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The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories [MYSTERIOUS STRANGER & OTHER ST]
The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories <> Paperback <> MarkTwain <> DoverPublications
Paperback
Published February 29, 1992
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About the author
Mark Twain
9,040 books18.8k 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 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 28, 2024
The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County: Very silly. Kind of charming, kind of pointless. I felt a bit like I was pranked by reading it at all.
The 1,000,000 Pound Bank Note: Also charming! I'm told this was made into a movie. I can see it -- it's a little too optimistic and fantastical for my taste, but pretty funny.
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg: The story I enjoyed the most, I think. Deals with morality, virtue, guilt, and how easily money corrupts. Quite cynical, quite fun.
The Mysterious Stranger: It's been a while since a short story has made me this existential. After I finished reading I had to get up and walk around to convince myself that I am real (or at the very least that if I'm not, there's no point in operating like I'm not). So depressing and dark, such a naturalistic and existential view of all the brutality of human nature, and such a dire view of religion! It's the longest one, more of a novella. I can see why it's the name of the collection.
The 1,000,000 Pound Bank Note: Also charming! I'm told this was made into a movie. I can see it -- it's a little too optimistic and fantastical for my taste, but pretty funny.
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg: The story I enjoyed the most, I think. Deals with morality, virtue, guilt, and how easily money corrupts. Quite cynical, quite fun.
The Mysterious Stranger: It's been a while since a short story has made me this existential. After I finished reading I had to get up and walk around to convince myself that I am real (or at the very least that if I'm not, there's no point in operating like I'm not). So depressing and dark, such a naturalistic and existential view of all the brutality of human nature, and such a dire view of religion! It's the longest one, more of a novella. I can see why it's the name of the collection.
May 10, 2025
I don't know...this story may have been gasp worthy and thought provoking in 1916. I mean when the "mysterious stranger" appears and teaches you about humanity, morals, and sociology its bound to be a lesson for sure, but it was just ok for me.
August 21, 2025
The title story is worth the price of admission. Satan hanging out with children and telling them that life and religion are futile? No wonder this wasn't published while Twain was still alive. It's an amazing novella.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews