A reference guide to the great American author (1835-1910) for students and general readers. The approximately 740 entries, arranged alphabetically, are essentially a collection of articles, ranging significantly in length and covering a variety of topics pertaining to Twain's life, intellectual milieu, literary career, and achievements. Because so much of Twain's writing reflects Samuel Clemens's personal experience, particular attention is given to the interface between art and life, i.e., between imaginative reconstructions and their factual sources of inspiration. Each entry is accompanied by a selective bibliography to guide readers to sources of additional information. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Mark Twain's novels are filled with humor, wit, and astounding insight into the world of the 19th-century United States. Written entirely in the vernacular, these classic satirical tales exposed the bigotry and hypocrisy of American life. The cheerful Tom Sawyer, the goodnatured Huck Finn, the independent Hank Morgan, and the well-meaning Tom Canty are quintessential Twain characters, full of life, verve, and a sense of justice they often felt was missing from the world around them. Included in this collection are four of his greatest and most popular novels: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and The Prince and the Pauper. They are the perfect introduction to the work of one of America's foremost talents.

Twain began his career writing light, humorous verse, but he became a chronicler of the vanities, hypocrisies, and murderous acts of mankind. At mid-career, he combined rich humor, sturdy narrative, and social criticism in Huckleberry Finn. He was a master of rendering colloquial speech and helped to create and popularize a distinctive American literature built on American themes and language. A complete bibliography of Twain's works is nearly impossible to compile because of the vast number of pieces he wrote (often in obscure newspapers) and his use of several different pen names. This book contains more than 30 of the most famous and significant works of Mark Twain. Novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Stories The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Aurelia’s Unfortunate Young Man A Complaint about Correspondents, Dated in San Francisco Answers to Correspondents Among the Fenians The Story of the Bad Little Boy Who Didn’t Come to Grief Curing a Cold An Inquiry about Insurances Literature in the Dry Diggings “After” Jenkins Lucretia Smith’s Soldier The Killing of Julius Cæsar “Localized” An Item Which the Editor Himself Could Not Understand Among the Spirits Brief Biographical Sketch of George Washington A Touching Story of George Washington’s Boyhood A Page from a Californian Almanac Information for the Million The Launch of the Steamer Capital Origin of Illustrious Men Advice for Good Little Girls Concerning Chambermaids Remarkable Instances of Presence of Mind Honored as a Curiosity in Honolulu The Steed “Oahu” A Strange Dream Short and Singular Rations A Letter from Santa Claus What Stumped the Blue Jays Essay On the Decay of the Art of Lying

Mark Twain's Ultimate Collection: 370+ Titles in One Volume (Illustrated) is a comprehensive compilation of the prominent American author's famous works, showcasing his signature wit, humor, and keen social commentary. Twain's literary style is marked by his ability to blend satire and realism, making his stories both entertaining and thought-provoking. This collection includes timeless classics such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, among many others, offering a glimpse into the diverse range of Twain's storytelling talents. Known for his ability to capture the essence of American life and culture, Twain's works continue to resonate with readers across generations. Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, drew inspiration from his own experiences as a riverboat pilot, miner, and journalist, bringing a unique perspective to his writing. His keen observations of human nature and society have solidified his place as one of America's most celebrated literary figures. I highly recommend Mark Twain's Ultimate Collection to any reader interested in exploring the timeless works of a literary master. This compilation offers a comprehensive look at Twain's legacy and serves as a valuable addition to any library.

Here is young Sam Clemens—in the world, getting famous, making love—in 155 magnificently edited letters that trace his remarkable self-transformation from a footloose, irreverent West Coast journalist to a popular lecturer and author of The Jumping Frog, soon to be a national and international celebrity. And on the move he was—from San Francisco to New York, to St. Louis, and then to Paris, Naples, Rome, Athens, Constantinople, Yalta, and the Holy Land; back to New York and on to Washington; back to San Francisco and Virginia City; and on to lecturing in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. Resplendent with wit, love of life, ambition, and literary craft, this new volume in the wonderful Bancroft Library edition of Mark Twain's Letters will delight and inform both scholars and general readers. This volume has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mark Twain Foundation, Jane Newhall, and The Friends of The Bancroft Library.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1988. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived

Mark Twain is America’s—perhaps the world’s—best known humorous writer. Yet many commentators in his time and our own have thought of humor as merely an attractive surface feature rather than a crucial part of both the meaning and the structure of Twain’s writings. This book begins with a discussion of humor, and then demonstrates how Twain’s artistic strategies, his remarkable achievements, and even his philosophy were bound together in his conception of humor, and how this conception developed across a forty-five year career. Kolb shows that Twain is a writer whose lifelong mode of perception is essentially humorous, a writer who sees the world in the sharp clash of contrast, whose native language is exaggeration, and whose vision unravels and reorganizes our perceptions. Humor, in all its mercurial complexity, is at the center of Mark Twain’s talent, his successes, and his limitations. It is as a humorist—amiably comic, sharply satiric, grimly ironic, simultaneously humorous and serious—that he is best understood.

This encyclopedia includes more than 700 alphabetically arranged entries that cover a full variety of topics on Mark Twain's life, intellectual milieu, literary career, and achievements.