Edgar Allan Poe

Bon-Bon Edgar Allan Poe

Pierre Bon-Bon is a well-known French restaurant owner and chef, known both for his omelettes and his metaphysical philosophies. The narrator describes him as profound and a man of genius, as even the man's cat knew. Bon-Bon, who has "an inclination for the bottle", is drinking around midnight on a snowy winter night when he hears a voice. He recognizes it as that of the Devil himself, who then appears in a black suit in the style of the previous century, and which is a bit too small for him. He wears green spectacles, and has a stylus behind one ear and a large black book in his breast pocket. The two engage in conversation, Bon-Bon pressing the Devil for a philosophical exchange. He hopes to "elicit some important ethical ideas" that he can publish to make himself famous. Bon-Bon learns that the Devil has never had eyes, but is convinced his vision is better and "more penetrating" than Bon-Bon's. The Devil can see the thoughts of others and, as he puts it, "my vision is the soul."