Two American originals, Mark Twain and the West, come together in this documentary of the author's seven-year "pleasure trip" to the silver mines of Nevada. Twain had originally planned the trip to be a three-month "vacation;" not surprisingly for someone of Twain's temperament, the trip lasted seven years. His journey, like his book, has a way of taking ever-unexpected turns.
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"As any kid with a Missouri education, I'd had plenty of exposure to Twain, but it had always been his more well-known fiction (Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn) that we'd read in class. This book, a nonfiction account of Clemens' trip west with his brother, is decidedly different. Twain was in Nevada during the great silver mining rush, and in San Francisco during one of its biggest earthquakes. He discusses his visits with the Mormon community in Salt Lake City, his newspaper-editor days in the Nevada mining town of Virginia City, his visit to the Solomon Islands (Hawaii) as guest correspondent for a San Francisco newspaper, his experience as a vagrant on the streets of San Francisco, and his scheme to make his living as a lecturer in that city's theaters."
— Kris (4 out of 5 stars)
" This past summer while in Lake Tahoe I met a Twain impersonator. He recommended reading Roughing It to hear Twain's experiences in the area first hand. It didn't disappoint. A rollicking account of Twains travels from the midwest to Nevada, California and finally Hawaii. Mark Twain is plain funny in any age. "
— Scott, 2/20/2014" Take a young Sam Clemens and put him in the Wild West with a bunch of Yahoo gold prospectors and this is what you get. I especially like the Lake Tahoe scene where they're playing an innocent game of euchre when all Hellfire breaks loose. "
— Newengland, 2/19/2014" Wonderfully accurate descriptions of Northern Nevada (Washoe) and the Eastern Sierra, hilarious adventures, not to mention one of the first books about the Hawaiian Islands -- it really is an entire little book, and it's perfect. Yes, Mark Twain was one of the first white men to surf. "
— Ken, 1/27/2014" Very interesting and totally unique tale of the west. Particularly enjoyed his description of Hawaii before it was claimed by the US. "
— Sean, 1/25/2014" Twain's own account of his first adventures away from home in the mid-nineteenth century and, in effect, the story of how he became a humorist writer and lecturer. His search for opportunity takes him to the mines of Nevada and California. He ends up in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). A quick fortune seems to persistently elude him, and he is continually forced to resort to his writing, and eventually lectures, to make a living. I was repeatedly amazed by the hilarious complexity with which he can tell a story, building to a gut-laughing end. I learned of this book through a tribute to his birthday on Writer's Almanac. "
— Ronald, 1/23/2014" Twain's story of coming across the country in a stage coach makes you feel like you are there. He describes the wild West during the silver boom in Nevada. He also lives in San Francisco and Hawaii. This is better than any history I've ever read about the period. And his sense of humor seems so modern. Highly recommend, and I'm going to read Innocents Abroad next. "
— Gail, 1/23/2014" Enjoyed reading this non-fiction Twain book. Laughed out loud at several points. Some parts about silver mining got a little dry, but still fascinating to see early West history through Twain's eyes when he was just starting out writing. "
— Rick, 1/23/2014" Funny. Twain loves satire. "
— Mandy, 1/20/2014" Not Twain's best, but he's always entertaining. "
— Adam, 1/14/2014" I just love Twain. He can do no wrong. This one is about Twain's ramblings through the American West. "
— Elizabeth, 1/9/2014" Loved Twain's style and wit. "
— Peter, 12/29/2013Mark Twain (1835–1910) was born Samuel L. Clemens in the town of Florida, Missouri. He is one of the most popular and influential authors our nation has ever produced, and his keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. He has been called not only the greatest humorist of his age but also the father of American literature.
Norman Dietz is a writer, voice-over artist, and audiobook narrator. He has won numerous Earphones Awards and was named one of the fifty “Best Voices of the Century” by AudioFile magazine. He and his late wife, Sandra, transformed an abandoned ice-cream parlor into a playhouse, which served “the world’s best hot fudge sundaes” before and after performances. The founder of Theatre in the Works, he lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.