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Who Is Mark Twain?
You had better shove this in the stove," Mark Twain said at the top of an 1865 letter to his brother, "for I don't want any absurd 'literary remains' and 'unpublished letters of Mark Twain' published after I am planted." He was joking, of course. But when Mark Twain died in 1910, he left behind the largest collection of personal papers created by any nineteenth-century American author.
Here, for the first time in book form, are twenty-four remarkable pieces by the American master—pieces that have been handpicked by Robert Hirst, general editor of the Mark Twain Project at the University of California, Berkeley. In "Jane Austen," Twain wonders if Austen's goal is to "make the reader detest her people up to the middle of the book and like them in the rest of the chapters." "The Privilege of the Grave" offers a powerful statement about the freedom of speech while "Happy Memories of the Dental Chair" will make you appreciate modern dentistry. In "Frank Fuller and My First New York Lecture" Twain plasters the city with ads to promote his talk at the Cooper Union (he is terrified no one will attend). Later that day, Twain encounters two men gazing at one of his ads. One man says to the other: "Who is Mark Twain?" The other responds: "God knows—I don't."
Wickedly funny and disarmingly relevant, Who Is Mark Twain? shines a new light on one of America's most beloved literary icons—a man who was well ahead of his time.
Here, for the first time in book form, are twenty-four remarkable pieces by the American master—pieces that have been handpicked by Robert Hirst, general editor of the Mark Twain Project at the University of California, Berkeley. In "Jane Austen," Twain wonders if Austen's goal is to "make the reader detest her people up to the middle of the book and like them in the rest of the chapters." "The Privilege of the Grave" offers a powerful statement about the freedom of speech while "Happy Memories of the Dental Chair" will make you appreciate modern dentistry. In "Frank Fuller and My First New York Lecture" Twain plasters the city with ads to promote his talk at the Cooper Union (he is terrified no one will attend). Later that day, Twain encounters two men gazing at one of his ads. One man says to the other: "Who is Mark Twain?" The other responds: "God knows—I don't."
Wickedly funny and disarmingly relevant, Who Is Mark Twain? shines a new light on one of America's most beloved literary icons—a man who was well ahead of his time.
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First published April 21, 2009
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About the author
Mark Twain
8,878 books18.7k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 5, 2021
These are a collection of essays, articles letters and stories which for one reason or another were not published during Mark Twain's lifetime. Rather than destroy them he left them with orders they were to be published after his death, figuring in typical curmudgeonly fashion that he would no longer be around to take the heat for any controversy they might engender.
I applaud you, Mr. Twain.
This audio version was read delightfully well by John Lithgow, who may not be a curmudgeon, but he plays one passing fair.
I applaud you, Mr. Twain.
This audio version was read delightfully well by John Lithgow, who may not be a curmudgeon, but he plays one passing fair.
December 20, 2017
The opening line of one essay from the book says it all: “Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. Simply suppose you were a member of Congress.” Irreverent. Scornful. Full of sarcasm and satire. A voice in the modern era that speaks this much truth is unfortunately absent.
February 20, 2017
A collection of Mark Twain's unpublished papers. While moments were interesting or amusing, Mark Twain ultimately left these unfinished, and so shall I.
May 10, 2017
A writer par excellence and a humorist impeccable,
He’s a satirist that amazes with his eloquence amiable,
His timeless works will continue to educate and entertain,
He is the legendary Samuel Clemens better known as Mark Twain!
About the author: Mark Twain is a name that needs no introduction. His works ‘The adventures of Tom Sawyer and ‘The adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ are not only cherished and immortalized as literary classics but also are part of school curriculum to expose little minds to the joys of reading those memorable tales.
I stay in Connecticut in the USA where Mark Twain lived. His mansion at Hartford is a tourist attraction and a historic landmark. His and his daughter’s birthdays are celebrated in many places around and the libraries proudly boast of aisles of his books and biographies. Even the bookstores here hand out bags printed with his quotes! Needless to say, any book lover would be drawn to the magic that is named Mark Twain. One of them is me.
Plot: This is neither a story nor an autobiography. This is a collection of unpublished articles, personal opinions, and anecdotes that Mark Twain left among his possessions. According to him, freedom of speech although propagated by many countries and cultures is not truly practiced. A person is completely free of inhibitions to speak his mind only ‘from the grave’. So, from the grave, he does speak through the largest collection of personal papers left by any American author in the 19th century.
Although all of them subtly convey a touching message, here is a list of my absolute favorite articles from the book along with a quote from each write-up:
1. Whenever I am to publish a book:
This is about the feelings Twain went through when he published any book. He mentions that he read his books out to a private audience carefully picked by him and classified the listeners into 14 categories. The 14th category is ‘The man who always goes to sleep’! He placed his blind trust in this category since he got to know how interesting or uninteresting his book is by observing this man! If he kept awake for an hour and then slept, Twain confidently published the book.
Quote: If he drops off to sleep within 15 minutes, I burn the book. His verdict has burned several books for me.
2. Frank Fuller and my first New York Lecture:
This article is about the grandiose plans of his friend(acting as a marketing manager) - Mr. Frank Fuller. Fuller wanted to make extravagant arrangements for Mark Twain’s first lecture and he booked a hall for seating 3000 listeners for a period of 3 months, reducing Twain to a nervous wreck!
Quote: Admiral Farragut couldn’t come for my lecture. Just at that time, a child was born to – not to him, and I don’t remember now who it was born to , and now I come to think, I believe it was not born that year but anyway he couldn’t come.
3. Happy memories of the dental chair:
We all remember that scary day when we went to the dentist for the first time and so does Mark Twain. Just like most dentists, his one also scared the wits off him by mentioning the name of a queer disease of his teeth although there was no pain experienced. Twain strongly believes that dentists require two qualities very essential to their profession: 1. Skill related to teeth 2. Active talking and entertaining.
Quote: The dentist had a calm, possessed, surgical look of a man who could endure pain in another person.
4. Dr. Van Dyke as a man and as a Fisherman:
This is a serious account that despises the hobby of fishing. He says that experiencing pleasure in fishing is similar to experiencing a maniacal happiness in murdering a child that was innocently playing around. He was a vegetarian and being one myself, I could completely understand and applaud his view.
Quote: Man conceived the idea of getting pleasure out of deceiving, frightening, capturing mutilating and murdering a child.
5. Jane Austen:
This is a sharply satirical account of Jane Austen’s writing. While considering himself unworthy of praising her work, he subtly hints the unlikable nature of all her main characters!
Quote: Is it her purpose to make the readers detest the characters up to the middle of the book and like them later on? That would be high art. Someday I would examine the other end of the book and see.
My Opinion: In the past few weeks, I was celebrating a secret Mark Twain festival in my own world. I plunged into his books from the library. I have not read all of them yet, but it was scintillating to bask in the glory of his works.
Most of the stories have a sharp satire and unadulterated wit. Each story is a gem. I consider myself unworthy of providing ‘my opinion’ on the legend, but consider it a pleasure to remind my fellow readers of the great writer and a better humorist!
October 20, 2018
Twain’s humor and scorn fall on the pretentious, the self-serving, and the hypocritical.
October 27, 2021
Jon Lithgow reads the audio version of this collection of Mark Twain's work and there are some gems among the short stories. There is also some score-settling on Twain's part like the essay on the high cost of postage.
Good stuff, but very esoteric.
Good stuff, but very esoteric.
September 21, 2021
Some funny bits, as expected, but mostly incomplete, sketchy, half-written short essays. "Previously unpublished" and for good reason - they ain't done. Just seems like a money-grab. Skip it.
March 23, 2010
If you are a fan of Mark Twain's, you'll find something to like in this book. However, readers should realize that many of the snippets are just that...notes and drafts of work in progress...that he never finished or published in his lifetime. There are a few gems and the rest is interesting to see how his mind worked. And, as usual with Mark Twain's work, it is as true today as when he wrote.
Overall, a fast read that's worth your time.
Overall, a fast read that's worth your time.
October 8, 2012
While leftovers of a master, the collection is at times hilarious, astute, prejudiced (especially against established religion), but always readable.
May 31, 2016
In 1900 Mark Twain wrote an editorial entitled "The Missionary in World Politics," originally intended for publication in the London Times. Palpable anger smolders beneath the polished veneer of a journalistic conviction intended to persuade the reader over the breakfast table. Now you, complacent Westerner, Twain charges, now you imagine what it would feel like to watch foreigners traverse, uninvited, throughout your homeland, telling your children that your native religion is the sure ticket to eternal damnation, which has doubtlessly been the fate of all your heathen ancestors. And we wonder at the murderous rage this inspires, he continues, and then fail to see that the insult is only compounded when colonial punishment is meted out and a new, overbearing church is built in memorial to the fallen Christian martyr. "[The missionary] has loaded vast China onto the Concert of Christian Birds of Prey; and they were glad, smelling carrion; but they have lit and are astonished, finding the carcase alive. And it may remain alive - Europe cannot tell, yet," Twain concludes, ominously foretelling a dark future should European exploitation of China continue unabated. The editorial is signed with an anonymous X, but it was never published anyway - it turned out that the "massacre of the Ministers" had been a mere rumor. The topic of the piece nevertheless remains pertinent today, while the tone and the imagery further emphasize the anti-imperialist sentiments of an author all too often derided as a racist.
"The Missionary in World Politics" also brings together two main themes - free speech and issues with the American publishing industry - that run throughout Who is Mark Twain?, a collection of twenty-four previously unpublished essays, sketches, thoughts, and short stories by the famed writer whose real name was Samuel Clemens. Although he never left explicit instructions for dealing with his vast collection of written remains - roughly half a million pages of everything from personal correspondence to bills to manuscripts to miscellaneous notebooks - Twain certainly implied that he would greatly prefer that most of it be published only after his death. "He seems to have been wholly willing to let posterity read them," says editor Robert H. Hirst, "unafraid of the light they might cast on his talent, or the way he wrote. That unusual willingness to let the world see how he worked, including how he failed or simply misfired, had only one precondition - he must not be alive at the time." As indicated by the title, the purpose of this compendium is to contribute to a greater understanding of an American literary giant: to clarify and illuminate him as both an artist and an individual. But, as an occupant of the grave, Twain is also protected from whatever public outcry and vilification he felt would accompany the publication of his more controversial works. Pure, unadulterated free speech, he felt, is a risky endeavor for the living, but the dead are more easily forgiven.
Each item in the book was handpicked by Hirst, general editor of the Mark Twain Project at the University of California in Berkeley. While some are complete short works, others remain unfinished or unedited ("Conversations with Satan," for example, starts out very promisingly but soon veers off onto a tangent about taste in cigars and then abruptly cuts off). Opening the collection is, appropriately, a farcical essay entitled "Whenever I Am About to Publish a Book." Although Twain never knows exactly what kind of book he is writing until the literary critics tell him, he still wants to know what the general public will think of it, so he lists fourteen distinct "focus groups" (i.e. "Men and women with no sense of humor, "Men and women with a prodigious sense of humor," "A sentimental person") to whom he likes to gives private readings. "I seem to be making a distinction here," he observes, "I seem to be separating the professional reviewer from the human family; I seem to be intimating that he is not a part of the public, but a class by himself." That is not entirely the case, he goes on to explain: the professional reviewer simply represents a tiny sliver of the reading public, the crème de la crème who has the God-given authority to determine if you should be enjoying your new book or not. But whether or not he actually decides to publish the book in the first place depends largely on the opinion of the "Man who always goes to sleep," who must remain awake for at least three-quarters of an hour during the Twain's test run.
"Whenever I Am About to Publish a Book" also establishes Twain's tenuous relationship to the press, particularly the American press. The context of "The Missionary in World Politics," as well as the disparity Twain has noted between the freedom of speech accorded to the living and the dead, both indicate an ongoing resentment of the de facto social restrictions on what can and cannot be published. Two other pieces entitled "The Force of 'Suggestion'" and "Interviewing the Interviewer" also reveal a frustration with the often sensationalist and salacious nature of the "yellow journalism" that prevailed at the time. In the latter work, Twain takes aim at Charles A. Dana of the New York Sun and envisions a meeting between the two of them wherein Twain (ironically) plays the role of humble advice-seeker. "My son, unto none but you would I reveal the secret," he imagines Dana telling him,
Dana's imaginary "advice" also graphically reflects Twain's wariness of attracting public animosity as a living man writing controversial material. And yet, the last piece in the book, "The American Press," appears almost as a note of redemption for the hitherto darkly satirical portrayals of the state of American publishing. Twain is responding to English poet and cultural critic Matthew Arnold's disparagement of American newspapers as lacking in reverence and respect. "Goethe says somewhere that 'the thrill of awe' - that is to say, REVERENCE - 'is the best thing humanity has,'" Arnold is quoted as saying. On the contrary, Twain contends, the European newspapers remain stupidly and thoughtlessly committed to propping up their nations' archaic governments and, to that end, maintain a sonorously serious aspect utterly lacking in any sense of humor. "Professor Mahaffy on Equality" also counters another European mischaracterization of American culture, as Twain responds to Mahaffy's apparent confusion of "physical equality" with the Constitution's proclamation of political equality. For all his difficulties with his country and its institutions, Twain was also more than willing to defend America from its misinformed detractors and proclaim it as the greatest, most free nation on earth.
At the same time, however, Twain's travel memoir Roughing It certainly leaves the reader with a profound sense of disillusionment as, one by one, American dreams and myths are acerbically torn down. The overall tone of the works in Who is Mark Twain? is likewise one of hard realism and a playfully pessimistic view of human nature, with a witty edge reminiscent (to modern readers) of TV's Dr. Gregory House ("Everybody lies!"). In "The Undertaker's Tale," a family in the graveyard business lists their sick neighbors as business assets and despairs of ever having a "good season," especially after the cholera epidemic misses their town. "Dr. Van Dyke as a Man and as a Fisherman" ironically makes use of the parable (in this case, the noble Christian Van Dyke luring an innocent fish to his hook of death) to illustrate the impossibility of man's ever living up to his own lofty ideals. But not that Twain is blind to his own faults:
"Conversations with Satan" is emblematic of the entire collection: a small fragment of Twain, raw and unfinished, but still recognizably Twain in its biting satire (of courtly manners and the author himself) and brazen honesty. Despite having been previously unpublished, the selections in Who is Mark Twain? are definitely not second-rate when compared to his famous works. Twain's unique voice is heard in multiple genres, from travel accounts to indignant editorials to a wide range of short stories (one of my favorites, the sad and adorable "Telegraph Dog," surprised me with its striking tenderness and the pathos surrounding loyal, tragic little Billy). Who is Mark Twain? is both a quick, comprehensive introduction to readers unfamiliar with Twain and a great supplement to a full literary diet of Twain. Considering the 500,000+ pages he left behind, I am sure we can expect another book like this one in the future.
Review Copy
Original Review
"The Missionary in World Politics" also brings together two main themes - free speech and issues with the American publishing industry - that run throughout Who is Mark Twain?, a collection of twenty-four previously unpublished essays, sketches, thoughts, and short stories by the famed writer whose real name was Samuel Clemens. Although he never left explicit instructions for dealing with his vast collection of written remains - roughly half a million pages of everything from personal correspondence to bills to manuscripts to miscellaneous notebooks - Twain certainly implied that he would greatly prefer that most of it be published only after his death. "He seems to have been wholly willing to let posterity read them," says editor Robert H. Hirst, "unafraid of the light they might cast on his talent, or the way he wrote. That unusual willingness to let the world see how he worked, including how he failed or simply misfired, had only one precondition - he must not be alive at the time." As indicated by the title, the purpose of this compendium is to contribute to a greater understanding of an American literary giant: to clarify and illuminate him as both an artist and an individual. But, as an occupant of the grave, Twain is also protected from whatever public outcry and vilification he felt would accompany the publication of his more controversial works. Pure, unadulterated free speech, he felt, is a risky endeavor for the living, but the dead are more easily forgiven.
Each item in the book was handpicked by Hirst, general editor of the Mark Twain Project at the University of California in Berkeley. While some are complete short works, others remain unfinished or unedited ("Conversations with Satan," for example, starts out very promisingly but soon veers off onto a tangent about taste in cigars and then abruptly cuts off). Opening the collection is, appropriately, a farcical essay entitled "Whenever I Am About to Publish a Book." Although Twain never knows exactly what kind of book he is writing until the literary critics tell him, he still wants to know what the general public will think of it, so he lists fourteen distinct "focus groups" (i.e. "Men and women with no sense of humor, "Men and women with a prodigious sense of humor," "A sentimental person") to whom he likes to gives private readings. "I seem to be making a distinction here," he observes, "I seem to be separating the professional reviewer from the human family; I seem to be intimating that he is not a part of the public, but a class by himself." That is not entirely the case, he goes on to explain: the professional reviewer simply represents a tiny sliver of the reading public, the crème de la crème who has the God-given authority to determine if you should be enjoying your new book or not. But whether or not he actually decides to publish the book in the first place depends largely on the opinion of the "Man who always goes to sleep," who must remain awake for at least three-quarters of an hour during the Twain's test run.
"Whenever I Am About to Publish a Book" also establishes Twain's tenuous relationship to the press, particularly the American press. The context of "The Missionary in World Politics," as well as the disparity Twain has noted between the freedom of speech accorded to the living and the dead, both indicate an ongoing resentment of the de facto social restrictions on what can and cannot be published. Two other pieces entitled "The Force of 'Suggestion'" and "Interviewing the Interviewer" also reveal a frustration with the often sensationalist and salacious nature of the "yellow journalism" that prevailed at the time. In the latter work, Twain takes aim at Charles A. Dana of the New York Sun and envisions a meeting between the two of them wherein Twain (ironically) plays the role of humble advice-seeker. "My son, unto none but you would I reveal the secret," he imagines Dana telling him,
". . . The first great end and aim of journalism is to make a sensation. Never let your paper go to press without a sensation. If you have none, make one. Seize upon the prominent events of the day, and clamor about them with a maniacal fury that demands attention. Vilify everything that is unpopular - harry it, haunt it, abuse it, without rhyme or reason, so that you get a sensation out of it. Laud that which is popular - unless you feel sure that you can make it unpopular by attacking it. Hit every man that is down - never fail in this, for it is safe. . . If an uncalled-for onslaught upon a neighboring editor who has made you play second fiddle in journalism can take the bread out of his mouth and send him in disgrace from his post, let him have it! Do not mind a little lying, a liberal garbling of his telegrams, a mean prying into his private affairs and a pitiful and treacherous exposure of his private letters. It takes a very small nature to get down to this, but I managed it and you can - and it makes a princely sensation."
Dana's imaginary "advice" also graphically reflects Twain's wariness of attracting public animosity as a living man writing controversial material. And yet, the last piece in the book, "The American Press," appears almost as a note of redemption for the hitherto darkly satirical portrayals of the state of American publishing. Twain is responding to English poet and cultural critic Matthew Arnold's disparagement of American newspapers as lacking in reverence and respect. "Goethe says somewhere that 'the thrill of awe' - that is to say, REVERENCE - 'is the best thing humanity has,'" Arnold is quoted as saying. On the contrary, Twain contends, the European newspapers remain stupidly and thoughtlessly committed to propping up their nations' archaic governments and, to that end, maintain a sonorously serious aspect utterly lacking in any sense of humor. "Professor Mahaffy on Equality" also counters another European mischaracterization of American culture, as Twain responds to Mahaffy's apparent confusion of "physical equality" with the Constitution's proclamation of political equality. For all his difficulties with his country and its institutions, Twain was also more than willing to defend America from its misinformed detractors and proclaim it as the greatest, most free nation on earth.
At the same time, however, Twain's travel memoir Roughing It certainly leaves the reader with a profound sense of disillusionment as, one by one, American dreams and myths are acerbically torn down. The overall tone of the works in Who is Mark Twain? is likewise one of hard realism and a playfully pessimistic view of human nature, with a witty edge reminiscent (to modern readers) of TV's Dr. Gregory House ("Everybody lies!"). In "The Undertaker's Tale," a family in the graveyard business lists their sick neighbors as business assets and despairs of ever having a "good season," especially after the cholera epidemic misses their town. "Dr. Van Dyke as a Man and as a Fisherman" ironically makes use of the parable (in this case, the noble Christian Van Dyke luring an innocent fish to his hook of death) to illustrate the impossibility of man's ever living up to his own lofty ideals. But not that Twain is blind to his own faults:
Satan would not allow me to take his hat, but put it on the table himself, and begged me not to put myself to any trouble about him, but treat him just as I would an old friend; and added that that was what he was - an old friend of mine, and also one of my most ardent and grateful admirers. It seemed such a double compliment; still, it was said in such a winning and gracious way that I could not help feeling gratified and proud.
"Conversations with Satan" is emblematic of the entire collection: a small fragment of Twain, raw and unfinished, but still recognizably Twain in its biting satire (of courtly manners and the author himself) and brazen honesty. Despite having been previously unpublished, the selections in Who is Mark Twain? are definitely not second-rate when compared to his famous works. Twain's unique voice is heard in multiple genres, from travel accounts to indignant editorials to a wide range of short stories (one of my favorites, the sad and adorable "Telegraph Dog," surprised me with its striking tenderness and the pathos surrounding loyal, tragic little Billy). Who is Mark Twain? is both a quick, comprehensive introduction to readers unfamiliar with Twain and a great supplement to a full literary diet of Twain. Considering the 500,000+ pages he left behind, I am sure we can expect another book like this one in the future.
Review Copy
Original Review
September 13, 2020
Published about ten years ago, this book purports to include “never before published” short sketches and essays by Twain. That's not entirely true – some of them were published in magazines of the day, but it's true that none were published in book form. The material was drawn from the incredibly vast Mark Twain Archive, where archivists are still pawing through over half a million pages of material. The man never threw anything away. The handwritten first draft of “Huckleberry Finn” was discovered in 1991 in a library.
Anyhow, these essays are a mix of humorous sketches and moralizing sermons. The sketches are mildly funny for the most part, but not hilarious. The sermons show that Twain was on the side of the angels in many cases, as opposed to the popular wisdom of the day. They also show his criticism of religious hypocrisy, including the prevalence of Western missionaries to forcibly convert people.
For Twain fans who have read most of his work and want to hear more of Twain's 'voice', I can recommend this book. For people not very well read in Twain, I'd say skip this and move to some of his more well-known works, including memoirs like 'The Innocents Abroad'.
Anyhow, these essays are a mix of humorous sketches and moralizing sermons. The sketches are mildly funny for the most part, but not hilarious. The sermons show that Twain was on the side of the angels in many cases, as opposed to the popular wisdom of the day. They also show his criticism of religious hypocrisy, including the prevalence of Western missionaries to forcibly convert people.
For Twain fans who have read most of his work and want to hear more of Twain's 'voice', I can recommend this book. For people not very well read in Twain, I'd say skip this and move to some of his more well-known works, including memoirs like 'The Innocents Abroad'.
June 22, 2024
I started reading this as soon as it arrived in the mail.
This is a 4/5. This book is a collection of basically Twain's drafts, rejects, and creative scribblings. So on the one hand, nothing here is a masterpiece. A story will abruptly end, or will lose focus and diverge off to a 10-page tangent, or something like that.
But on the other hand, you do get to see the creative process for Mark Twain. He even describes in one section how he sets up a "focus group" of sorts. And honestly I was howling with laughter by page 11, as even a half-baked Twain idea is still going to be a feast for the reader.
This is a 4/5. This book is a collection of basically Twain's drafts, rejects, and creative scribblings. So on the one hand, nothing here is a masterpiece. A story will abruptly end, or will lose focus and diverge off to a 10-page tangent, or something like that.
But on the other hand, you do get to see the creative process for Mark Twain. He even describes in one section how he sets up a "focus group" of sorts. And honestly I was howling with laughter by page 11, as even a half-baked Twain idea is still going to be a feast for the reader.
July 30, 2020
I'd love to give this posthumous collection of essays (and a couple of tales) a 4 star. Overall, though, since some essays are not complete - going with 3.25 stars, and promoting The Privilege of the Grave to six out of five. Rounds down to 3 stars for Goodreads purposes. I wish the Jane Austin article had been completed - Twain was at his prime in his descriptive approach here. The world needs more Mark Twains, however.
July 31, 2025
While this can be considered "leftovers" of Mark Twain's works, it's still great stuff. I especially enjoyed...
The Privilege of The Grave
On Postage Rates On Author's Manuscript
The Undertaker's Tale
Interviewing the Interviewer
The works here may feel like journal entries or substack musings from the past, but with Twain, it's always well done.
The Privilege of The Grave
On Postage Rates On Author's Manuscript
The Undertaker's Tale
Interviewing the Interviewer
The works here may feel like journal entries or substack musings from the past, but with Twain, it's always well done.
April 8, 2018
Twain’s essay The Undertaker’s Tale is worth the price of the book.
June 29, 2020
I can see why Twain waited to allow these to be published until after his death, but these are his best works!
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 3, 2020
A great collection of funny, timely, and interesting pieces. A fascinating look into Mark Twain's mind and writing process. And an absolute joy to read.
August 26, 2020
John Lithgow and Mark Twain! So good!
November 22, 2020
We loved learning about Mark Twain and are excited to begin reading "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."
January 8, 2022
Twain is an excellent writer and thinker, Lithgow is an excellent reader
September 30, 2023
Disjointed, but that’s to be expected from a posthumous release. Still plenty readable, especially the audiobook, narrated by my guy John Lithgow.
Want to read
June 26, 2024previously uncollected stories and essays from the author's papers at UC Berkeley.
June 27, 2024
Audiobook: A comical collection of various unpublished writings narrated by the inevitable John Lithgow. Worth a listen just for that.
October 27, 2010
My experience with Mark Twain is (I suspect) similar to many others: I was forced to read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in school*. To say that I didn't care for them would be an understatement (to this day, Tom Sawyer is my least favorite book in the world because all I can remember about it is forcing myself to read it page-by-agonizing-page in fourth grade).
This shouldn't be a surprise of course. My reading tastes have always leaned more towards swords and sorcery or laser guns and spaceships (or, in the case of Star Wars, laser swords and sorcery). I found the plodding pace of life on the Mississippi a terrible bore. And, of course, since these are Twain's most celebrated works, I'd mostly just assumed that this sort of thing was all he had to offer and he must be the most overrated author to ever call America home.
Fortunately, the release of his autobiography has spurred a great deal of interest in this "father of American literature", and this book was given away free on Amazon's Kindle store (alas, at the time of this writing, it is a whole $10; that deal has evaporated). Never one to turn down a free book, I downloaded it. Given all the hype surrounding the release of his autobiography, I was somewhat eager to see if maybe I hadn't misjudged the man. So I started reading.
I quickly found the answer to my question: yes, I had gravely misjudged Mark Twain. He's clever, has a sharp wit, and is genuinely funny. This book contains a sample of previously unpublished work (according to the editor, at least) and it covers a wide range of genres and styles. There's a lecture or speech that he was to give, newspaper columns and letters to editors, short stories, reminiscences, and all sorts of other things. Some of them are even unfinished which is both fascinating (how often do you get to read unfinished, unpolished drafts from your favorite authors) and a little infuriating ("WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT JUST STOPS?!").
Sometimes I agree with him ("Interviewing The Interviewer" is a little scary in how accurately it portrays our modern media. I guess this has always been a problem.), sometimes I disagree with him (I'm a fan of Jane Austin. Mr. Twain was not.), and sometimes I'm not really sure what point he was trying to make (as in "The Quarrel in the Strong-Box" where I'm not sure what he was getting at, but I'm pretty sure I disagree with it. At any rate, this is probably the weakest piece in the collection.).
But through it all, he writes with great style. As with all great authors, it's nice to just sit back and examine how he uses the words. And I think I understand now how it is that he defined the American literary tradition for so long (separate, of course, from the great English writers).
I'm glad that I got to read this. It's changed my mind about one of the greatest literary figures of my nation. And it's given me cause to seek out more of his work (at least the ones that have nothing to do with the Mississippi River).
*This review is filled with parentheticals. So I decided to add a foot-note star as well. I re-read Huck Finn in college and I found it was much improved. I don't know if this is because I was a mature reader or if I just had a better teacher. The college teacher made a comparison between Huck and Ferris Bueller. I maintain that Ferris is a better character in every respect. If only because he got to drive a Ferrari.
This shouldn't be a surprise of course. My reading tastes have always leaned more towards swords and sorcery or laser guns and spaceships (or, in the case of Star Wars, laser swords and sorcery). I found the plodding pace of life on the Mississippi a terrible bore. And, of course, since these are Twain's most celebrated works, I'd mostly just assumed that this sort of thing was all he had to offer and he must be the most overrated author to ever call America home.
Fortunately, the release of his autobiography has spurred a great deal of interest in this "father of American literature", and this book was given away free on Amazon's Kindle store (alas, at the time of this writing, it is a whole $10; that deal has evaporated). Never one to turn down a free book, I downloaded it. Given all the hype surrounding the release of his autobiography, I was somewhat eager to see if maybe I hadn't misjudged the man. So I started reading.
I quickly found the answer to my question: yes, I had gravely misjudged Mark Twain. He's clever, has a sharp wit, and is genuinely funny. This book contains a sample of previously unpublished work (according to the editor, at least) and it covers a wide range of genres and styles. There's a lecture or speech that he was to give, newspaper columns and letters to editors, short stories, reminiscences, and all sorts of other things. Some of them are even unfinished which is both fascinating (how often do you get to read unfinished, unpolished drafts from your favorite authors) and a little infuriating ("WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT JUST STOPS?!").
Sometimes I agree with him ("Interviewing The Interviewer" is a little scary in how accurately it portrays our modern media. I guess this has always been a problem.), sometimes I disagree with him (I'm a fan of Jane Austin. Mr. Twain was not.), and sometimes I'm not really sure what point he was trying to make (as in "The Quarrel in the Strong-Box" where I'm not sure what he was getting at, but I'm pretty sure I disagree with it. At any rate, this is probably the weakest piece in the collection.).
But through it all, he writes with great style. As with all great authors, it's nice to just sit back and examine how he uses the words. And I think I understand now how it is that he defined the American literary tradition for so long (separate, of course, from the great English writers).
I'm glad that I got to read this. It's changed my mind about one of the greatest literary figures of my nation. And it's given me cause to seek out more of his work (at least the ones that have nothing to do with the Mississippi River).
*This review is filled with parentheticals. So I decided to add a foot-note star as well. I re-read Huck Finn in college and I found it was much improved. I don't know if this is because I was a mature reader or if I just had a better teacher. The college teacher made a comparison between Huck and Ferris Bueller. I maintain that Ferris is a better character in every respect. If only because he got to drive a Ferrari.
October 25, 2009
If you are a fan of Mark Twain, this is the book for you. "Who is Mark Twain" is a collection of essays and short stories never before published for the general reading public.
The introduction to the collection by Robert H. Hirst, General Editor of the Mark Twain Project," is a fantastic introduction to the collection and the author as a person as well as a writer. Twain often spoke of his "literary remains." He rarely disposed of a scrap of paper if he had taken his hand to it to pen his opinion or a story. Twain's dedication to the archival of his efforts made this collection possible.
And what a collection it is! I am a huge Twain fan. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of my favorite books (and has been since I first read it in late elementary school). It was such an amazing experience for me to be able to read his unpublished pieces, especially the pieces in which his personality and unique voice shine through. Mark Twain's view of the world and his insights on America, life, politics, you name it - are originally put to words and some even ring true today.
Some of my favorites in the collection:
Conversations with Satan, The Privilege of the Grave, The Quarrel in the Strong Box, On Postage Rates on Authors' Manuscripts, The Undertaker's Tale, The Jungle Discusses Man, and Telegraph Dog.
The introduction to the collection by Robert H. Hirst, General Editor of the Mark Twain Project," is a fantastic introduction to the collection and the author as a person as well as a writer. Twain often spoke of his "literary remains." He rarely disposed of a scrap of paper if he had taken his hand to it to pen his opinion or a story. Twain's dedication to the archival of his efforts made this collection possible.
And what a collection it is! I am a huge Twain fan. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of my favorite books (and has been since I first read it in late elementary school). It was such an amazing experience for me to be able to read his unpublished pieces, especially the pieces in which his personality and unique voice shine through. Mark Twain's view of the world and his insights on America, life, politics, you name it - are originally put to words and some even ring true today.
Some of my favorites in the collection:
Conversations with Satan, The Privilege of the Grave, The Quarrel in the Strong Box, On Postage Rates on Authors' Manuscripts, The Undertaker's Tale, The Jungle Discusses Man, and Telegraph Dog.
August 29, 2009
Mark Twain is perhaps the most quoted American author in history. His one-line adages serve as witticisms for almost any occasion (I've heard him read at weddings and funerals). What we have in this release is a collection of some previously published but mostly unpublished short essays and stories by Twain taken from the almost half million pages of literature that he left behind at his death.
Some essays mirror the hilarity of Twain's traditional style, while others are curt and serious, seeming to end when the author was done with the thought (often before finishing it). The short stories of the collection are classic Twain, and provide an entertaining front while manintaining an insightful underbelly. "The Music Box" will just make you laugh. A lot.
Twain is a writer that I could read ceaselessly. He reminds me of the joy that comes out of art, when we're so used to finding the brilliance of how it relates to our misery.
Some essays mirror the hilarity of Twain's traditional style, while others are curt and serious, seeming to end when the author was done with the thought (often before finishing it). The short stories of the collection are classic Twain, and provide an entertaining front while manintaining an insightful underbelly. "The Music Box" will just make you laugh. A lot.
Twain is a writer that I could read ceaselessly. He reminds me of the joy that comes out of art, when we're so used to finding the brilliance of how it relates to our misery.
January 29, 2011
When I first heard about this book, I couldn't stop smiling. I have read everything that Mark Twain wrote, and having this new taste from his grave is a mighty treat indeed. If you are a fan of Samuel Clemens, you MUST pick up this quick read of essays and lectures he decided to publish from the grave. It makes a great Sunday evening read with a glass of wine in hand. Although all the pieces are brilliant, one of my favorite stories in his new book is “The Quarrel in the Strong-Box.” It is a fantastic fable about a nickel and a copper arguing about who is mightier in the society which they exist.
Some of the writings are published even though they are unfinished. But nonetheless, it definitely gives us the pleasure once again to enjoy a great read from the man that was way beyond his time.
Some of the writings are published even though they are unfinished. But nonetheless, it definitely gives us the pleasure once again to enjoy a great read from the man that was way beyond his time.
June 30, 2021
This is a great book to get to know Mark Twain and his writing outside of his usual published classic. Then again, I am the type of person who enjoys reading letters and notebooks of authors to better understand them.
Audiobook was the way to go on this one, especially with the brilliant narration performed by John Lithgow (the father from 3rd Rock from the Sun). Probably one of the best narration of an audiobook I’ve ever heard. He does the voices of the characters so well and he sounds like what I imagine Mark Twain to sound like. It was just so fun and entertaining to listen to during my commute.
As for the book material itself, my favorite short story in there was about the Undertaker’s Tale where he sets up the ironic story to cheer for more people dying because you want to support the Undertaker and his family. I couldn’t stop laughing at the genius of this silly story.
Audiobook was the way to go on this one, especially with the brilliant narration performed by John Lithgow (the father from 3rd Rock from the Sun). Probably one of the best narration of an audiobook I’ve ever heard. He does the voices of the characters so well and he sounds like what I imagine Mark Twain to sound like. It was just so fun and entertaining to listen to during my commute.
As for the book material itself, my favorite short story in there was about the Undertaker’s Tale where he sets up the ironic story to cheer for more people dying because you want to support the Undertaker and his family. I couldn’t stop laughing at the genius of this silly story.
August 10, 2009
What fun! This is from a large collection of Twain's collected works, which are gradually being made available to the public. The publisher is very honest that the first few selections are unfinished works - one is practically a draft - so they are not particularly fun to read. BUT, when you get past those, you are into classic Twain. Read "On Postage Rates on Authors' Manuscripts" for a hysterical commentary on Capital Hill. Worth reprinting as a full-page article in the Wall Street Journal - just too funny! "Interviewing the Interviewer" is a funny take on shoddy journalism. And other, homier ones are really funny, too. Great read!
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