Essays and Sketches of Mark Twain

by Mark Twain, Stuart Miller (Introduction), Samuel Clemens

1566198798 Product Essays and sketches of Mark Twain Category (item-type): books US

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Classics, Humor, Literature, Classic Literature

477 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This set is not the best of his stories; many were uninspiring. Still it contained a few I hadn’t read, and a couple of these were good ones I’m glad I’ve now read.

[Adam Gossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to read this at least 10 more times.

[Keith.94928 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Topical essays do not always wear well with time, however, his sarcastic sense of humor is very modern.

[SteveR · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Mark Twain, I found this a terrific book. It is a collection, as the name implies, of short essays written by Twain when he was a journalist and world traveler. Some of the stories were beyond my understanding – due to the time it was written, the complexity of the subject or Twain's odd sense of humor, but several pieces are outstanding.

“My Debut as a Literary Person” recounts the amazing and harrowing tale of the survivors of a clipper-ship that sinks when one of the lifeboats arrives in Hawaii.

In “A Majestic Literary Fossil” Twain shares hilarious thoughts on the absurdity of ancient medical practices like blood letting – "[the doctor:] took a hack at every patient whom he found still alive."

“Is Shakespeare Dead?” provides Twain's views and a very convincing argument on the “real” Shakespeare. Upon deeper thought, it also provides some interesting comparisons to Twain’s own rise as a famous writer.

“The Death of Jean” is a moving essay on the death of Twain’s daughter. In this piece you feel the pain of his loss.

[Garrett Zecker]

A good collection of Twain's most basic nonfiction. What I think is interesting about this collection, however, is that in the same amount of pages, there coulf have certainly been more texts included. The editorial efforts of miller were good, but I think they fall short. I suppose that a primary reason that I felt this way was that I had to consult other volumes often enough in order to gain some of his other texts. This book lacks some of Twain's most important writing such as "What is Man?" and "To the Person Sitting in Darkness." I suppose if it was found for a dollar on the bargain rack at your local bookstore, I would snag it, but the Library of America has done a much better job in compiling much of his important texts over two volumes with the only exception that it includes no editorial commentary. Regardless of that, if you are interested in digesting the nonfiction of Twain, I would pick up the LOA's books which are complete and comprehensive in two volumes. They are also really just good books in construction and feel; ISBN: 0940450739 and 0940450364.

[Ryan McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of Mark Twain's nonfiction covers a range of topics including youth, travel, human nature, the learning process, and much else. I found myself slogging through many of the essays without any real appreciation for Twain's sense of humour, but there were a few gems in the bunch, which made reading the book worth while.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaron and I love this one for one essay alone:
Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses

You will laugh out loud. If you don't, you are too enamored with James Fenimore Cooper. I love this essay.

The Adam and Eve ones are very funny too. A good book to read out loud and enjoy.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not all of the bits are golden, but the ones that hit really hit. Especially fond of the little bits of the Diaries of Adam and Eve that made it into this collection. I would highly recommend this for an occasional read.

[K Kamath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good traveling book. Short pieces and slightly longer things not readily found in other Twain collections. I found myself laughing out loud often. Moral pieces also interestingly I had not found in the other works.