One-Line Book Review: The covers of this book are too far apart

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The quotation in the subject line appeared in the 1929 biographical
work titled "Bitter Bierce: A Mystery of American Letters" by C.
Hartley Grattan. The author credited Bierce with the quip.

This 1929 citation was listed in several key reference works
including: Cassell's Humorous Quotations (2001), The Yale Book of
Quotations (2006), and The Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations
(2006).

I've made some progress antedating this expression. A version of the
gibe was in circulation by 1899. A linkage to Bierce was asserted by
the prominent humorist Irvin S. Cobb in 1923. Here is a link to the QI
entry:

http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/01/30/apart/

 Additional citations providing illumination would be most welcome. Thanks.

Garson

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