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Mark Twain

Posted by: palmettobug53, 3:06 AM GMT on February 17, 2008

Another of my favorite authors is one of the best known American writers and humorists, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Every young student would find Twain's books, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", on his or her reading list in school. I know I did. And loved them. I have re-read them many times over the ensuing years.

Twain had a distinctive writing style. He was dryly humorous and poked fun at himself and society. He was always a bit cynical in those observations and became more so in later years. His descriptions of the excesses of society during the Gilded Age (a term he coined) reflect this cynicism. His description of a Gilded Age parlor in "Life on the Mississippi" cracks me up. You'll just have to read it for yourself, to see.

My father always wanted to see Hal Holbrook portray Mark Twain on stage, in his one man play, "Mark Twain Tonight". I've seen bits and piece of that on TV and I have to say, if I didn't know that it was Hal Holbrook, I would swear Mark Twain was still alive. Holbrook has performed this play (which he wrote) from 1959 through at least 2006.

I think my favorites are "Huckleberry Finn", "Tom Sawyer", "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", "Life on the Mississipi", "Puddin' Head Wilson", "The Prince and the Pauper" and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court". I have read many of his other works, including "Eve's Diary" and "Letters from the Earth". One very interesting book I got from the library (I don't remember the title) was a collection of letters that Twain wrote to his older brother, Orion. It may have included letters Twain received from Orion, as well. I really don't remember, as it's been a number of years, since I read the book. But the book did make an impression on me and I'd like to see if I can find it again.

I don't own very many copies of Twain's works. I do have one large book, with a collection of most of his most famous stories. It's one of the books that I read over and over again. No matter how many times I've read his stories, I can get something new out of them each time I do. And, to me, that's the mark of a great writer.

Mark Twain

The Official Site of Mark Twain

Mark Twain Quotes

The Mark Twain House and Museum

The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum

I have removed the Mark Twain Papers and Projects link, as apparently they have overhauled things and none of the links on that site go anywhere, anymore. Sorry....

Mark Twain Letters

The Gilded Age

Mark Twain Tonight

This link is a Book Review of "Mark Twain and Orion Clemens: Brothers, Partners, Strangers. It gives an inside view of the strained relationship that Samuel Clemens had with his older brother, Orion. I have not yet read the book but some of the information in the review echoes what I read in that book of Twain letters.

TwainQuotes More quotes.....

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To read Twain online:
The Literature Network

Updated: 11:11 PM GMT on March 28, 2008

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About palmettobug53

WU member since Oct. 2005. I enjoy reading, crafts, crosswords, puttering in the yard, old movies and hanging out with my friends on WU.

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