What do you think?
Rate this book
Mark Twain: A Biography #1-4
Mark Twain, A Biography: The Personal and Literary Life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.
658 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1912
20 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Albert Bigelow Paine
573 books20 followersAlbert Bigelow Paine was an American author and biographer best known for his work with Mark Twain. Paine was a member of the Pulitzer Prize Committee and wrote in several genres, including fiction, humour, and verse.
(Source: en.wikipedia.org)
(Source: en.wikipedia.org)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 1, 2012
This is a free downloadable book, that was written in the early 1900's. A very insightful look at Mark Twain's life and the times through Twain's writings: his books, articles and personal letters.
Samuel Clemens' lifetime was what the development of America was all about: trade and life on the Mississippi; the gold rush days in the west; the development of publishing and industry in the east. It also goes in depth about Clemens' life abroad where he was the toast of society where ever he went. But the heart and soul of Clemens lie in his family and his days in Hartford, CT and Elmira, NY.
He is a true genius, documenting the "real" America and through it's people and place in the world.
Albert B Paine is an excellent writer commenting directly on most of the last years of Twain's life when he became his personal biographer/companion. Paine is truly in awe of Clemens, but not above presenting the human side of Mark Twain in the process of painstaking creation of this massive and greatly detailed biography.
There is much to be gained by revisiting Clemens the man, his beliefs were thoughtfully constructed and certainly unique in his time. He was active in social causes, politics of copyright and other issues of the time. He also loved keeping up with technology and new innovations, sometimes with disastrous consequences.
I did not know the extent of Twain's travels, cultural knowledge and world influence. He was truly a Renaissance man of his time. It was nice to see an excerpt on a new book by Craig Brown weaving famous people's lives into interesting stories, tells how Clemens connected with such people as Rudyard Kipling & Helen Keller and was both influenced and was influenced by them. Also a recent Garrison Keeler Poetry podcast refers to Twain. Maybe it is time for a resurgence.
Samuel Clemens' lifetime was what the development of America was all about: trade and life on the Mississippi; the gold rush days in the west; the development of publishing and industry in the east. It also goes in depth about Clemens' life abroad where he was the toast of society where ever he went. But the heart and soul of Clemens lie in his family and his days in Hartford, CT and Elmira, NY.
He is a true genius, documenting the "real" America and through it's people and place in the world.
Albert B Paine is an excellent writer commenting directly on most of the last years of Twain's life when he became his personal biographer/companion. Paine is truly in awe of Clemens, but not above presenting the human side of Mark Twain in the process of painstaking creation of this massive and greatly detailed biography.
There is much to be gained by revisiting Clemens the man, his beliefs were thoughtfully constructed and certainly unique in his time. He was active in social causes, politics of copyright and other issues of the time. He also loved keeping up with technology and new innovations, sometimes with disastrous consequences.
I did not know the extent of Twain's travels, cultural knowledge and world influence. He was truly a Renaissance man of his time. It was nice to see an excerpt on a new book by Craig Brown weaving famous people's lives into interesting stories, tells how Clemens connected with such people as Rudyard Kipling & Helen Keller and was both influenced and was influenced by them. Also a recent Garrison Keeler Poetry podcast refers to Twain. Maybe it is time for a resurgence.
January 25, 2021
A very interesting, detailed, and enlightening coverage of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twains) life, exploits, adventures, development as a writer and humorist. Also covers in detail his personal life, his travels, and his many failed business endeavors.
June 12, 2015
Mark Twain being one of my favourite authors (and persons) I very much enjoyed the wealth of information given by Albert Bigelow Paine and only skipped a few chapters on copyright and politics. Paine is a very good writer (he was a member of the Pulitzer Prize Committee) and this biography (3 volumes of 2 parts each, a total of approx. 1.500 pages !!) is clear and well constructed, the chapters are relatively short and the topics vary often enough so that the reader’s interest doesn’t flag.
But … maybe a biographer should not be too emotionally involved with his subject. Like William Dean Howells in “My Mark Twain”, Paine is almost too uncritical. He adored and idolized Mark Twain to the point of gushing. He writes that : “For me, of course, nothing can ever be like it again in this world. One is not likely to associate twice with a being from another star”, “Mark Twain had been born under a flaming star, a wanderer of the skies. He was himself, to me, always a comet rushing through space, from mystery to mystery, regardless of sun and systems” and “It was my wish only to serve him; it was a privilege and an honour to give him happiness”.
Other sources imply that Twain’s relationship with his two younger daughters, especially with Clara, was a lot less harmonious than we are led to believe and there seems to have been a very dark chapter at the end of the author’s life concerning his secretary Isabel Lyon in which Mark Twain appears in a very unfavourable light.
The blurb on Laura Skandera Trombley’s book “Mark Twain’s other Woman” says: “For decades, biographers deliberately omitted her (Isabel Lyon) from the official Twain story. Her potentially destructive power was so great that Twain’s handpicked hagiographer, Albert Bigelow Paine, allowed only one timorous reference to her in his massive three-volume work, Mark Twain: A Biography (1912).”
I don't particularly feel like reading Trombley’s book (it sounds sensationalist) but one day I’d like to read a more balanced and impartial Mark Twain biography; one that doesn’t portray him as “a being from another star” whose dark side must be swept under the carpet and whose skeletons must remain in the cupboard but as a human being, definitely extraordinary, but flawed like the rest of us.
But … maybe a biographer should not be too emotionally involved with his subject. Like William Dean Howells in “My Mark Twain”, Paine is almost too uncritical. He adored and idolized Mark Twain to the point of gushing. He writes that : “For me, of course, nothing can ever be like it again in this world. One is not likely to associate twice with a being from another star”, “Mark Twain had been born under a flaming star, a wanderer of the skies. He was himself, to me, always a comet rushing through space, from mystery to mystery, regardless of sun and systems” and “It was my wish only to serve him; it was a privilege and an honour to give him happiness”.
Other sources imply that Twain’s relationship with his two younger daughters, especially with Clara, was a lot less harmonious than we are led to believe and there seems to have been a very dark chapter at the end of the author’s life concerning his secretary Isabel Lyon in which Mark Twain appears in a very unfavourable light.
The blurb on Laura Skandera Trombley’s book “Mark Twain’s other Woman” says: “For decades, biographers deliberately omitted her (Isabel Lyon) from the official Twain story. Her potentially destructive power was so great that Twain’s handpicked hagiographer, Albert Bigelow Paine, allowed only one timorous reference to her in his massive three-volume work, Mark Twain: A Biography (1912).”
I don't particularly feel like reading Trombley’s book (it sounds sensationalist) but one day I’d like to read a more balanced and impartial Mark Twain biography; one that doesn’t portray him as “a being from another star” whose dark side must be swept under the carpet and whose skeletons must remain in the cupboard but as a human being, definitely extraordinary, but flawed like the rest of us.
May 19, 2012
I loved the first third about his early life. I didn't realize he was successful and famous for most of his life. However the second half of the book was monotonous and of no point. He wa so prolific that the author seemed to value ll of his writings equally. Quite dull by the end, nd long! Oh, we'll.
October 20, 2012
Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors, so it was interesting to learn more than I previously knew about his life. Considering his limited schooling, how did he learn to write so well?
I knew nothing more than some of his Mississippi River exploits. But I learned that many of his other adventures are reflected in his books of which I was unfamiliar.
August 22, 2014
The biographer spent four years with Twain, playing billiards with him, taking dictation from him, even travelling west to interview Twain's old friends.
An excellent and very thorough history of Twain's development.
Interestingly, Paine, the biographer, was a real literary critic who sat on the Pulitzer Prize committee and he criticizes Twain's work throughout this biography.
An excellent and very thorough history of Twain's development.
Interestingly, Paine, the biographer, was a real literary critic who sat on the Pulitzer Prize committee and he criticizes Twain's work throughout this biography.
November 4, 2013
This is a wonderful narrative biography of Mark Twain. It's long in accordance with the great writer's life but filled with colorful anecdotes that made me laugh and smile. This is a good read if you love biographies as much as I do.
January 15, 2012
Awesome Book. Great way to learn about Mark Twain. I love to read. A+
March 15, 2012
An excellent read and delightful addition to any Mark Twain collection.
unfinished
January 2, 2016Around page 100 or so. I quit reading this book partially because it was for school. But I'll probably pick it up again eventually sometime in the future.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews