My first acquaintance with Ambrose Bierce's writing took place when we read "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge" during an English class in the early 1980s. Later I got a German book of acerbic definitions ("Sag's mit Biß") and much of the content was a translation of Bierce's "Devil's Dictionary". Needless to say that I immediately bagged this book during yesterday's Great English Book Swap. The copy is from the reprint in Penguin Classics 1985 and contains the following hand-written definition on the very first page:
Secretary, n. Boss, improved
     (Occasionally in unexpected ways).

A very entertaining and informative read. Full of sarcasm and wit, it also contains traces of irony and cynicism, as well as a good dose of wisdom mascarading as misanthropy and/or misogyny.

Quotable quotes
* Distance, n. The only thing that the rich are willing for the poor to call theirs, and keep. (p. 98)
* Noise, n. A stench in the ear. Undomesticated music. The chief product and authenticating sign of civilization. (p. 230)
* Ruin, n. What our millionaires are coming to if they have to pay taxes. (p. 277)
- - -
efell Lesechallenge 2019: Buchstaben T: T - erster Buchstabe des Titels