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Mark Twain in Virginia City Nevada
1985 Nevada Publications trade paperback, Mark Twain (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn). While in the Nevada Territory, Mark Twain reported on mining, milling, claim jumping, speculation, fist fights, desperadoes, shootings, and funerals.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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About the author
Mark Twain
8,868 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
July 28, 2012
At the commencement of 2012 I made a resolution to find and devour (literarily) all works of Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clements) and Charles Dickens. When I made this decree I didn’t make it lightly and was sure my tenacious nature would bring it all to a good end. This might be an appropriate time to add that I just had a very elementary (and far from complete) idea of these two author’s literary works. Notwithstanding I have done my utmost to complete my vow and Goodreads has provided me with much needed help to facilitate this quest.
I obtained an old (and apparently rare) copy of Newspaper Articles of Mark Twain. This is a rather large volume of unrelated editorials and newsy tidbits. His editorials shouldn’t vilipend his talents as a well rounded writer. The first section of this book contains articles and editorials written for the Virginia Union under the editorial heading of the Territorial Enterprise. This newspaper was printed in and for the people of Virginia City, Nevada. The first editorial dates from December 1861 and they continue until 1864. Nevada was a US Territory when Samuel Clements took up residence there and Virginia City was a small but thriving metropolis depending, in no small part, on the mining of gold, silver and other geologic treasures. Virginia City probably enjoyed even more notoriety long after Clements’ death in the TV series Bonanza (but that’s another story and far adrift from this review).
As previously stated, the articles commenced in December 1861 and covered subjects from mining, to Indian disturbances and municipal news to women’s fashions. I (and he) would readily admit that he had little or no knowledge of many of these subjects but that didn’t stop him from serving a literary smorgasbord to his faithful reading public. His sagaciousness apparently served him well, even in those early years. The longevity of his tenure at this post will attest to his local popularity. I would be amiss if I didn’t note Samuel Clements’ complete lack of war writings. At the time he was wandering and writing in the far west, the United States was fighting a desperate struggle along the eastern seaboard and in the Mississippi River delta. I have yet to find anything written by him directly pertaining to this conflict. I assert that he must have had some reservations before embarking on this particular endeavor as this marked the birth of his famous pseudonym, Mark Twain. Both he and his new name left Nevada headed for bigger and better things.
I obtained an old (and apparently rare) copy of Newspaper Articles of Mark Twain. This is a rather large volume of unrelated editorials and newsy tidbits. His editorials shouldn’t vilipend his talents as a well rounded writer. The first section of this book contains articles and editorials written for the Virginia Union under the editorial heading of the Territorial Enterprise. This newspaper was printed in and for the people of Virginia City, Nevada. The first editorial dates from December 1861 and they continue until 1864. Nevada was a US Territory when Samuel Clements took up residence there and Virginia City was a small but thriving metropolis depending, in no small part, on the mining of gold, silver and other geologic treasures. Virginia City probably enjoyed even more notoriety long after Clements’ death in the TV series Bonanza (but that’s another story and far adrift from this review).
As previously stated, the articles commenced in December 1861 and covered subjects from mining, to Indian disturbances and municipal news to women’s fashions. I (and he) would readily admit that he had little or no knowledge of many of these subjects but that didn’t stop him from serving a literary smorgasbord to his faithful reading public. His sagaciousness apparently served him well, even in those early years. The longevity of his tenure at this post will attest to his local popularity. I would be amiss if I didn’t note Samuel Clements’ complete lack of war writings. At the time he was wandering and writing in the far west, the United States was fighting a desperate struggle along the eastern seaboard and in the Mississippi River delta. I have yet to find anything written by him directly pertaining to this conflict. I assert that he must have had some reservations before embarking on this particular endeavor as this marked the birth of his famous pseudonym, Mark Twain. Both he and his new name left Nevada headed for bigger and better things.
November 12, 2012
Interesting as a document of out west mining. sometimes laborious if you aren't particularly interested in the particulars of such, but it is peppered with Twain turns of phrase that are a joy and there is an interesting story about a lake that dissolved things.
August 1, 2019
Getting ready to fly back to Ohio from Reno, NV, I stopped in one of the shops at the airport to look at their book selection and found this gem. Normally, I probably would have overlooked it, but since we had just been in Virginia City a few days before, and had just seen the Mark Twain Museum (and the fact I'm an English major who loves literature) I decided to give it a chance. I loved it (the fact I was born and raised in Nevada for the first 25 years of my life could make me biased)! Having visited and/or knowing a lot of the things being referenced, like Virginia City (even C St. and the mining companies, Wells Fargo), Carson City, Dayton, Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, Washoe Valley and the Washoe zephyrs... just the lifestyle, it made me feel right at home. It was also interesting to see where some of the names that I've heard all my life originated from, i.e. the first governor of Nevada, Governer Nye - Nye County (must not have been interested in history when we learned this in school). Although I could totally relate to Mark Twain's wanting to leave Nevada in the last chapter, after being gone 16 years, this book makes me want to move back home.
August 6, 2023
On a visit to Virginia City I bought this book in this charming town. A very informative book on how it WAS in Nevada at that time. The first few chapters were very interesting...however my interest dwindled by page 60. I hope to finish this book......with a little break to get back in the swing of the book.
November 26, 2020
I, not really a fan of Mark Twain. His writing gets old fast and a little bit goes a long way. Read this because my grandfathers family lived in and around the Truckee area.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews