The Complete Essays of Mark Twain

by Mark Twain, Charles Neider (Editor)

Mark Twain is best known as one of this country's finest humorists and novelists. As this collection confirms, he was one of our finest essayists as well. Gathered here in a single volume, these pieces reveal the complete range of this esteemed American writer and contain some of his best, funniest, and most caustic work. "English as She Is Taught," "What Is Man?," and "Letters to Satan" are among the seventy-seven essays, each featuring Twain's witty, vital, colorful style -- and reminding us why, nearly one hundred years after his death, he continues to be one of the most widely read and beloved of all American authors.

Genres: Essays, Classics, Literature, Nonfiction, Humor, History, Philosophy

744 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1910

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

[Sadra Kharrazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

بشر چیست؟
قبلا هم گفته‌ام
مقدار زیادی حماقت به همراه مقداری حرص، طمع، شهوت، قدرت طلبی، ترس و غیره
اما با این حال دلم برایش می‌سوزد

اندوهش بی پایان است و تنهاییش وصف ناشدنی
یار و یاوری ندارد و دستی از برای یاری سوی او دراز نشده است

خودش است و خودش میان امیالی رام نشدنی و تلاشی بی‌فرجام برای ارضا کردنشان

خودش است و خودش با غمی فطری که گویا از ازل تا ابد رهایش نخواهد کرد

آری
باید برای این بشرِ پس انداخته شده در فاحشه خانه‌ای به نام دنیا دل سوزاند

اما در مورد کتاب
باید آن را شاهکاری جسورانه بنامم

مارک تواین ِ تام سایر و هکلبری در کتاب بشر چیست هیبتی نیچه گونه به خود می‌گیرد

بی پروا و به قول عده‌ای هنجار شکنانه سخن می‌گوید و از روی انسان و ارزش‌هایش رد می‌شود

به قول خودش
"ز گهواره تا گور بشر هیچ کاری انجام نمی‌دهد مگر اینکه هدف اول و مقدم آن کسب آرامش خاطر و آسایش نفسانی خودش باشد"

[Baktash · Rating 5 out of 5]

الان صفحه ۵۵از ۱۶۴ کتاب رو دارم میخونم ولی همینجا ۵ ستاره کامل رو میدم به این کتاب(مثل این مسابقات استعداد یابی که تا طرف شروع میکنه به اجرا داوره با حیرت زنگ رو میزنه😊)
زنگ طلایی رو بصدا درمیآوریم برای جناب مارک تواین

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This chunky book has been on my shelf for many many years, snuggled next to the equally chunky "Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain." The short stories-- stunning, unforgettable. The essays-- I give the collection three stars just for his classic snarky take on James Fenimore Cooper.
And three stars as a historical research document: a good place to turn for contemporary commentary on the Gilded Age.
Otherwise, to my surprise, my response was unenthusiastic. Twain's voice-- so glorious when he was spinning a yarn-- seemed verbose in most of the essays. His endearing wry humor was not consistently displayed.

Highly recommend the short stories, however. 5 stars there.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that I did not read every essay here, but quite enjoyed those I did. Some were amusing, some informative and some had some pretty biting social and commentary.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some classics and some gems in here and then there is a lot of verbosity. If a person wants to read Twain’s essays without any helpful editorial apparatus, this is a compact source. If you are hoping for help from the editor, don’t count in it. You will be disappointed. I think unless a person needs access to every single essay and is willing to find editorial notes or background elsewhere this is suitable. If you want some kind of editorial oversight and selection, which most readers will, look elsewhere.

[Setayesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

یکی از کتابایی که منو بشدت به فکر فرو برد. راستش وقتی یکی از دوستام بهم معرفی کرد اصلا فکرش رو هم نمیکردم که تا این اندازه منو درگیر کنه. حتی زمانی هم که خود کتاب رو میخوندم صرفا برام لذتبخش و زیبا بود. اما حالا میبینم که چقدر ذهن منو مشغول کرده. پر از سوالم که منشا اصلیش همین کتابه
سوال هایی حول محور رفتار های انسان و شکل گیری اونها تحت تاثیر ژن و عوامل محیطی

[Sepideh · Rating 5 out of 5]

سالها پیش کتاب " در باب حکمت زندگی" شوپنهاور رو خوندم و نمیدونم دارم اشتباه میکنم یا نه، ولی خوندن این کتاب منو بشدت یاد اون انداخت. احساس می کردم دارم مطالب تکراری میخونم؛ با این حال بشدت جذاب و گیرا بود این کتاب کم حجم.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't read Mark Twain, you are missing out on some wonderful stories. This is a great collection to grab. Readers get several essays written by a classic writer.

[Mohammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

دید روشن و واقع بین تواین از بشر تو این کتاب قابل تحسینه

[Danial Sadr · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was amazing🥰 😍👌🏻

[Mostafa Azizollahi · Rating 3 out of 5]

ایده کتاب جالبه اما بعد از خوندن ۵۰ ۶۰ صفحه دیگه برام تکراری شد.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

*How to tell a story
*Humane Word from Satan
*Seventieh Birthday
*What is Man
*Turning -point of My Life

[Steve Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

While most people know his short stories and novels, Twain's essays show off his true spit and polish. The wit that made him famous is raw and unbridled in his critical works, a favorite of mine being Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses. If you dislike Cooper's work as much as I do (and obviously as much as Twain) you'll enjoy it too. His essays on what he dubs "Mental Telegraphy" are a digression from his sardonic humor, and while preserving his wit, he enters into a more "serious" tone for these essays. It's obvious he truly believes in it as a sort of phenomenon- and a way to save on postage! A wonderful read that every fan of Twain or contemporary American Literature should pick up.

[Amir Javadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

موضوعات مختلفی رو مطرح میکنه مارک تواین این تو. این کتاب و طرز تفکر هنوز هم کلی طرفدار داره تو دنیا ولی بهرحال یک فلسفه ی منسوخ شده ی قرن بیستمیه. البته که بعضی موضوعاتش درست ان.
هرچند بعضی دیالوگا و قسمتا به نظرم دچار مغلطه است، ولی به طور کلی جذابیت نوشتار تواین و دیالکتیک قوی ای که (به هر طریقی) به کار برده این کتاب رو خیلی خوب و جذاب کرده. همواره این انگیزه رو به خواننده برای ادامه دادن میده. و البته فرصت فکر کردن ...

این کتابیه که به گفته ی خودش 《انجیل》مارک تواینه و حتمن ارزش خوندن داره، بخصوص اگه طرفدار مارک تواین هستید.

قسمتی از متن:
《ز گهواره تا گور بشر هیچ کاری انجام نمی دهد مگر اینکه هدف اول و مقدم آن کسب آرامش خاطر و آسایش نفسانی خودش باشد.》

[Scott Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was burrowing through my mother's book shelves and ran across a hard cover version of this book, dusty and yellowed. I had to pick it up.

While I have not completed reading collection, but from the first, I was reminded clearly why I love Mark Twain's works. It has been far too long since I have immersed myself in his humor and devastating wit. The essays reprinted in this collection are superb examples of many of Twain's facets and follow him through many of his incarnations.

Any lover of Twain must read this and anyone who love Jon Stewart should take the plunge as well.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me a very, very long time to get through. Admittedly, I was using it as my filler book for awhile between other books because most of the essays were just enough to read one or two before bed.

Ultimately, I liked it. Mark Twain's insight and humor has always been something that I've enjoyed immensely. Many of the essays were focused on his views on political situations of the time. It was really interesting to see how people are always people and see how modern his writing could feel over 100 years later.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A venture into Twain's essays gives you a sense of movement in writer's life--you get a feel for him developing, peaking, regressing, and deepening as a man of letters. Some of the essays hold up quite well--his advice for writing humor, for example--and some are so topical that they merely serve as historical curiosities. Such, I gathered from this book, is the price of being prolific.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samuel Clemens's essays are as valuable as his fiction. Reading through them, I could see him there, behind the podium, right arm hugging his belly and left elbow resting on it, chin in left hand, just talking. jawing. tellin' it like it is.

p.s. his knowledge of Shakespeare is laughable but he still deserves an E for effort.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twain's crackling wit and keen insight is on full display in this collection of his short, non-fiction work. For a full dose of Twain's acerbic wit, pick up this great anthology.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some pretty entertaining little essays.

[K.Z. Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each is a jewel.

[Bjm Index]

3

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really good, some I enjoyed much less (typically those of Twain's sardonic, irreverent essays).

[Vincent Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many of these essays, and keep coming back for more. Mark Twain is one of my faves!