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Who Is Mark Twain? Audiobook
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(3.08) - 235 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
“[Twain] was, in the phrase of his friend William Dean Howells, ‘the Lincoln of our literature’... At the heart of his work lies that greatest of all American qualities: irreverence.” — Washington Post
“More than 100 years after [Twain] wrote these stories, they remain not only remarkably funny but remarkably modern.... Ninety-nine years after his death, Twain still manages to get the last laugh.” — Vanity Fair
Who Is Mark Twain? is a collection of twenty six wickedly funny, thought-provoking essays by Samuel Langhorne Clemens—aka Mark Twain—none of which have ever been published before, and all of which are completely contemporary, amazingly relevant, and gut-bustingly hilarious.
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"I would have liked the opportunity to meet this man. I loved his comments on Jane Austen, the postage rates on author's manuscripts, The missionary in world politics. This was a fast entertaining little book. I believe anyone who has ever read any of his works would enjoy this very much."
— Rhapsodyblue00 (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“As funny and insightful as any of [Twain’s] published and well-known works, these essays take on the federal government, religion, race, fame, and even the literary canon with a sharp-eyed clarity we can chuckle over as we read while feeling uncomfortable knowing that they feel all too contemporary.”
— Walter Mosely, New York Times bestselling author -
“More than 100 years after [Twain] wrote these stories, they remain not only remarkably funny but remarkably modern….Ninety-nine years after his death, Twain still manages to get the last laugh.”
— Vanity Fair -
“Who Is Mark Twain? is a refreshing reintroduction to both [Twain’s] critical analytical thought and his playful sense of humor.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“[Twain] was, in the phrase of his friend William Dean Howells, ‘the Lincoln of our literature’…At the heart of his work lies that greatest of all American qualities: irreverence.”
— Washington Post -
“A fine reading of a batch of hidden treasures.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Selected for the May 2009 Indie Next List
Who Is Mark Twain? Listener Reviews
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" 100 years after Twain's death and new material is still being published. Some of the pieces make you wonder why it took them so long, they're wonderful, however others are considerably less so. "
— Neil, 2/3/2014 -
" Previously unpublished stories now published 100 years after Twain's death. A few are unfinished, one includes rough notes of speeches, but most are as timely today as they were a century ago. It's an easy read, but definitely do not skip the introductory notes at the beginning of the book, which put the stories into a larger context and also reveal small facts of interest about most of them (though I think I would have preferred to have a small introductory editorial paragraph for each story, instead of something at the beginning of the book). "
— Peggy, 12/29/2013 -
" Fun to look into the sketchbook & scrap heap of this fellow. My favorite curmudgeon, still keeping us honest. "
— Greg, 12/26/2013 -
" For Twain fans, I'd check out, but I didn't especially find it one of my favorites. The items in here are hit and miss, but the last piece ends the collection well, and there were the usual instances of brilliance that made the entire time spent with the book during the lesser parts worth it, which is the case with many of his works. However, for the uninitiated to Twain's works, I'd start with another book. "
— Marc, 12/24/2013 -
" It contains 24 previously unpublished Twain essays. Some are partial drafts that he didn't complete. Others he wrote and put aside as possibly too controversial. I enjoyed it, but it's for the experienced Twain reader not the place to begin the acquaintance. "
— Daniel, 12/9/2013 -
" While leftovers of a master, the collection is at times hilarious, astute, prejudiced (especially against established religion), but always readable. "
— Ben, 10/21/2013 -
" Happy Memories of the Dental Chair and more! "
— Stan, 10/11/2013 -
" Good book for Mark Twain lovers - he's in his element, and maybe even pushing the envelope a bit. "
— Tree, 10/7/2013 -
" Mark Twain's social commentary is brilliant. He was so ahead of his time in so many ways and was completely unafraid to voice his opinions. This is not the best collection of his writings, but basically anything by Mark Twain is worth reading. Wait for the softcover and/or find it used, though. "
— Christopher, 6/7/2013 -
" This collecion of Twain's unpublished works is a must for dedicated Twain fans and a great read for those of us who simply get a kick out of his acerbic humor. His essay on Jane Austin is a classic--too bad is was never finished or published. "
— Donna, 5/19/2013 -
" I'd say he needs the money, but he's dead... "
— Ron, 4/21/2013 -
" This was a quick and interesting read. The book contains previously unpublished writings by Mark Twain. Some are better than others. "
— Frank, 12/4/2012 -
" A short introduction about Mark Twain and his works followed by short stories written by Twain. I enjoyed Lithgow's interpretation of the stories. His voice is fabulous! Truly humorous! I look forward to reading more of Twain's works. "
— Gina, 9/24/2012 -
" Some of these unfinished pieces deserved to have been completed. Hirst's introduction is great as well. "
— Lindsay, 9/21/2012 -
" Great stories and essays--some better than others. Mark Twain came up with the idea for "Six Feet Under" before the world was ready for it. "
— Wendy, 9/4/2012 -
" A nice addition to the collection of any Mark Twain fan. Don't expect to be blown away by any of the pieces included in the collection, and you certainly will not be disappointed. "
— Josh, 7/30/2012 -
" this book came highly recommended, but i just wasn't that into it. i ended up only getting about half way through it. maybe i can revisit it after (if/when) i read some of twain's fiction... "
— rachael, 3/29/2012 -
" Love his essay on Jane Austen. Very funny book as a whole. "
— Kate, 1/2/2012 -
" Easily digestible and fun. you get nice snip-its of his genius, even if the readings are isolated and without context. "
— Rleven, 9/19/2011 -
" This is a collection of unpublished pieces by Twain which were not allowed to be published until 100 years after his death so it bears a 2009 publication date. His comments are remarkably spot on and humourous even today "
— Andy, 8/1/2011 -
" This collection is hit or miss. Several pieces are fantastic, but you have to wade through some mediocre filler to get to them. "
— Jonathan, 6/21/2011 -
" I thought it was good but not great. "
— Steven, 5/22/2011 -
" A thousand times better than Tom Sawyer (the character, that is). Adventures of Huckleberry Finn provides a mature look at race relations through the eyes of a young boy. This work is nothing short of great. "
— Emma, 5/22/2011 -
" Maybe my expectations were too high. "
— Judi, 5/21/2011 -
" this was the best book I ever read. I want to read it again and again and again. "
— Colin, 5/19/2011 -
" I Love Huck Finn because I love Mark Twain. Persons attempting to find pedo/homo erotic undertones in that will be shot. "
— Markus, 5/19/2011 -
" Dissected this one for English class. Sometimes, discussion takes all the charm out of a book. So do angry yet subtle attacks at Romanticism. "
— Eva, 5/17/2011 -
" Not quite as entertaining as Tom Sawyer "
— Sam, 5/16/2011 -
" Read this one back in the 6th grade for an English assignment & still remember most of it to this day :) "
— Michelle, 5/15/2011 -
" One of the greatest American novels. "
— Raffles, 5/14/2011 -
" I think this was the first real novel I ever read, and I decided I wanted to be a writer. I also decided I wanted to sail a raft down the Mississippi River! "
— Mike, 5/14/2011
About Mark Twain
Mark Twain, pseudonym of Samuel L. Clemens (1835–1910), was born in Florida, Missouri, and grew up in Hannibal on the west bank of the Mississippi River. He attended school briefly and then at age thirteen became a full-time apprentice to a local printer. When his older brother Orion established the Hannibal Journal, Samuel became a compositor for that paper and then, for a time, an itinerant printer. With a commission to write comic travel letters, he traveled down the Mississippi. Smitten with the riverboat life, he signed on as an apprentice to a steamboat pilot. After 1859, he became a licensed pilot, but two years later the Civil War put an end to the steam-boat traffic.
In 1861, he and his brother traveled to the Nevada Territory where Samuel became a writer for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, and there, on February 3, 1863, he signed a humorous account with the pseudonym Mark Twain. The name was a river man’s term for water “two fathoms deep” and thus just barely safe for navigation.
In 1870 Twain married and moved with his wife to Hartford, Connecticut. He became a highly successful lecturer in the United States and England, and he continued to write.
About John Lithgow
John Lithgow is an author of the New York Times bestselling Dumpty series as well as several children's picture books. His recordings for kids earned him four Grammy nominations. As an actor, he won two Tony Awards, six Emmys, two Golden Globes, and two Oscar nominations. He has starred in the hit TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, The Crown, and Perry Mason and in critically acclaimed films such as The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment, and Bombshell. He has performed on Broadway twenty-five times and in England with both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.