Mark Twain's Hawaii: A Humorous Romp Through History

by John Richard Stephens

Mark Twain's Hawaii: A Humorous Romp through Paradise, combines Twain's own writings on Hawaii with personal reminiscences by others who met him at that time, and traces Twain's journey through the region just as he experienced it in 1866. The book highlights Twain's humor, travel in the 19th century, history, social commentary, and the exotic locale. Mark Twain's wit and wisdom is timeless--his observations on Hawaii, some of which formed part of the classic Roughing It are collected here in an authoritative and entertaining volume for Twain fans and Hawaii enthusiasts.

469 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2022

Reviews

[Robert Yokoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hawaii had a profound impact on Mark Twain. The length of his journey to Hawaii is profound and long. He travelled from 11 days from San Francisco to Oahu and 25 days from Oahu to San Francisco. He wrote a profoundly beautiful poem about Hawaii's surf and weather. He wrote a short story entitled "My Platonic Girlfriend" set in Iao Needle on the island of Maui. I would love to read this short story because it is different from the literature I am used to reading from him. He made a profound ecological legacy by planting monkeypod trees on the Big Island. There is a section of the Big Island called Mark Twain Square in honor of his trees. The people of Maui had a profound impact on him as well. Twain spent seven years giving lectures praising the intelligence of the Hawaiian people. The missionaries educated the Hawaiian people turning them into the most literate people in Twain's opinion. Twain developed pressure sores from riding a horse and probably ran of money, so one can surmise that Hawaii had an impact on Mark Twain physically and financially too. Mark Twain's Hawaii is an insightful look of Hawaii from one of America's greatest writers.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twain visited Hawaii in 1866 and toured several of the islands over the three and a half months he spent there. This book is an excellent compilation of his writings—articles, lectures, book chapters, letters, and an unfinished novel—about Hawaii. Stephens provides background information, commentary, and clarifications so this a sort of annotated collection of Twain’s Hawaii writings. He even includes information on visiting places described by Twain, making this a literary travel guide as well as. Highly recommended!

[Deedee]

Dewey [818.409]