Fionnuala’s review of Pudd'n Head Wilson > Likes and Comments
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I enjoyed your musings. You really write well.
Greg wrote: "You sparked another thought just now. It would have been fun if the story about the other twin had told itself to Twain. The way he almost dismissively writes that's a story for another day reminded me..."
I often think writers are like so many uncaring gods, Greg. They create characters as it suits their mood, strangle some at birth and give others long lives, make some suffer while others prosper, decide on their own justice, and hold it back or deliver it as it strikes them.
But we have to be grateful that some writers, such as China Achebe run with a story that might easily have been dropped by another writer.
What a fabulous little essay! Are you planning on reading all of Twain’s novels?
I enjoyed how you dropped Wilson's identity and purpose into your review almost as an afterthought about 80% of the way through. Like a river, all these meanders don't really change where we're going to end up after running our course.
Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head Wilson. I was surprised, but after reading the novel and your review I'm almost inclined to agree with Burgess. Moreover, when I was doing research for my novel, The Devil in Montmartre, I discovered an interesting bit of historical trivia. mark Twain wrote about the forensic use of fingerprinting several years before the world's major police forces adopted it.
Greg wrote: "...So glad you "liked" it! Hope you better understand why you sparked a memory -- at the right place and right time, mind you! -- with me and why I'm grateful you did.."
Many thanks for pointing me to this story, Greg. It made me eager to read more Twain. And I'm glad you got to revisit a memory.
How fascinating, Fionnuala. It’s comforting to know that I am not the only one who starts to write without knowing where I or the text are going to end. It’s nice to have the good company of Mark Twain and you...
Since my profession deals with the psyche I’m very much aware if the unsolvable nature vs. nurture discussion. At the end I guess it doesn’t matter what makes you who you are; what matters is how you are. A Dutch expression says you can only row with the oars you have (Roeien met de riemen die je hebt). And here comes the subject of water and flow into my reaction…
We were discussing panta rhei already after your reviews of James and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Another pair of twins!) and here it is again…
I just wrote my review of a Dutch book called Buitendijks in which the protagonist lives in the wild floodplains but human society keeps reaching him against his will, trying to interfere with the river and his life. He asks himself if the dyke is meant to protect people from the water or maybe the other way around…
Mentioning rivers reminds me the book I am currently reading which you know too: Jon Fosse’s Septology. Beyer, the gallery owner, compares Asle’s paintings to a roman fleuve, a literary term which is valid for 'Septology' as a novel too. I never heard of this term before and I love it. It is certainly valid for 'Buitendijks', and I guess for this book as well as for 'James' and 'Huckleberry Finn', don’t you think?
At the end everything is a river, if not an actual one than a river of thoughts, ideas, images, words…
And here I am at a point which I didn’t foresee when I started writing my comment…
I am also sure that Everett read Puddinhead, Fionnuala. Thanks for your haphazard but engaging meanderings.
Jan-Maat wrote: "So nothing about puddings then?"
I forgot to mention in the review that each chapter, regardless of whether Wilson figures in it or not, carries an epigraph from Wilson's personal journal or 'calendar', and they are very amusing. One of them goes as follows: "There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless. Observe the ass, for instance: his character is about perfect, he is the choicest spirit among all the humbler animals, yet see what ridicule has brought him to. Instead of feeling complimented when we are called an ass, we are left in doubt."
And I think you might also enjoy hearing exactly how Wilson came to be considered an ass of the Pudd'nhead variety. It was soon after he'd arrived in the town of Dawson's Landing on the Missouri side of the Mississippi:
"He had just made the acquaintance of a group of citizens when an invisible dog began to yelp and snarl and howl and make himself very comprehensively disagreeable, whereupon young Wilson said, much as one who is thinking aloud: "I wish I owned half of that dog."
"Why?" somebody asked.
"Because I would kill my half."
The group searched his face with curiosity, with anxiety even, but found no light there, no expression that they could read. They fell away from him as from something uncanny, and went into privacy to discuss him.
One said: "'Pears to be a fool."
"'Pears?" said another. "Is, I reckon you better say."
"Said he wished he owned half of the dog, the idiot," said a third. "What did he reckon would become of the other half if he killed his half? Do you reckon he thought it would live?"
"Why, he must have thought it, unless he IS the downrightest fool in the world; because if he hadn't thought it, he would have wanted to own the whole dog, knowing that if he killed his half and the other half died, he would be responsible for that half just the same as if he had killed that half instead of his own. Don't it look that way to you, gents?"
"Yes, it does. If he owned one half of the general dog, it would be so; if he owned one end of the dog and another person owned the other end, it would be so, just the same; particularly in the first case, because if you kill one half of a general dog, there ain't any man that can tell whose half it was; but if he owned one end of the dog, maybe he could kill his end of it and—"
"No, he couldn't either; he couldn't and not be responsible if the other end died, which it would. In my opinion that man ain't in his right mind."
"In my opinion he hain't got any mind."
No. 3 said: "Well, he's a lummox, anyway."
"That's what he is;" said No. 4. "He's a labrick—just a Simon-pure labrick, if there was one."
"Yes, sir, he's a dam fool. That's the way I put him up," said No. 5. "Anybody can think different that wants to, but those are my sentiments."
"I'm with you, gentlemen," said No. 6. "Perfect jackass—yes, and it ain't going too far to say he is a pudd'nhead. If he ain't a pudd'nhead, I ain't no judge, that's all.""
Linda wrote: "I enjoyed your musings. You really write well."
Thanks, Linda. The Goodreads Reviewing School has trained me well:-)
I found an entry in Pudd'nhead's calendar on that subject:
"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education."
Alison wrote: "What a fabulous little essay! Are you planning on reading all of Twain’s novels?"
Bingeing on one author is definitely a habit of mine, Alison, but maybe I should break it since Twain's style is so addictive, I might end up sounding like him for evermore...
Aha, Pudd'nhead has a calendar entry on the topic of breaking a habit:
"Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.
So I'll try and coax myself out of reading another Twain when I finish 'Life on the Mississippi'...
"I am not a reviewer in the conventional sense and never will be." The many people who read your reviews count on that, Fionnuala, and it's one of the strengths of your reviews.
Gary wrote: "Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head Wilson. I wa..."
Please do check out the Library of America volumes. One has the very surprisingly novel Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, fabulous and leaves you scratching your head that this is the same writer you thought you knew. Plus the two volumes of collected writings are filled with gems. I have vol 1 of his autobiography on my reading list for this year.
Greg wrote: "Gary wrote: "Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head..."
Sorry, hit reply for wrong comment, meant for one below.
An amazing piece of writing.
Congrats, Fionnuala.
I believe the way people are reared is everything, by the way.
Children need to be taught respect, empathy, and the true meaning of the word “limits”.
I've been enjoying following along with your Twain journey! You've done a lot to inspire me to dig into this author who is very close to home for me geographically and thematically but who I've somehow managed to neglect most of my reading life!
Mark Twain is proving to be an character himself, Fionnuala and in doing so I am appreciating your thoughts on his books.
since Twain's style is so addictive, I might end up sounding like him for evermore...
You could do worse! I say, keep reading Mr. Twain.
This was fascinating - especially the notion that the river could switch sides and make a town switch sides. The switcheroo theme between high and low status children also reminds me of Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. What insight he had!
Great ‘review’, Fionnuala! I resonate a lot with what you write here about how you write, and about how and what Mark Twain wrote. :) Isn’t generally the novel the most haphazard, free and versatile literary form, and likewise, on a smaller scale, don’t such wondering, wonderful texts on literature explode (or gently dismantle) the frames of the classic critique? How many authors (especially modernist ones), that didn’t know ‘how’ to write, because of all that was already written, not only wrote like nobody else before them, but recreated what we call a ‘novel’?
There is no other way to write a review, Fi. The commercial world of reviewing is far too formulaic and if not a concoction of buzz words. If I had reviewed a work of Mr Twains, here's how I would go.
I once stayed in a shabby, run down 'minor palace' in Jaipur, India, rumoured that Mark Twain was once in residence. It had the biggest bathtub, in the biggest bathroom (the water ran intermittently or brown) a vast bedroom, ante chamber, enormous mosquitos and more dust than local farmers grow crops in. A pair of young Argentinians were trapped for an afternoon in their room(s) because the lock and key were jammed. I couldn't speak Spanish and they didn't speak English, and the staff (of which I think there were two) were mostly absent, or could not be found when anything was needed. But we live to tell the tales of happenstance. I could've chosen somewhere else to stay, but I would've had a different life entirely.
ADDIT. Percival Everett, btw, was due to attend a literary festival in Adelaide in a few weeks. But most writers pulled out. Now there's a tale to be told. I wonder if he'll tell it. It follows the themes of his novels, strangely.
Left Coast Justin wrote: "I enjoyed how you dropped Wilson's identity and purpose into your review almost as an afterthought about 80% of the way through..."
Thank you, friend. Actually I'm trying to make up for treating Pudd'nhead so shabbily by quoting him often in the comment thread. Here's another of his calendar aphorisms:
"The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.
Gary wrote: "Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head Wilson. I was surprised, but after reading the novel and your review I'm almost inclined to agree with Burgess..."
That's very interesting, Gary—and didn't Hemingway pick Huckleberry Finn as his example of the best American novel? Mark Twain wins once again!
And how about your research throwing up the fact that Mark Twain proposed the forensic use of fingerprinting before the police started using it! That fits with the way Pudd'nhead Wilson uses it in a criminal case in the book—to the great surprise of the community in Dawson's Landing who'd never heard of it or realised that we all have a different fingerprint pattern.
From what you've told me in the past about other bits of research you've done for your books, I get the impression that you are a very thorough researcher indeed!
Fionnuala wrote: "Alison wrote: "What a fabulous little essay! Are you planning on reading all of Twain’s novels?"
Bingeing on one author is definitely a habit of mine, Alison, but maybe I should break it since Twa..."
You also have a habit of getting me addicted, Fionnuala. I'm going to Mississippi later this spring and you've convinced me that I should (re)read Huck Finn and read (for the first time) Life on the Mississippi & Pudd'n Head Wilson.
Another danger with Twain is that he is just so prolific. He wrote some very entertaining and insightful pieces during his time in Austria and Germany as well (essays & articles, not novels).
I really like your way into writing about this story: the randomness of writing itself and then the river, the bluff, the islands, the changing of place. The arbitrariness of writing and of life. But also the design, the shaping.
The subject of nature versus nurture is such a timeless one.
Noam wrote: "How fascinating, Fionnuala. It’s comforting to know that I am not the only one who starts to write without knowing where I or the text are going to end. It’s nice to have the good company of Mark Twain and you...
Since my profession deals with the psyche I’m very much aware of the unsolvable nature vs. nurture discussion. At the end I guess it doesn’t matter what makes you who you are; what matters is how you are. A Dutch expression says you can only row with the oars you have (Roeien met de riemen die je hebt). And here comes the subject of water and flow into my reaction…"
Thanks for a rich comment, Noam. So many convergences here not only with your profession but also with your recent reading about a river that flows freely until the men with the engineering equipment arrive to wall it in. And your reminder about the panta rhei idea of everything flows that we discussed recently, plus your coming up against the notion of the roman fleuve in relation to Fosse's huge flow of words in Septology! If your comment were a river, it would be one with many tributaries:-)
Your wonderful review also reminded me of a river, Fionnuala. I enjoyed being gently caried by its powerful current.
Daniel wrote: "I am also sure that Everett read Puddinhead, Fionnuala. Thanks for your haphazard but engaging meanderings."
Interesting that he didn't try to rewrite this story instead of Huckleberry Finn, Daniel. It has some potential for a reworking in that we don't hear hardly at all about the baby who grew up a slave—except that he learned to be a humble servant to his master. We never get even an inkling of his thoughts or point of view. Isn't his adoptive mother, the woman who swopped over the babies, a fine character though? I admired Roxana a lot. A survivor, and so clever, much smarter than her own son for all his college education. And maybe that's why Everett didn't feel the need to rewrite this story. Twain had made all the good points already?
I look forward to your thoughts on Life On The Mississippi - one of the great American books.
First, I completely relate to all you said about reviewing, Fionnuala: I figure the only thing I'm expert at is my experience, and that readers here come with knowledge that fills my gaps. Second, I'm curious about your Mark Twain jag—did this all come about from reading James? Or was there something gurgling underneath for a long time that surfaced b/c you read that? Third, I'm envious of one's ability to structure story, I wish I had that talent. Fourth, I so loved your closing paragraph, it rang true for me. On the other hand, I do think dramatic events in life bring out more of who we naturally are underneath.
Jeff wrote: ""I am not a reviewer in the conventional sense and never will be." The many people who read your reviews count on that, Fionnuala, and it's one of the strengths of your reviews."
Thanks, oh good and faithful review reader:-)
Actually, Twain parodies the Bible quite a bit in this book, Jeff. Here's one of Pudd'nhead's calendar entries on that subject:
"Adam was but human—this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent; then he would have eaten the serpent."
And nice to see no blame thrown Eve's way for once...
There’s certainly nothing analytical, incisive, or even original about my reviews, Fionnuala, but they’re not as entertaining as yours, that’s for sure! Reading this was like wandering down a spiral rabbit hole. Bewildering at times but intriguing and ultimately very satisfying! Keep being haphazard, please.
Greg wrote: "Please do check out the Library of America volumes. One has the very surprisingly novel Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, fabulous and leaves you scratching your head that this is the same writer you thought you knew. Plus the two volumes of collected writings are filled with gems. I have vol 1 of his autobiography on my reading list for this year.."
So I shouldn't lead my Binge habit gently down the stairs and out through the door without stopping along the way to read these intriguing-sounding books, Greg? 'Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc' appeals to me every much already.
Just a quick comment for now, Fionnuala. I will come back once more to comment on your review habits:-). For now congratulations with your new binge as it seems!:-). I was introduced to this author in a very precious age of about eight when we read at late-Soviet school Tom Sower, Huck and very well known in ussr “The prince and the bagger” or something like that. The story seems similar to this one. But as 8 yo I was introduced to a lot of moralising about the dangers of capitalism etc. I remember I found that story quite interesting. But I guess I ve had my fair portion in the author for a quite a few years. Later his aphorisms were quite popular so inevitably I’ve had some exposure. At some stage I want to read his autobiography and the latest bio which is more than 1k pages. He was quite a celebrity it seems. But other than that I would rely on your haphazard reviews:-)
Pedro wrote: "An amazing piece of writing.
Congrats, Fionnuala.
I believe the way people are reared is everything, by the way.."
Thanks, Pedro. Yes, I agree that out rearing is a big factor in shaping who we are. I have three siblings and while we all have different personalities, we all have the same values. Those values are definitely down to the way we were reared. But maybe the personalities weren't given at birth either. I think the role each had in the family from oldest to youngest played a part in that too. And then there are different life experiences. You could tease this question out forever!
Z. wrote: "I've been enjoying following along with your Twain journey! You've done a lot to inspire me to dig into this author who is very close to home for me geographically and thematically but who I've somehow managed to neglect most of my reading life!"
I could post a highlight for Life on the Mississippi every single day, Z, I come upon so many! But the character limit frustrates me as the bits I like best tend to be long. Not that Twain is long winded, or if he is, I don't notice!
Fionnuala wrote: "Gary wrote: "Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head..."
Yes, Fee, Hemingway thought the American novel began with Huckleberry Finn. A controversial statement by a controversial author, but I'd put Huck Finn high up near the best of the best. I've noticed you've been reading a lot of Mark Twain lately. His descriptions of life on the old Mississippi are amazing. I'd call it poetic prose without the pretentiousness that spoils some "literary" writing.
And yes, I did research my historical novels carefully, taking several months prior to writing, and correcting some errors as the writing progressed.
I went to school close to the Mississippi River (SIU) & would goose hunt in Ware, IL on my dad's uncle' s hunt club - my grandma from a hillbilly holler farm in Jonesboro, Il - all other relatives from Chicago. The Big Muddy is a sight to see for a city kid. Your Twain/BM analogy's got catfish whiskers an soft-bellied charm I'd say :)
What a great review! I've never loved Twain, but now I want to try Pudd'nhead Wilson and Life on the Mississippi.
David wrote: "Mark Twain is proving to be an character himself, Fionnuala and in doing so I am appreciating your thoughts on his books."
He does come across as larger than life, especially in the Mississippi book, David.
Bogdan wrote: "...Isn’t generally the novel the most haphazard, free and versatile literary form, and likewise, on a smaller scale, don’t such wondering, wonderful texts on literature explode (or gently dismantle) the frames of the classic critique? How many authors (especially modernist ones), that didn’t know ‘how’ to write, because of all that was already written, not only wrote like nobody else before them, but recreated what we call a ‘novel’?..."
Thanks for putting thought into this notion of the haphazard in literature, Bogdan, and for phrasing your thought so well that I was nodding in agreement at every point you made. Yes, I'm grateful that there were writers who broke the old mold of what the novel should be and allowed it to meander in all sorts of new directions.
But still, it's hard to be published today unless the writer sticks to aspects of that old model, and writing manuals, etc, still harp on planning out one's story before starting to write, and sometimes advise writing endings before the beginning. But perhaps that's why some of us don't read much contemporary fiction...
...if not asked to lend money.
Uh, about that...
Fionnuala wrote: "If your comment were a river, it would be one with many tributaries:-)"
Thank you, Fionnuala. I consider this as a great compliment! 😊
I'm looking forward to read your thoughts about Life on the Mississippi in due time.
Nick wrote: "There is no other way to write a review, Fi. The commercial world of reviewing is far too formulaic and if not a concoction of buzz words. I once stayed in a shabby, run down 'minor palace' in Jaipur, India, rumoured that Mark Twain was once in residence. It had the biggest bathtub, in the biggest bathroom (the water ran intermittently or brown) a vast bedroom, ante chamber, enormous mosquitos and more dust than local farmers grow crops in...."
Aha, that would make for a great piece of writing, Nick! And it so happens that I was reading Twain's description of a particular steamboat yesterday, one he said had enough mud and dirt on its decks to grow enough food to feed an army!
And that's curious indeed about the literary festival in Adelaide. Let me know if Percival Everett decides to attend after all—and if you get to hear him speak.
Alison wrote: "You also have a habit of getting me addicted, Fionnuala. I'm going to Mississippi later this spring and you've convinced me that I should (re)read Huck Finn and read (for the first time) Life on the Mississippi & Pudd'n Head Wilson..."
Are you going to be in the state of Mississippi, Alison? Then you absolutely have to read Mark Twain while you're there–and try and get a view of the river!
And you're right, Mark Twain seems to have written a huge amount so we could be bingeing for months!
Just coming back to comment on your 'reviewer vs not-reviewer', Fionnuala. I personally do not like the word 'review'. I cannot even explain why but it sounds very bureaucratic to me: a review of the premises, a chewing gum etc. Also I guess you confirm your words with your actions in terms of not defining the 'value judgment' on a book but not getting into the business of ratings:-) Though I think you do have a value judgement you just do not try to impose it on the others in a blatant form. That comes with experience.
Anyway i've forgotten by now where I was going with all of this:-)) but I think what I always find in your reviews in the unique, special and pretty consistent voice. I would risk to say that if I would need to identify your piece between three other I would do it correctly on the first go:-)) And I mean it as a compliment of course.
I would have loved to have him rewrite Puddinhead. Twain made great points in Puddinhead but I still think Everett would have had a field day with this one.possibly Huck Finn had wider recognition. However, after discovering Everett’s sonnets, I can not imagine him being swayed by commercial appeal.Therefore…IDK
Just great, Fionnuala! I was thinking as I read your "review" (and what is a review any way but a viewing again the book one just read?), that I hoped you had read James.
I was also put in mind of a book I am currently reading: The Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd, because many of the characters undergo switches over the generations, except in Ireland, as I am sure you know, it is all about religions in conflict. Finally, you reminded me that it is time for me to read another Dickens book!
I'm definitely going to have to read more Mark Twain! I'd no idea he wrote a Prince and the Pauper along racial lines.
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I enjoyed your musings. You really write well.
Greg wrote: "You sparked another thought just now. It would have been fun if the story about the other twin had told itself to Twain. The way he almost dismissively writes that's a story for another day reminded me..."I often think writers are like so many uncaring gods, Greg. They create characters as it suits their mood, strangle some at birth and give others long lives, make some suffer while others prosper, decide on their own justice, and hold it back or deliver it as it strikes them.
But we have to be grateful that some writers, such as China Achebe run with a story that might easily have been dropped by another writer.
What a fabulous little essay! Are you planning on reading all of Twain’s novels?
I enjoyed how you dropped Wilson's identity and purpose into your review almost as an afterthought about 80% of the way through. Like a river, all these meanders don't really change where we're going to end up after running our course.
Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head Wilson. I was surprised, but after reading the novel and your review I'm almost inclined to agree with Burgess. Moreover, when I was doing research for my novel, The Devil in Montmartre, I discovered an interesting bit of historical trivia. mark Twain wrote about the forensic use of fingerprinting several years before the world's major police forces adopted it.
Greg wrote: "...So glad you "liked" it! Hope you better understand why you sparked a memory -- at the right place and right time, mind you! -- with me and why I'm grateful you did.."Many thanks for pointing me to this story, Greg. It made me eager to read more Twain. And I'm glad you got to revisit a memory.
How fascinating, Fionnuala. It’s comforting to know that I am not the only one who starts to write without knowing where I or the text are going to end. It’s nice to have the good company of Mark Twain and you... Since my profession deals with the psyche I’m very much aware if the unsolvable nature vs. nurture discussion. At the end I guess it doesn’t matter what makes you who you are; what matters is how you are. A Dutch expression says you can only row with the oars you have (Roeien met de riemen die je hebt). And here comes the subject of water and flow into my reaction…
We were discussing panta rhei already after your reviews of James and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Another pair of twins!) and here it is again…
I just wrote my review of a Dutch book called Buitendijks in which the protagonist lives in the wild floodplains but human society keeps reaching him against his will, trying to interfere with the river and his life. He asks himself if the dyke is meant to protect people from the water or maybe the other way around…
Mentioning rivers reminds me the book I am currently reading which you know too: Jon Fosse’s Septology. Beyer, the gallery owner, compares Asle’s paintings to a roman fleuve, a literary term which is valid for 'Septology' as a novel too. I never heard of this term before and I love it. It is certainly valid for 'Buitendijks', and I guess for this book as well as for 'James' and 'Huckleberry Finn', don’t you think?
At the end everything is a river, if not an actual one than a river of thoughts, ideas, images, words…
And here I am at a point which I didn’t foresee when I started writing my comment…
I am also sure that Everett read Puddinhead, Fionnuala. Thanks for your haphazard but engaging meanderings.
Jan-Maat wrote: "So nothing about puddings then?"I forgot to mention in the review that each chapter, regardless of whether Wilson figures in it or not, carries an epigraph from Wilson's personal journal or 'calendar', and they are very amusing. One of them goes as follows: "There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless. Observe the ass, for instance: his character is about perfect, he is the choicest spirit among all the humbler animals, yet see what ridicule has brought him to. Instead of feeling complimented when we are called an ass, we are left in doubt."
And I think you might also enjoy hearing exactly how Wilson came to be considered an ass of the Pudd'nhead variety. It was soon after he'd arrived in the town of Dawson's Landing on the Missouri side of the Mississippi:
"He had just made the acquaintance of a group of citizens when an invisible dog began to yelp and snarl and howl and make himself very comprehensively disagreeable, whereupon young Wilson said, much as one who is thinking aloud: "I wish I owned half of that dog."
"Why?" somebody asked.
"Because I would kill my half."
The group searched his face with curiosity, with anxiety even, but found no light there, no expression that they could read. They fell away from him as from something uncanny, and went into privacy to discuss him.
One said: "'Pears to be a fool."
"'Pears?" said another. "Is, I reckon you better say."
"Said he wished he owned half of the dog, the idiot," said a third. "What did he reckon would become of the other half if he killed his half? Do you reckon he thought it would live?"
"Why, he must have thought it, unless he IS the downrightest fool in the world; because if he hadn't thought it, he would have wanted to own the whole dog, knowing that if he killed his half and the other half died, he would be responsible for that half just the same as if he had killed that half instead of his own. Don't it look that way to you, gents?"
"Yes, it does. If he owned one half of the general dog, it would be so; if he owned one end of the dog and another person owned the other end, it would be so, just the same; particularly in the first case, because if you kill one half of a general dog, there ain't any man that can tell whose half it was; but if he owned one end of the dog, maybe he could kill his end of it and—"
"No, he couldn't either; he couldn't and not be responsible if the other end died, which it would. In my opinion that man ain't in his right mind."
"In my opinion he hain't got any mind."
No. 3 said: "Well, he's a lummox, anyway."
"That's what he is;" said No. 4. "He's a labrick—just a Simon-pure labrick, if there was one."
"Yes, sir, he's a dam fool. That's the way I put him up," said No. 5. "Anybody can think different that wants to, but those are my sentiments."
"I'm with you, gentlemen," said No. 6. "Perfect jackass—yes, and it ain't going too far to say he is a pudd'nhead. If he ain't a pudd'nhead, I ain't no judge, that's all.""
Linda wrote: "I enjoyed your musings. You really write well."Thanks, Linda. The Goodreads Reviewing School has trained me well:-)
I found an entry in Pudd'nhead's calendar on that subject:
"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education."
Alison wrote: "What a fabulous little essay! Are you planning on reading all of Twain’s novels?"Bingeing on one author is definitely a habit of mine, Alison, but maybe I should break it since Twain's style is so addictive, I might end up sounding like him for evermore...
Aha, Pudd'nhead has a calendar entry on the topic of breaking a habit:
"Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.
So I'll try and coax myself out of reading another Twain when I finish 'Life on the Mississippi'...
"I am not a reviewer in the conventional sense and never will be." The many people who read your reviews count on that, Fionnuala, and it's one of the strengths of your reviews.
Gary wrote: "Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head Wilson. I wa..."Please do check out the Library of America volumes. One has the very surprisingly novel Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, fabulous and leaves you scratching your head that this is the same writer you thought you knew. Plus the two volumes of collected writings are filled with gems. I have vol 1 of his autobiography on my reading list for this year.
Greg wrote: "Gary wrote: "Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head..."Sorry, hit reply for wrong comment, meant for one below.
An amazing piece of writing. Congrats, Fionnuala.
I believe the way people are reared is everything, by the way.
Children need to be taught respect, empathy, and the true meaning of the word “limits”.
I've been enjoying following along with your Twain journey! You've done a lot to inspire me to dig into this author who is very close to home for me geographically and thematically but who I've somehow managed to neglect most of my reading life!
Mark Twain is proving to be an character himself, Fionnuala and in doing so I am appreciating your thoughts on his books.
since Twain's style is so addictive, I might end up sounding like him for evermore...You could do worse! I say, keep reading Mr. Twain.
This was fascinating - especially the notion that the river could switch sides and make a town switch sides. The switcheroo theme between high and low status children also reminds me of Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. What insight he had!
Great ‘review’, Fionnuala! I resonate a lot with what you write here about how you write, and about how and what Mark Twain wrote. :) Isn’t generally the novel the most haphazard, free and versatile literary form, and likewise, on a smaller scale, don’t such wondering, wonderful texts on literature explode (or gently dismantle) the frames of the classic critique? How many authors (especially modernist ones), that didn’t know ‘how’ to write, because of all that was already written, not only wrote like nobody else before them, but recreated what we call a ‘novel’?
There is no other way to write a review, Fi. The commercial world of reviewing is far too formulaic and if not a concoction of buzz words. If I had reviewed a work of Mr Twains, here's how I would go.I once stayed in a shabby, run down 'minor palace' in Jaipur, India, rumoured that Mark Twain was once in residence. It had the biggest bathtub, in the biggest bathroom (the water ran intermittently or brown) a vast bedroom, ante chamber, enormous mosquitos and more dust than local farmers grow crops in. A pair of young Argentinians were trapped for an afternoon in their room(s) because the lock and key were jammed. I couldn't speak Spanish and they didn't speak English, and the staff (of which I think there were two) were mostly absent, or could not be found when anything was needed. But we live to tell the tales of happenstance. I could've chosen somewhere else to stay, but I would've had a different life entirely.
ADDIT. Percival Everett, btw, was due to attend a literary festival in Adelaide in a few weeks. But most writers pulled out. Now there's a tale to be told. I wonder if he'll tell it. It follows the themes of his novels, strangely.
Left Coast Justin wrote: "I enjoyed how you dropped Wilson's identity and purpose into your review almost as an afterthought about 80% of the way through..."Thank you, friend. Actually I'm trying to make up for treating Pudd'nhead so shabbily by quoting him often in the comment thread. Here's another of his calendar aphorisms:
"The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.
Gary wrote: "Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head Wilson. I was surprised, but after reading the novel and your review I'm almost inclined to agree with Burgess..."That's very interesting, Gary—and didn't Hemingway pick Huckleberry Finn as his example of the best American novel? Mark Twain wins once again!
And how about your research throwing up the fact that Mark Twain proposed the forensic use of fingerprinting before the police started using it! That fits with the way Pudd'nhead Wilson uses it in a criminal case in the book—to the great surprise of the community in Dawson's Landing who'd never heard of it or realised that we all have a different fingerprint pattern.
From what you've told me in the past about other bits of research you've done for your books, I get the impression that you are a very thorough researcher indeed!
Fionnuala wrote: "Alison wrote: "What a fabulous little essay! Are you planning on reading all of Twain’s novels?"Bingeing on one author is definitely a habit of mine, Alison, but maybe I should break it since Twa..."
You also have a habit of getting me addicted, Fionnuala. I'm going to Mississippi later this spring and you've convinced me that I should (re)read Huck Finn and read (for the first time) Life on the Mississippi & Pudd'n Head Wilson.
Another danger with Twain is that he is just so prolific. He wrote some very entertaining and insightful pieces during his time in Austria and Germany as well (essays & articles, not novels).
I really like your way into writing about this story: the randomness of writing itself and then the river, the bluff, the islands, the changing of place. The arbitrariness of writing and of life. But also the design, the shaping.The subject of nature versus nurture is such a timeless one.
Noam wrote: "How fascinating, Fionnuala. It’s comforting to know that I am not the only one who starts to write without knowing where I or the text are going to end. It’s nice to have the good company of Mark Twain and you...Since my profession deals with the psyche I’m very much aware of the unsolvable nature vs. nurture discussion. At the end I guess it doesn’t matter what makes you who you are; what matters is how you are. A Dutch expression says you can only row with the oars you have (Roeien met de riemen die je hebt). And here comes the subject of water and flow into my reaction…"
Thanks for a rich comment, Noam. So many convergences here not only with your profession but also with your recent reading about a river that flows freely until the men with the engineering equipment arrive to wall it in. And your reminder about the panta rhei idea of everything flows that we discussed recently, plus your coming up against the notion of the roman fleuve in relation to Fosse's huge flow of words in Septology! If your comment were a river, it would be one with many tributaries:-)
Your wonderful review also reminded me of a river, Fionnuala. I enjoyed being gently caried by its powerful current.
Daniel wrote: "I am also sure that Everett read Puddinhead, Fionnuala. Thanks for your haphazard but engaging meanderings."Interesting that he didn't try to rewrite this story instead of Huckleberry Finn, Daniel. It has some potential for a reworking in that we don't hear hardly at all about the baby who grew up a slave—except that he learned to be a humble servant to his master. We never get even an inkling of his thoughts or point of view. Isn't his adoptive mother, the woman who swopped over the babies, a fine character though? I admired Roxana a lot. A survivor, and so clever, much smarter than her own son for all his college education. And maybe that's why Everett didn't feel the need to rewrite this story. Twain had made all the good points already?
I look forward to your thoughts on Life On The Mississippi - one of the great American books.
First, I completely relate to all you said about reviewing, Fionnuala: I figure the only thing I'm expert at is my experience, and that readers here come with knowledge that fills my gaps. Second, I'm curious about your Mark Twain jag—did this all come about from reading James? Or was there something gurgling underneath for a long time that surfaced b/c you read that? Third, I'm envious of one's ability to structure story, I wish I had that talent. Fourth, I so loved your closing paragraph, it rang true for me. On the other hand, I do think dramatic events in life bring out more of who we naturally are underneath.
Jeff wrote: ""I am not a reviewer in the conventional sense and never will be." The many people who read your reviews count on that, Fionnuala, and it's one of the strengths of your reviews."Thanks, oh good and faithful review reader:-)
Actually, Twain parodies the Bible quite a bit in this book, Jeff. Here's one of Pudd'nhead's calendar entries on that subject:
"Adam was but human—this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent; then he would have eaten the serpent."
And nice to see no blame thrown Eve's way for once...
There’s certainly nothing analytical, incisive, or even original about my reviews, Fionnuala, but they’re not as entertaining as yours, that’s for sure! Reading this was like wandering down a spiral rabbit hole. Bewildering at times but intriguing and ultimately very satisfying! Keep being haphazard, please.
Greg wrote: "Please do check out the Library of America volumes. One has the very surprisingly novel Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, fabulous and leaves you scratching your head that this is the same writer you thought you knew. Plus the two volumes of collected writings are filled with gems. I have vol 1 of his autobiography on my reading list for this year.."So I shouldn't lead my Binge habit gently down the stairs and out through the door without stopping along the way to read these intriguing-sounding books, Greg? 'Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc' appeals to me every much already.
Just a quick comment for now, Fionnuala. I will come back once more to comment on your review habits:-). For now congratulations with your new binge as it seems!:-). I was introduced to this author in a very precious age of about eight when we read at late-Soviet school Tom Sower, Huck and very well known in ussr “The prince and the bagger” or something like that. The story seems similar to this one. But as 8 yo I was introduced to a lot of moralising about the dangers of capitalism etc. I remember I found that story quite interesting. But I guess I ve had my fair portion in the author for a quite a few years. Later his aphorisms were quite popular so inevitably I’ve had some exposure. At some stage I want to read his autobiography and the latest bio which is more than 1k pages. He was quite a celebrity it seems. But other than that I would rely on your haphazard reviews:-)
Pedro wrote: "An amazing piece of writing. Congrats, Fionnuala.
I believe the way people are reared is everything, by the way.."
Thanks, Pedro. Yes, I agree that out rearing is a big factor in shaping who we are. I have three siblings and while we all have different personalities, we all have the same values. Those values are definitely down to the way we were reared. But maybe the personalities weren't given at birth either. I think the role each had in the family from oldest to youngest played a part in that too. And then there are different life experiences. You could tease this question out forever!
Z. wrote: "I've been enjoying following along with your Twain journey! You've done a lot to inspire me to dig into this author who is very close to home for me geographically and thematically but who I've somehow managed to neglect most of my reading life!"I could post a highlight for Life on the Mississippi every single day, Z, I come upon so many! But the character limit frustrates me as the bits I like best tend to be long. Not that Twain is long winded, or if he is, I don't notice!
Fionnuala wrote: "Gary wrote: "Excellent and very insightful, Fee. Many years ago, I heard Anthony Burgess being interviewed on NPR. He was asked a question about "The Great American Novel," and he chose Pudd'n Head..."Yes, Fee, Hemingway thought the American novel began with Huckleberry Finn. A controversial statement by a controversial author, but I'd put Huck Finn high up near the best of the best. I've noticed you've been reading a lot of Mark Twain lately. His descriptions of life on the old Mississippi are amazing. I'd call it poetic prose without the pretentiousness that spoils some "literary" writing.
And yes, I did research my historical novels carefully, taking several months prior to writing, and correcting some errors as the writing progressed.
I went to school close to the Mississippi River (SIU) & would goose hunt in Ware, IL on my dad's uncle' s hunt club - my grandma from a hillbilly holler farm in Jonesboro, Il - all other relatives from Chicago. The Big Muddy is a sight to see for a city kid. Your Twain/BM analogy's got catfish whiskers an soft-bellied charm I'd say :)
What a great review! I've never loved Twain, but now I want to try Pudd'nhead Wilson and Life on the Mississippi.
David wrote: "Mark Twain is proving to be an character himself, Fionnuala and in doing so I am appreciating your thoughts on his books."He does come across as larger than life, especially in the Mississippi book, David.
Bogdan wrote: "...Isn’t generally the novel the most haphazard, free and versatile literary form, and likewise, on a smaller scale, don’t such wondering, wonderful texts on literature explode (or gently dismantle) the frames of the classic critique? How many authors (especially modernist ones), that didn’t know ‘how’ to write, because of all that was already written, not only wrote like nobody else before them, but recreated what we call a ‘novel’?..."Thanks for putting thought into this notion of the haphazard in literature, Bogdan, and for phrasing your thought so well that I was nodding in agreement at every point you made. Yes, I'm grateful that there were writers who broke the old mold of what the novel should be and allowed it to meander in all sorts of new directions.
But still, it's hard to be published today unless the writer sticks to aspects of that old model, and writing manuals, etc, still harp on planning out one's story before starting to write, and sometimes advise writing endings before the beginning. But perhaps that's why some of us don't read much contemporary fiction...
...if not asked to lend money.Uh, about that...
Fionnuala wrote: "If your comment were a river, it would be one with many tributaries:-)"Thank you, Fionnuala. I consider this as a great compliment! 😊
I'm looking forward to read your thoughts about Life on the Mississippi in due time.
Nick wrote: "There is no other way to write a review, Fi. The commercial world of reviewing is far too formulaic and if not a concoction of buzz words. I once stayed in a shabby, run down 'minor palace' in Jaipur, India, rumoured that Mark Twain was once in residence. It had the biggest bathtub, in the biggest bathroom (the water ran intermittently or brown) a vast bedroom, ante chamber, enormous mosquitos and more dust than local farmers grow crops in...."Aha, that would make for a great piece of writing, Nick! And it so happens that I was reading Twain's description of a particular steamboat yesterday, one he said had enough mud and dirt on its decks to grow enough food to feed an army!
And that's curious indeed about the literary festival in Adelaide. Let me know if Percival Everett decides to attend after all—and if you get to hear him speak.
Alison wrote: "You also have a habit of getting me addicted, Fionnuala. I'm going to Mississippi later this spring and you've convinced me that I should (re)read Huck Finn and read (for the first time) Life on the Mississippi & Pudd'n Head Wilson..."Are you going to be in the state of Mississippi, Alison? Then you absolutely have to read Mark Twain while you're there–and try and get a view of the river!
And you're right, Mark Twain seems to have written a huge amount so we could be bingeing for months!
Just coming back to comment on your 'reviewer vs not-reviewer', Fionnuala. I personally do not like the word 'review'. I cannot even explain why but it sounds very bureaucratic to me: a review of the premises, a chewing gum etc. Also I guess you confirm your words with your actions in terms of not defining the 'value judgment' on a book but not getting into the business of ratings:-) Though I think you do have a value judgement you just do not try to impose it on the others in a blatant form. That comes with experience.Anyway i've forgotten by now where I was going with all of this:-)) but I think what I always find in your reviews in the unique, special and pretty consistent voice. I would risk to say that if I would need to identify your piece between three other I would do it correctly on the first go:-)) And I mean it as a compliment of course.
I would have loved to have him rewrite Puddinhead. Twain made great points in Puddinhead but I still think Everett would have had a field day with this one.possibly Huck Finn had wider recognition. However, after discovering Everett’s sonnets, I can not imagine him being swayed by commercial appeal.Therefore…IDK
Just great, Fionnuala! I was thinking as I read your "review" (and what is a review any way but a viewing again the book one just read?), that I hoped you had read James. I was also put in mind of a book I am currently reading: The Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd, because many of the characters undergo switches over the generations, except in Ireland, as I am sure you know, it is all about religions in conflict. Finally, you reminded me that it is time for me to read another Dickens book!
I'm definitely going to have to read more Mark Twain! I'd no idea he wrote a Prince and the Pauper along racial lines.
So glad you "liked" it! Hope you better understand why you sparked a memory -- at the right place and right time, mind you! -- with me and why I'm grateful you did.