This collection of unpublished essays and stories is a real find for Twain lovers; even the pieces left incomplete are amusing. John Lithgow doesn't make the mistake of trying to imitate or channel Twain, à la Hal Holbrook. On the other hand, he doesn't quite have the cadence or lilt or tone that would fit Twain; there's something too dry or stiff or abstract about his reading. Still, it's clear, energetic, and well paced, and his comedic timing is (no surprise) excellent. He brings out, subtly but plainly, Twain's use of irony, exasperated satire, and joshing. He shines when there are characters to play, though one piece, in "black" dialect, is rather painful. Overall, a fine reading of a batch of hidden treasures. W.M. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
“[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.
“[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.
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
BN ID: | 2940173411129 |
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Publisher: | HarperCollins |
Publication date: | 04/21/2009 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |