Sinister early American satire from Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 тАУ November 28, 1859) author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. The classic short story тАЬThe Devil and Tom WalkerтАЭ is the dark and eerie tale of a foolish manтАЩs greed, hypocrisy and ambition . Puritan writing at its finest. Tom is a debased man, miserly and cruel to his fellows, and even to his wife. The Devil, shows him a grove of rotting trees, representing souls. They make the customary deal, with Walker becoming one of the richest men around and Walker begins to work at keeping his soul, despite a lifetime of usury and the dark deal to which he agreed. If you're a fan of works like "The Scarlet Letter," this is just right for you. A definitely religious message, but with enough horror and fantasy to draw in even an atheist reader.