Life on the Mississippi (Annotated)

by Mark Twain

Overview

This is the Annotated version of the original Book. This is the Summarized Version of the Original Novel. This Novel Book consists of 76500 words approximately which consists of 50% to 55% of the total book. A brief description of the book is written as follows:-Life on the Mississippi (1883) is a memoir by Mark Twain of his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the American Civil War. It is also a travel book, recounting his trip along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to New Orleans many years after the war. The book begins with a brief history of the river as reported by Europeans and Americans, beginning with the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1542. It continues with anecdotes of Twain's training as a steamboat pilot, as the 'cub' (apprentice) of an experienced pilot, Horace E. Bixby. He describes, with great affection, the science of navigating the ever-changing Mississippi River in a section that was first published in 1876, entitled "Old Times on the Mississippi". Although Twain was actually 21 when he began his training, he uses artistic license to make himself seem somewhat younger, referring to himself as a "fledgling" and a "boy" who "ran away from home" to seek his fortune on the river and playing up his own callowness and naïveté.In the second half, Twain narrates his trip many years later on a steamboat from St. Louis to New Orleans. He describes the competition from railroads, and the new, large cities, and adds his observations on greed, gullibility, tragedy, and bad architecture. He also tells some stories that are most likely tall tales. About Twain: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 — April 21, 1910), better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, writer, and lecturer. Twain is most noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which has since been called the Great American Novel, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He is also known for his quotations. During his lifetime, Clemens became a friend to presidents, artists, leading industrialists, and European royalty. Clemens enjoyed immense public popularity, and his keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. American author William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature." Source: WikipediaOther Great Books by the Same Author•The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)•The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)•Roughing It (1872)•A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889)•The $30,000 Bequest and other short stories (1906)•Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc (1896)•Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896)•The War Prayer (1916)•Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894)•The Jumping Frog (1865)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9791220858014
Publisher:	Avneet Kumar Singla
Publication date:	10/19/2021
Sold by:	StreetLib SRL
Format:	eBook
File size:	169 KB

About the Author

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, prominently known by his penname Mark Twain, was a famous American author and humorist. His most famous works, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", and its sequel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", the latter being called "The Great American Novel". Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which provided the setting for "Huck Finn" and "Tom Sawyer".
He worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to his brother's newspaper Orion Clemens, prior to which he did apprenticeship with a printer. He later worked as a pilot of a riverboat before he moved 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. His humorous story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", published in 1865 and based on a story he heard at Angels Hotel in Angels Camp California, where he had spent time as a miner, brought international fame and attention and was even translated to Classic Greek. He was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty. The wit and satire of Twain, both in prose and speech, earned praise from critics and peers.
Twain earned a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, though he lost most of it by investing in ventures, notably the Paige Compositor. The failure of this mechanical typesetter was attributed to its complexity and imprecision. These financial difficulties led him to seek protection from his creditors via bankruptcy and succeeded in overcoming his financial problems with the help of Henry Huttleston Rogers. A gentleman by nature, Twain decided to pay all his pre-bankruptcy creditors in full, though he had no legal responsibility to do so.
Twain was born shortly after the visit of Halley's Comet, and he predicted that he would "go out with it", too. He died the day after the comet returned. He was lauded as "the greatest American humorist of his age", and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature."

Date of Birth:

November 30, 1835

Date of Death:

April 21, 1910

Place of Birth:

Florida, Missouri

Place of Death:

Redding, Connecticut