webster actually sat for. Turns out that no, it was just a copy of another popular portrait, but that doesn't deminish the stern power of Webster's visage. The portait has the kind of painted stare where the eyes follow you no matter where you go in the room. Daniel Webster has been glaring at me for over twenty years from their living room wall. I used to feel like he was going to rat me out when I threw a party when my parents were out of town.
Anyhow, my love of this book, which I read soon after the painting arrived, has always been tied up with my love of the portrait. This book is probably my favorite deal with the devil story, right after the original Faust. I love how human souls are collected as flying creatures- for someone weak like Jabez Stone, a tiny moth, for the great Daniel Webster, a majestic eagle. The best moment comes during the trial, when Webster claims his cleint, who sold his soul, does not need to honor his contract because the Devil is a foreign prince. To this the Devil responds: "When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there. When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck."
Awesome book! And the 1941 film is creepy and charming, and well worth checking out.
Anyhow, my love of this book, which I read soon after the painting arrived, has always been tied up with my love of the portrait. This book is probably my favorite deal with the devil story, right after the original Faust. I love how human souls are collected as flying creatures- for someone weak like Jabez Stone, a tiny moth, for the great Daniel Webster, a majestic eagle. The best moment comes during the trial, when Webster claims his cleint, who sold his soul, does not need to honor his contract because the Devil is a foreign prince. To this the Devil responds: "When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there. When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck."
Awesome book! And the 1941 film is creepy and charming, and well worth checking out.
February 15, 2017
This is a story that to this day will stick you with it's poignancy, and cause you to pause and take stock of your life in a very hard way.
May 22, 2024
So many updates — speeding through all my new Benét books. In the inside jacket is this review from the Washington Evening Star: “It is fit to be put with the Legend of Sleepy Hollow or with Rip Van Winkle or Huckleberry Finn.” It seems as if I’ll never escape American Lit to 1865.
Benét isn’t dealing in “true history” the way Irving does. Irving wants his readers to believe his legends are real and part of a longstanding oral tradition, referencing historical figures and events to cement them. Benét instead takes Daniel Webster and mythologizes him in a way where the reader is aware he is fantastical, but knows that it is all to show Webster’s greatness and spirit. It is not about what is true or false—just about preserving the man.
The courtroom scene is delightful, too, especially the appearance of Nathanial Hawthorne’s sordid ancestor. Benét’s treatment of good and evil as equally American characteristics reminded me of some of the earlier sections of Song of Myself where Whitman doesn’t discredit either and acknowledges that both are worth probing.
I’ll stop rambling and end on a quote that I think sums it all up: “And when Dan’l Webster finished he didn’t know whether or not he’d saved Jabez Stone. But he knew he’d done a miracle. For the glitter was gone from the eyes of judge and jury, and, for the moment, they were men again, and knew they were men.”
Benét isn’t dealing in “true history” the way Irving does. Irving wants his readers to believe his legends are real and part of a longstanding oral tradition, referencing historical figures and events to cement them. Benét instead takes Daniel Webster and mythologizes him in a way where the reader is aware he is fantastical, but knows that it is all to show Webster’s greatness and spirit. It is not about what is true or false—just about preserving the man.
The courtroom scene is delightful, too, especially the appearance of Nathanial Hawthorne’s sordid ancestor. Benét’s treatment of good and evil as equally American characteristics reminded me of some of the earlier sections of Song of Myself where Whitman doesn’t discredit either and acknowledges that both are worth probing.
I’ll stop rambling and end on a quote that I think sums it all up: “And when Dan’l Webster finished he didn’t know whether or not he’d saved Jabez Stone. But he knew he’d done a miracle. For the glitter was gone from the eyes of judge and jury, and, for the moment, they were men again, and knew they were men.”
May 17, 2018
I was initially put off by the idiomatic style of this book. This is a book of folk tales written in the voice Benet imagined for the characters in the stories. The book's seven tales span from the time of the Revolutionary War to almost the end of the nineteenth century. For me, personally, I felt the stories got better as the book progressed.
There is a wide range of story lines in these seven tales. Each story presents an aspect of the growth of the country over the years. There is the most famous of the stories, The Devil and Daniel Webster. This is a story of a New England patriot that attempts to win the soul back of someone who sold it to the devil. The first book I ever checked out of the library was a children's version of this story. There are stories of a Jewish pioneer, a slave who wins his freedom and the last story, my favorite, of an adopted boy who believes he is a fool and how he spends his whole life running from the Fool-Killer. His final encounter with the Fool-Killer is a touching end to the book.
Stephen Vincent Benet won the Pulitzer Prize twice, both times for his poetry. This book of folk tales shines a light on his prose. Once I understood what Benet was trying to say in his tales, I fell in love with the book. There is kindness, honesty and compassion in the stories. I am so glad I read this. It was a wonderfully pleasant experience.
There is a wide range of story lines in these seven tales. Each story presents an aspect of the growth of the country over the years. There is the most famous of the stories, The Devil and Daniel Webster. This is a story of a New England patriot that attempts to win the soul back of someone who sold it to the devil. The first book I ever checked out of the library was a children's version of this story. There are stories of a Jewish pioneer, a slave who wins his freedom and the last story, my favorite, of an adopted boy who believes he is a fool and how he spends his whole life running from the Fool-Killer. His final encounter with the Fool-Killer is a touching end to the book.
Stephen Vincent Benet won the Pulitzer Prize twice, both times for his poetry. This book of folk tales shines a light on his prose. Once I understood what Benet was trying to say in his tales, I fell in love with the book. There is kindness, honesty and compassion in the stories. I am so glad I read this. It was a wonderfully pleasant experience.
May 31, 2008
In this book, there is The Devil and Daniel Webster, and other short stories written by Stephen Vincent Benét. The second story is called The Sobbin Women. This story was the insperation for the musical, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. In the movie, those of you who have seen it might remember Adam Potapee referring to one of Millie's books, about the romans and the sobbing women, while trying to pursuade the brothers to go get their girls if they wanted to marry them. In the origanal story, Millie and the 7 brothers, and the minister's daughter are all in the there, but some with different names, and different personalities then in the movie. Millie is a bit more cunning in the story.
March 7, 2022
An excellent little book! The first story was excellent (The Devil and Daniel Webster) while the second (By The Waters of Babylon) was, in my opinion, a bit weak. However, it was the third and final story (Johnny Pye and the Fool-Killer) that really made the set. It was by far my favorite story in the collection. All in all, this was a really a great series, dramatic, sometimes funny, and very engaging. I've not read anything else by this author, but I know I'll be looking into his stuff soon.
February 13, 2020
Just a note about this book. Most of the editions shown are 1937. There is a 1967 pb edition with the same stories published by Archway Paperbacks, a division of Pocket Book. It was reprinted many times, including a 5th edition in 1973. It is a classic and has withstood the test of time both in reading enjoyment and the physical book itself. Paper is still in good condition, not much signs of wear. Nice cover of Daniel Webster (1/3 of page), the Devil(1/2 of page), and characters from the other stories.
March 20, 2009
This is a play I enjoyed reading in school. I find stuff with deals with the Devil pretty scary so I really liked it that Daniel Webster is able to beat the devil at his own game. I'm a sucker for anything supernatural, so I was glad that some of the classic required reading did have some supernatural elements.
April 13, 2018
After reading a book that I hated I needed an old friend to put my spirits in good order. The Devil and Daniel Webster has been a favorite of mine since elementary school and Old Scratch and the Jury of the Damned never fail to bring a smile to my face (wow...that is weird....lol).
Nothing more to add.
Nothing more to add.
January 18, 2020
I read two stories; The Devil and Daniel Webster, and Jacob and the Indians.
Delving into stories featuring the Devil as a character. This first story is one of the most famous. It’s really good. Shorter than I thought. But I really enjoyed it.
Jacob and the Indians is a western story. A Jewish scholar wants to go trade with Indians to impress the girl he likes and comes back a changed man.
Delving into stories featuring the Devil as a character. This first story is one of the most famous. It’s really good. Shorter than I thought. But I really enjoyed it.
Jacob and the Indians is a western story. A Jewish scholar wants to go trade with Indians to impress the girl he likes and comes back a changed man.
October 2, 2008
Delightful. How did I miss this one when I was young? Although I think it relates to our modern financial crisis. . .the bankers and investors sell their souls to the devil for good times and flush pockets, and when the devil comes due they turn to the government to bail them out.
December 31, 2019
Worth another reading
Read a few of these stories when I was in high school and failed to fully appreciate them at that time. This author's style and sense of irony are far beyond the scope of a teenager. Take the time to read them again.
Read a few of these stories when I was in high school and failed to fully appreciate them at that time. This author's style and sense of irony are far beyond the scope of a teenager. Take the time to read them again.
September 19, 2007
Another book I loved in junior high.
January 25, 2021
Benet is an intriguing read in the 21st century. The stories have to be taken in context of their time. They read now like the very essence of mid-20th century American popular culture. 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' is the stand-out, and it holds up wonderfully as a late work of American myth-making (as well as a thoroughly entertaining story). In general, the stories hold up better. 'John Brown's Body' and the other works of poetry are more interesting as relics of a bygone time, but one can see the appeal they would have had in his day.
There is a lot to like in this collection, but few will want to read it cover-to-cover in one go. This is a book to visit on occasion. Read a couple stories and then put it back on the shelf until next time. Enjoyable as the stories are, it's not hard to see why they're little read today. Benet was writing about--and writing for--an American culture that is still recognizable but which lies firmly in a now distant past. Anyone with a soft spot for the stories Americans like to tell about themselves will be pleased by what they find here. But cultural preferences--and cultural politics--have moved very far from this kind of writing, and the works here don't always make it easy to overlook the differences.
There is a lot to like in this collection, but few will want to read it cover-to-cover in one go. This is a book to visit on occasion. Read a couple stories and then put it back on the shelf until next time. Enjoyable as the stories are, it's not hard to see why they're little read today. Benet was writing about--and writing for--an American culture that is still recognizable but which lies firmly in a now distant past. Anyone with a soft spot for the stories Americans like to tell about themselves will be pleased by what they find here. But cultural preferences--and cultural politics--have moved very far from this kind of writing, and the works here don't always make it easy to overlook the differences.
December 21, 2022
An American classic collection. Three short works with widely varying plots. The title work is the best known, a morality play featuring one of the most famous people of the 19th century. It's a great piece which basically introduced the idea of historical figures being pulled out of time to participate in someone else's story.
The second is "By the Waters of Babylon". I had first been assigned to read this in high school and remembered the story but not the name or the author. It's a science fiction story and the most memorable part for me is that when the teacher asked what the class thought everyone except me and one other guy didn't understand it at all. It was my first introduction to the mindset of the common people, which was later made obvious as every TV program I liked constantly got canceled while abysmal drek like "American Idol" stays on for years. Anyway, it was good strong story.
"Johnny Pye and the Fool-killer" is another morality play with another devil. No Daniel Webster, but two Presidents instead. It follows an orphan boy who travels looking for the meaning of life. He tries every profession imaginable and finds each one wanting. Then the meaning of life finds him.
Often funny and superbly written.
The second is "By the Waters of Babylon". I had first been assigned to read this in high school and remembered the story but not the name or the author. It's a science fiction story and the most memorable part for me is that when the teacher asked what the class thought everyone except me and one other guy didn't understand it at all. It was my first introduction to the mindset of the common people, which was later made obvious as every TV program I liked constantly got canceled while abysmal drek like "American Idol" stays on for years. Anyway, it was good strong story.
"Johnny Pye and the Fool-killer" is another morality play with another devil. No Daniel Webster, but two Presidents instead. It follows an orphan boy who travels looking for the meaning of life. He tries every profession imaginable and finds each one wanting. Then the meaning of life finds him.
Often funny and superbly written.
November 16, 2019
The Devil and Daniel Webster is a story that keeps you wanting more . It's depth does not match the number of pages. There is, in fact , an inwardness peculiar to this tale that hits deep into human behavior in all spheres, from the farmer to the Union. Thanks God we have other great writings in this collection.
March 5, 2017
Goodread from one of America's literary treasures. "The Devil & Daniel Webster" is among the finest examples of short story writing in the planet. "John Brown's Body" truly is America's "Iliad".
Good sampler of a great and timeless, American classic writer worthy of closer inspection.
Good sampler of a great and timeless, American classic writer worthy of closer inspection.
August 28, 2020
Found a new book store and picked up this (along with some other) pocket-sized delights.
The first story is a cute little tall tale involving the Devil coming to pry on some hard for luck farmers in 19th century New England. It's a very quick read over lunch, yet contains some nicely written passages like the quote from above. The entire story felt very reminiscent of the song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band accompanied by strong patriotic undertones and stereotypical frontiersmen twang.
The second story, By the Waters of Babylon, follows a young man's journey as he travels to the Place of the Gods. His revelations evolved organically to the point that I had no idea where the story was going most of the time, which was great for adding a surprisingly suspenseful element to this short story. On finishing, it could easily be interpreted as propaganda, especially due to its brief length and publication in 1937, but I don't think that detracts from the story too terribly.
The final entry in this trio of whimsical fictions, Johnny Pye and the Fool-Killer, takes another turn down folksy foibles and triumphs' road. It's the longest entry, sitting at about 50 pages, but is still easily digestible over a quick breakfast. My favorite of the three, this story has a more somber tone and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth at the end. Still, there's a certain fondness for Johnny Pye's honesty that rings true for any meandering soul. I liked this tale because of its poignant message and compelling narrative.
The first story is a cute little tall tale involving the Devil coming to pry on some hard for luck farmers in 19th century New England. It's a very quick read over lunch, yet contains some nicely written passages like the quote from above. The entire story felt very reminiscent of the song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band accompanied by strong patriotic undertones and stereotypical frontiersmen twang.
The second story, By the Waters of Babylon, follows a young man's journey as he travels to the Place of the Gods. His revelations evolved organically to the point that I had no idea where the story was going most of the time, which was great for adding a surprisingly suspenseful element to this short story. On finishing, it could easily be interpreted as propaganda, especially due to its brief length and publication in 1937, but I don't think that detracts from the story too terribly.
The final entry in this trio of whimsical fictions, Johnny Pye and the Fool-Killer, takes another turn down folksy foibles and triumphs' road. It's the longest entry, sitting at about 50 pages, but is still easily digestible over a quick breakfast. My favorite of the three, this story has a more somber tone and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth at the end. Still, there's a certain fondness for Johnny Pye's honesty that rings true for any meandering soul. I liked this tale because of its poignant message and compelling narrative.
March 8, 2009
Saw the movie where an ordinary man, Jabez Stone (Alec Baldwin) is down on his luck. He's an aspiring author, and after watching his good friend become published and rich, Jabez confides to his reflection in the mirror that he would sell his soul to the Devil to be a successful author. Enter Jenifer Love-Hewitt as the Devil, eager to close the deal. Anthony Hopkins portrays the defense lawyer, who has chased the Devil before and attempts to convince a ghost jury that the Devil manipulates desperate people to her advantage.
The book is really a short story, and is written more as a tall tale of Daniel Webster as a simple but successful man from NH as the lawyer. Bottom line: in this case, the movie delivers more bang for your buck (not often that you'll hear that from me).
The book is really a short story, and is written more as a tall tale of Daniel Webster as a simple but successful man from NH as the lawyer. Bottom line: in this case, the movie delivers more bang for your buck (not often that you'll hear that from me).
February 1, 2022
This collection of short stories is described as Tales of American History. Each story is told in the "voice" of the narrator, i.e., if the story is told by an Irish immigrant,
the words seem to be spoken with a broad brogue. Benet was an amazing storyteller, capturing the breadth and majesty of the virgin American wilderness, as well as the emotional response of the protagonists. I don't know how I missed reading these when I was in school, but I suspect I would not have appreciated their depth and subtlety. I highly recommend them to you.
the words seem to be spoken with a broad brogue. Benet was an amazing storyteller, capturing the breadth and majesty of the virgin American wilderness, as well as the emotional response of the protagonists. I don't know how I missed reading these when I was in school, but I suspect I would not have appreciated their depth and subtlety. I highly recommend them to you.
October 16, 2020
A very enjoyable book that captures Americana, in its good and bad parts alike. Very funny at points, touching and poignant at others. The only story I didn't enjoy much was "Jacob and the Indians." I felt it didn't have the pizzazz as the others and was a little confusing. My favorite was "Freedom's a Hard-Bought Thing." I feel it is a very important story and should be read by everyone.
Read
September 12, 2008had to read for a school assingment but it is good wins over evil.
October 15, 2008
Acted in a play of this when I was young. Played Daniel Webster. Read this book about him before I was really old enough to comprehend it all, but enjoyed the 'what if'.
August 14, 2009
My sister gave me a 1937 hardcover edition of this book. It is filled with wonderful wood block print illustrations. Delightful short story set in New Hampshire. Fast read. Well done.
August 21, 2009
Read in about 30 minutes. o.k. just curious because I had heard so much about it. Daniel saves a neighbor/friend who sold his sooul to the devil
October 1, 2009
Forced to read it in school and hate silly hero worship.
November 18, 2010
Daniel did well.
May 26, 2014
Finally finished the prose portion. I'm not much of a poetry person. I enjoyed the stories as bedtime reading.
October 28, 2017
Great stories, really meant to be read aloud.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews