New Releases by Mark Twain

Mark Twain is the author of Mark Twain's Fables of Man (2023), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Illustrated (2021), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Illustrated (2021), The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain Illustrated and Annotated Edition (2020), The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain (Fictional & Humorous Novel) "Unabridged & Annotated" (2020).

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Mark Twain's Fables of Man

release date: Dec 22, 2023
Mark Twain's Fables of Man
For years, many of Twain’s philosophical, religious, and historical fantasies concerning the nature and condition of humanity remained unpublished. Thirty-six of these writings make their first appearance here. For years, many of Twain’s philosophical, religious, and historical fantasies concerning the nature and condition of humanity remained unpublished. Thirty-six of these writings make their first appearance here.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Illustrated

release date: Apr 01, 2021
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Illustrated
"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or, in more recent editions, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain, first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, the work is among the first in major American literature to be written throughout in vernacular English, characterized by local color regionalism. It is told in the first person by Huckleberry Huck finn, the narrator of two other Twain novels Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer, Detective and a friend of Tom Sawyer. It is a direct sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.The book is noted for its colorful description of people and places along the Mississippi River. Set in a Southern antebellum society that had ceased to exist over 20 years before the work was published, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an often scathing satire on entrenched attitudes, particularly racism."

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Illustrated

release date: Mar 27, 2021
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Illustrated
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is an 1876 novel by Mark Twain about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in the town of St. Petersburg, which is based on Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived as a boy.[2] In the novel, Tom Sawyer has several adventures, often with his friend Huckleberry Finn. Originally a commercial failure, the book ended up being the best selling of any of Twain''s works during his lifetime

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain Illustrated and Annotated Edition

release date: Jul 09, 2020
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain Illustrated and Annotated Edition
The Prince and the Pauper is a novel by Mark Twain in which Tom accidentally switches places with Prince Edward due to a misunderstanding. Edward is mistakenly thrown out onto the streets, and he struggle to reclaim his identity from Tom.

The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain (Fictional & Humorous Novel) "Unabridged & Annotated"

release date: May 05, 2020
The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain (Fictional & Humorous Novel) "Unabridged & Annotated"
Tom Sawyer is a mischievous young boy with an undying hunger for adventure, and a knack for getting into trouble. He lives with his Aunt Polly in the Mississippi River town of St Petersburg, Missouri. He plays hooky from school; hangs around with Huck Finn, the unsophisticated son of the village drunkard; and deceives his friends into trading their treasures with him. Tom falls in love with Becky Thatcher, a new arrival in town, who returns his affection initially, and even agrees to an ''engagement''. However, after a slip of the tongue from Tom, she walks off in a huff. From innocent and imaginary adventures, Tom''s life suddenly takes a new turn. One night, while Tom and Huck Finn are in a graveyard, they witness an incident they should not have. Terrified, they flee from the spot, and swear a blood oath that they will never reveal their secret to anyone. Tom and Huck then find themselves entangled in a series of real and exciting adventures, with dangerous men constantly at their heels. Can the boys stand up to the occasion, and become real-life heroes? Will they ever be able to reclaim their normal, carefree lives again?

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain the New Annotated Edition

release date: Apr 30, 2020
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain the New Annotated Edition
Tom Sawyer is a mischievous young boy with an undying hunger for adventure, and a knack for getting into trouble. He lives with his Aunt Polly in the Mississippi River town of St Petersburg, Missouri. He plays hooky from school; hangs around with Huck Finn, the unsophisticated son of the village drunkard; and deceives his friends into trading their treasures with him.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain the New Annotated Edition

release date: Apr 20, 2020
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain the New Annotated Edition
First published in 1884, Mark Twain''s "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is a masterpiece of world literature. Narrated by Huck himself in his artless vernacular, it tells of his voyage down the Mississippi with a runaway slave named Jim. As the two journey downstream on a raft, Huck''s vivid descriptions capture the sights, smells, sounds, and rhythms of life on the great river. As they encounter traveling actors, con men, lynch mobs, thieves, and Southern gentility, his shrewd comments reveal the dark side of human nature. By the end of the story, Huck has learned about the dignity and worth of human life and Twain has exposed the moral blindness of the "respectable" slave-holding society in which he lives. Huckleberry Finn was Twain''s greatest creation.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain the New Annotated Work

release date: Apr 20, 2020
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain the New Annotated Work
First published in 1884, Mark Twain''s "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is a masterpiece of world literature. Narrated by Huck himself in his artless vernacular, it tells of his voyage down the Mississippi with a runaway slave named Jim. As the two journey downstream on a raft, Huck''s vivid descriptions capture the sights, smells, sounds, and rhythms of life on the great river. As they encounter traveling actors, con men, lynch mobs, thieves, and Southern gentility, his shrewd comments reveal the dark side of human nature. By the end of the story, Huck has learned about the dignity and worth of human life and Twain has exposed the moral blindness of the "respectable" slave-holding society in which he lives. Huckleberry Finn was Twain''s greatest creation.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain New Annotated Edition

release date: Apr 17, 2020
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain New Annotated Edition
Tom Sawyer is a mischievous young boy with an undying hunger for adventure, and a knack for getting into trouble. He lives with his Aunt Polly in the Mississippi River town of St Petersburg, Missouri. He plays hooky from school; hangs around with Huck Finn, the unsophisticated son of the village drunkard; and deceives his friends into trading their treasures with him.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain The Annotated Edition

release date: Apr 14, 2020
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain The Annotated Edition
Tom Sawyer is a mischievous young boy with an undying hunger for adventure, and a knack for getting into trouble. He lives with his Aunt Polly in the Mississippi River town of St Petersburg, Missouri. He plays hooky from school; hangs around with Huck Finn, the unsophisticated son of the village drunkard; and deceives his friends into trading their treasures with him.

The Jumping Frog

release date: Nov 19, 2018
The Jumping Frog
The Jumping Frogby Mark Twain Mark Twain''s "The Jumping Frog: In English, then in French, then clawed back into the civilized language once more by patient unremunerated toil" (1865), also known as "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog."Containing the original story (in english), a french translation which was published in la Revue des Deux Mondes and which Twain finds to be a travesty of the original text, and Twain''s re-translation of the french back into english, word for word (this is where things degenerate). A masterpiece of babelfishien nonsense dating from well before babelfish was even a gleam in the binary code of its creator (1903). Best appreciated if you can read both French and English, but even if you skip the french version it''s truly brilliant. If you have ever translated random text using babelfish just because it''s funny, don''t miss this book.As good old Samuel Clemens himself put it in his foreword "I cannot speak the French language, but I can translate very well, though not fast, I being self-educated."

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Mark Twain

release date: Mar 03, 2018
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Mark Twain
"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is an 1865 short story by Mark Twain. It was his first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. The story has also been published as "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" (its original title) and "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". In it, the narrator retells a story he heard from a bartender, Simon Wheeler, at the Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California, about the gambler Jim Smiley. The narrator describes him: "If he even seen a straddle bug start to go anywheres, he would bet you how long it would take him to get to wherever he going to, and if you took him up, he would foller that straddle bug to Mexico but what he would find out where he was bound for and how long he was on the road."

Mark Twain's Speeches

release date: Feb 19, 2018
Mark Twain's Speeches
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 - April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. Among his novels are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), the latter often called "The Great American Novel".

The Writings of Mark Twain [Pseud.]; Volume 9

release date: Feb 16, 2018
The Writings of Mark Twain [Pseud.]; Volume 9
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories by Mark Twain

release date: Dec 14, 2017
The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories by Mark Twain
Title: The Mysterious Stranger and Other StoriesAuthor: Mark TwainLanguage: English

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

release date: Apr 16, 2017
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, by the Sieur Louis de Conte is an 1896 novel by Mark Twain that recounts the life of Joan of Arc. It is Twain''s last completed novel, published when he was 61 years old. The novel is presented as a translation (by "Jean Francois Alden") of memoirs by Louis de Conte, a fictionalized version of Joan of Arc''s page, Louis de Contes. The novel is divided into 3 sections according to Joan of Arc''s development: a youth in Domremy, a commander of the army of Charles VII of France, and a defendant at trial in Rouen. PLOT: The novel begins with a "Translator''s Preface," a translator note on the "Peculiarity of Joan of Arc''s History," and a foreword by Sieur Louis de Conte. The "Translator''s Preface" offers a condensed overview of Joan of Arc''s life, with heavy praise ("the character of Joan of Arc ... occupies the loftiest possible to human attainment"). The "Peculiarity" note explains that Joan of Arc''s life is preserved in court documents and that the particulars are provided by Louis de Conte, who, the Translator assures us, is reliable. The Foreword is Sieur de Conte''s writing from 1492 (Joan of Arc died in 1431) about his intimate relation to Joan of Arc: "I was with her from the beginning until the end..".... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 - April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. Among his novels are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), the latter often called "The Great American Novel." Twain was raised in Hannibal, Missouri, which later provided the setting for Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He served an apprenticeship with a printer and then worked as a typesetter, contributing articles to the newspaper of his older brother Orion Clemens. He later became a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River before heading west to join Orion in Nevada. He referred humorously to his lack of success at mining, turning to journalism for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. In 1865, his humorous story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was published, based on a story that he heard at Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California where he had spent some time as a miner. The short story brought international attention and was even translated into classic Greek.His wit and satire, in prose and in speech, earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty. Twain earned a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, but he invested in ventures that lost most of it-notably the Paige Compositor, a mechanical typesetter that failed because of its complexity and imprecision. He filed for bankruptcy in the wake of these financial setbacks, but he eventually overcame his financial troubles with the help of Henry Huttleston Rogers. He chose to pay all his pre-bankruptcy creditors in full, even though he had no legal responsibility to do so. Twain was born shortly after an appearance of Halley''s Comet, and he predicted that he would "go out with it" as well; he died the day after the comet returned. He was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age," and William Faulkner called him "the father of American literature."

Roughing It

release date: Dec 11, 2016
Roughing It
Why buy our paperbacks? Standard Font size of 10 for all books High Quality Paper Fulfilled by Amazon Expedited shipping 30 Days Money Back Guarantee BEWARE of Low-quality sellers Don''t buy cheap paperbacks just to save a few dollars. Most of them use low-quality papers & binding. Their pages fall off easily. Some of them even use very small font size of 6 or less to increase their profit margin. It makes their books completely unreadable. How is this book unique? Unabridged (100% Original content) Font adjustments & biography included Illustrated About Roughing It: By Mark Twain Roughing It is a book of semi-autobiographical travel literature written by American humorist Mark Twain. It was written during 1870-71 and published in 1872 as a prequel to his first book The Innocents Abroad (1869). This book tells of Twain''s adventures prior to his pleasure cruise related in Innocents Abroad. Roughing It follows the travels of young Mark Twain through the Wild West during the years 1861-1867. After a brief stint as a Confederate cavalry militiaman (not included in the account), he joined his brother Orion Clemens, who had been appointed Secretary of the Nevada Territory, on a stagecoach journey west. Twain consulted his brother''s diary to refresh his memory and borrowed heavily from his active imagination for many stories in the book. Roughing It illustrates many of Twain''s early adventures, including a visit to Salt Lake City, gold and silver prospecting, real-estate speculation, a journey to the Kingdom of Hawaii, and his beginnings as a writer. In this memoir, readers can see examples of Twain''s rough-hewn humor, which would become a staple of his writing in his later books, such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer(1876), and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur''s Court (1889).

The Writings of Mark Twain [Pseud.]

release date: May 02, 2016
The Writings of Mark Twain [Pseud.]
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894) by

release date: Mar 14, 2016
Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894) by
Tom Sawyer Abroad is a novel by Mark Twain published in 1894. It features Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a parody of Jules Verne-esque adventure stories. In the story, Tom, Huck, and Jim set sail to Africa in a futuristic hot air balloon, where they survive encounters with lions, robbers, and fleas to see some of the world''s greatest wonders, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Detective, the story is told using the first-person narrative voice of Huck Finn

Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain (1894) Novel (Original Version)

release date: Dec 30, 2015
Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain (1894) Novel (Original Version)
This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

release date: Jun 02, 2015
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Hank Morgan is shocked to awaken not in his native Connecticut, but in the medieval world of King Arthur''s Court. Using his knowledge of nineteenth century technology, Hank attempts to improve the lives of the people of Camelot, and alters the course of history.

The Innocents Abroad

release date: Dec 18, 2013
The Innocents Abroad
In 1867, Mark Twain and a group fellow-Americans toured Europe and the Holy Land, aboard a retired Civil War ship known as "Quaker City." Throughout the journey, Twain kept a written record of his experiences. "The Innocents Abroad" is both a travelogue and a critique of clashing cultures—but more importantly, it is an entertaining and insightful work written by one of the great masters of American prose.

Autobiography of Mark Twain

release date: Jan 01, 2010
Autobiography of Mark Twain
Autobiography of Mark Twain Volume 2 by Benjamin and Harriet Elinor pdf free download. Editorial work on the Autobiography of Mark Twain began some eight years ago and is expected to continue for another two. But acquiring the collective skills, expertise, and materials that allow us to do the work has taken much longer: more than four decades of editorial labor on every aspect of Mark Twain’s writings, made possible by the continuous support, since 1967, of the national Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Thrift Study Edition

release date: Aug 03, 2009
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Thrift Study Edition
"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. It''s the best book we''ve had," declared Ernest Hemingway. Millions of readers around the world would agree, having climbed aboard the raft with young Huck and Jim, the runaway slave, to drift along the Mississippi on a voyage of adventure and self-discovery. This economical two-part edition includes the complete text of Twain''s classic novel plus a student-friendly study guide. Created to help the reader quickly gain a thorough understanding of the content and context of Huckleberry Finn, the guide includes: • Chapter-by-chapter summaries • Explanations and discussions of the plot • Question-and-answer sections • Mark Twain biography • List of characters and more Dover Thrift Study Editions feature everything that students need to undertake a confident reading of a classic text, as well as to prepare themselves for class discussions, essays, and exams.

Who Is Mark Twain?

release date: Apr 21, 2009
Who Is Mark Twain?
You had better shove this in the stove," Mark Twain said at the top of an 1865 letter to his brother, "for I don''t want any absurd ''literary remains'' and ''unpublished letters of Mark Twain'' published after I am planted." He was joking, of course. But when Mark Twain died in 1910, he left behind the largest collection of personal papers created by any nineteenth-century American author. Here, for the first time in book form, are twenty-four remarkable pieces by the American master—pieces that have been handpicked by Robert Hirst, general editor of the Mark Twain Project at the University of California, Berkeley. In "Jane Austen," Twain wonders if Austen''s goal is to "make the reader detest her people up to the middle of the book and like them in the rest of the chapters." "The Privilege of the Grave" offers a powerful statement about the freedom of speech while "Happy Memories of the Dental Chair" will make you appreciate modern dentistry. In "Frank Fuller and My First New York Lecture" Twain plasters the city with ads to promote his talk at the Cooper Union (he is terrified no one will attend). Later that day, Twain encounters two men gazing at one of his ads. One man says to the other: "Who is Mark Twain?" The other responds: "God knows—I don''t." Wickedly funny and disarmingly relevant, Who Is Mark Twain? shines a new light on one of America''s most beloved literary icons—a man who was well ahead of his time.

Mark Twain's Civil War

release date: Nov 09, 2007
Mark Twain's Civil War
Had there been no Civil War, the eminent American author known as Mark Twain would likely have spent his life as Sam Clemens, the Mississippi River steamboat pilot. When the war came and the steamboats stopped running, Clemens served two weeks in the Missouri State Guard before he fled west to begin his career as a writer. After the Civil War dramatically altered the course of Twain’s life and career, his thoughts and stories about the war were published widely. Mark Twain’s Civil War marks the first occasion for readers to survey the full range of his Civil War writings in one volume. The book contains autobiographical pieces as well as fiction, appealing to both Twain enthusiasts and Civil War scholars.

Mark Twain: The Gilded Age and Later Novels (LOA #130)

release date: Jan 07, 2002
Mark Twain: The Gilded Age and Later Novels (LOA #130)
"Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand," Mark Twain once wrote. In this sixth volume in The Library of America''s authoritative collection of his writings-the final volume of his fiction-America''s greatest humorist emerges in a surprising range of roles: as the savvy satirist of The Gilded Age, the brilliant plotter of its inventive sequel, The American Claimant, and, in two Tom Sawyer novels, as the acknowledged master revisiting his best-loved characters. Also in this volume is the authoritative version of Twain''s haunting last novel, No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger, left unpublished when he died. The Gilded Age (1873), a collaboration with Hartford neighbor Charles Dudley Warner, sends up an age when vast fortunes piled up amid thriving corruption and a city Twain knew well, Washington, D.C., full of would-be power brokers and humbug. The novel also gives us one of Twain''s most enduring characters, Colonel Sellers, who returns in The American Claimant (1892), an encore performance that moves beyond the worldly satire of its predecessor into realms of sheer inventive mayhem. Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894) and Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896) extend the adventures of Huck and Tom. No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger (1908), an astonishing psychic adventure set in the gothic gloom of a medieval Austrian village, offers a powerful and uncanny exploration of the powers of the human mind. LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

The Bible According to Mark Twain

release date: Jan 01, 1995
The Bible According to Mark Twain
This volume collects the most important writings by Mark Twain in which he used biblical settings, themes, and figures. Featuring Twain''s singular portrayals of God, Adam, Eve, Satan, Methuselah, Shem, St. Peter, and others, the writings stand among Twain''s most imaginative expressions of his views on human nature and humankind''s relation to the Creator and the universe. Composed over four decades (1871-1910), the writings range from farce to fantasy to satire, each one bearing the mark of Twain''s unmistakable wit and insight. Among the many delights in store for readers are Adam and Eve''s divergent accounts of their domestic troubles; Methuselah''s discussion of an ancient version of baseball, complete with a parody of baseball jargon; Shem''s hand-wringing account of how material shortages and labor troubles were hampering the progress of the ark his father, Noah, was building; a description of the disruptive actions of the fire-and-brimstone evangelist Sam Jones upon arriving in heaven; Captain Stormfield''s revelations of what heaven is really like; Satan''s musings on our puerile concepts of the afterlife; and Twain''s advice on how to dress and tip properly in heaven. Twain''s humor, however, is never gratuitous. As readers laugh their way through this volume, they will find ample evidence of Twain''s concerns about scriptural fallacies and inconsistencies, the Bible''s rather flat portrayal of important characters, and our limited notions about the nature and meaning of our own--and God''s--existence. Many of the pieces in this collection, even the most lighthearted, might still be considered controversial; of some of the darker pieces, Twain himself acknowledged that they would be heretical in any age. Moreover, these writings are valuable cultural artifacts of a time when, across the Western world, fundamental religious beliefs were being called into question by the precepts of Darwinism and the rapid advances of science and technology. Several of this volume''s selections are previously unpublished; others, like Letters from the Earth, are classics. Virtually all have been newly edited to reflect as closely as possible Twain''s final intentions for their form and content. For serious Twain devotees, editors Howard G. Baetzhold and Joseph B. McCullough have supplied an abundance of background material on the writings, including details on the history of their composition, publication, and relevance to the Twain canon.

Mark Twain: Historical Romances (LOA #71)

release date: Aug 01, 1994
Mark Twain: Historical Romances (LOA #71)
In the three novels collected in this Library of America volume, Mark Twain turned his comic genius to a period that fascinated and repelled him in equal measure: medieval and Renaissance Europe. This lost world of stately pomp and unspeakable cruelty, artistic splendor and abysmal ignorance—the seeming opposite of brashly optimistic, commercial, democratic nineteenth-century America—engaged Twain’s imagination, inspiring a children’s classic, and astonishing fantasy of comedy and violence, and an unusual fictional biography. Twain drew on his fascination with impersonation and the theme of the double in The Prince and the Pauper (1882), which brilliantly uses the device of identical boys from opposite ends of the social hierarchy to evoke the tumultuous contrasts of Henry VIII’s England. As the pauper Tom Canty is raised to the throne, while the rightful heir is cast out among thieves and beggars, Twain sustains one of his most compelling narratives. A perennial children’s favorite, the novel brings an impassioned American point of view to the injustices of traditional European society. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) finds Twain in high satiric form. When hard-headed Yankee mechanic Hank Morgan is knocked out in a fight, he wakes up in Camelot in A.D. 528—and finds himself pitted against the medieval rituals and superstitions of King Arthur and his knights. In a hilarious burlesque of the age of chivalry and of its cult in the nineteenth-century American South, Twain demolishes knighthood’s romantic aura to reveal a brutish, violent society beset by ignorance. But the comic mood gives way to a darker questioning of both ancient and modern society, culminating in an astonishing apocalyptic conclusion that questions both American progress and Yankee “ingenuity” as Camelot is undone by the introduction of advanced technology. “Taking into account . . . her origin, youth, sex, illiteracy, early environment, and the obstructing conditions under which she exploited her high gifts and made her conquest in the field and before the courts that tried her for her life—she is easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever known.” So Twain wrote of the heroine of Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc (1896), his most elaborate work of historical reconstruction. A respectful and richly detailed chronicle, by turns admiring and indignant, Joan of Arc opens a fascinating window onto the moral imagination of America’s greatest comic writer. LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

Mark Twain's Notebooks & Journals, Volume II (1877-1883)

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