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The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain
Besides being one of the most treasured writers in American history, Mark Twain was also one of the most quotable. This comprehensive compendium collects over 500 of his best quips and remarks.
Born in Missouri under the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens, his pen name, Mark Twain, was river-boat slang for 12 feet of water. Clemens adopted the name Mark Twain after he established his voice as a journalist. Under Mark Twain he wrote the classic fiction satire novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn on the nature of slavery and racism at the time.
Mark Twain’s social commentary was as friendly as it was poignant. This treasury contains his witticisms about Following a short biography and timeline of his life , the quotes include such wisdom
“When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.” —Mark Twain’s Autobiography
“One of the striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.” — Pudd’nhead Wilson
“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” —Mark Twain’s Notebook
“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” — Mark Twain’s Notebook
“What is human life? The first third a good time; the rest remembering about it.” —More Maxims of Mark
Friendly and funny, deflating egos and lifting spirits, these quotes deserve a treasured spot in every personal library.
Born in Missouri under the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens, his pen name, Mark Twain, was river-boat slang for 12 feet of water. Clemens adopted the name Mark Twain after he established his voice as a journalist. Under Mark Twain he wrote the classic fiction satire novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn on the nature of slavery and racism at the time.
Mark Twain’s social commentary was as friendly as it was poignant. This treasury contains his witticisms about Following a short biography and timeline of his life , the quotes include such wisdom
“When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.” —Mark Twain’s Autobiography
“One of the striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.” — Pudd’nhead Wilson
“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” —Mark Twain’s Notebook
“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” — Mark Twain’s Notebook
“What is human life? The first third a good time; the rest remembering about it.” —More Maxims of Mark
Friendly and funny, deflating egos and lifting spirits, these quotes deserve a treasured spot in every personal library.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2016
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39 people want to read
About the author
Mark Twain
8,876 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 6, 2023
Astonishing. Absolutely delicious.
December 31, 2020
The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain, beginning with an introduction and brief timeline of the famous writer’s life, contains some of Samuel Clemens’ (under the pen name Mark Twain) kindest quotes and bits of wit and wisdom. The quotes are divided into the categories (1) human nature, (2) ignorance, education, and experience, (3) writing and literature, (4) money and business, (5) American politics, (6) travels near and far, (7) friends and acquaintances, (8) love and marriage, (9) life lessons, (10) morality and immortality, (11) youth and aging, and (12) times of trouble.
I really enjoyed this book of quotes. So far, I have only read one book of Twain’s, it being Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I liked. Although that book wasn’t one of my absolute favorites, reading this book of Twain’s wit and wisdom has definitely made me appreciate him much more as a person. I loved and agreed with a lot of what he had to say, with the quotes being gathered from his novels, letters, and speeches. After having gotten some more insight into him as a person, I definitely want to read more of Twain’s work now. Overall, I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who needs some more wit and wisdom in their life!
I really enjoyed this book of quotes. So far, I have only read one book of Twain’s, it being Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I liked. Although that book wasn’t one of my absolute favorites, reading this book of Twain’s wit and wisdom has definitely made me appreciate him much more as a person. I loved and agreed with a lot of what he had to say, with the quotes being gathered from his novels, letters, and speeches. After having gotten some more insight into him as a person, I definitely want to read more of Twain’s work now. Overall, I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who needs some more wit and wisdom in their life!
June 11, 2025
The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain, beginning with an introduction and brief timeline of the famous writer’s life, contains some of Samuel Clemens’ (under the pen name Mark Twain) kindest quotes and bits of wit and wisdom. The quotes are divided into the categories (1) human nature, (2) ignorance, education, and experience, (3) writing and literature, (4) money and business, (5) American politics, (6) travels near and far, (7) friends and acquaintances, (8) love and marriage, (9) life lessons, (10) morality and immortality, (11) youth and aging, and (12) times of trouble.
I really enjoyed this book of quotes. So far, I have only read one book of Twain’s, it being Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I liked. Although that book wasn’t one of my absolute favorites, reading this book of Twain’s wit and wisdom has definitely made me appreciate him much more as a person. I loved and agreed with a lot of what he had to say, with the quotes being gathered from his novels, letters, and speeches. After having gotten some more insight into him as a person, I definitely want to read more of Twain’s work now. Overall, I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who needs some more wit and wisdom in their life!
I really enjoyed this book of quotes. So far, I have only read one book of Twain’s, it being Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I liked. Although that book wasn’t one of my absolute favorites, reading this book of Twain’s wit and wisdom has definitely made me appreciate him much more as a person. I loved and agreed with a lot of what he had to say, with the quotes being gathered from his novels, letters, and speeches. After having gotten some more insight into him as a person, I definitely want to read more of Twain’s work now. Overall, I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who needs some more wit and wisdom in their life!
November 29, 2021
The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain by guess, who? Mark Twain. This book is a compendium of quotes from one of America’s literary giants. Obviously, Mark Twin didn’t write this book. Jennifer Boudinot is given credit as editor. I assume she read Twain’s entire ouvre, harvesting quotable tidbits as she went along. Then she divvied them up into a dozen categories and Voila!, a collection of the wit and wisdom of Mr. Twain. She nailed the title. Witty, humorous and ironic, the volume has a wide array of insightful observations of human nature and human folly. What fun!
I spread the reading of this volume over a period of several months, reading only a few bits at a time thereby making it easier to digest. There is no doubt that Samuel L. Clemons deserves his status as an American literary giant.
I spread the reading of this volume over a period of several months, reading only a few bits at a time thereby making it easier to digest. There is no doubt that Samuel L. Clemons deserves his status as an American literary giant.
May 16, 2021
This little volume is divided into twelve topics including Money and Business, American Politics, Love and Marriage, Morality and Immorality, and Life Lessons among others. Twain was very philosophical in his approach to humor and life in general. Two of my favorite quotes from this collection are:
“When all is said and done, the one sole condition that makes spiritual happiness and preserves it is the absence of doubt.”
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
This is a very entertaining book for fans of humor and sound bites that make you think.
“When all is said and done, the one sole condition that makes spiritual happiness and preserves it is the absence of doubt.”
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
This is a very entertaining book for fans of humor and sound bites that make you think.
May 3, 2025
What a treat!! Ayers has compiled Twain's pithy sayings and acerbic satire from his writings and speeches. Would that we could have him comment today in our current political situation.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews