I don't think I've read any Twain since middle school (although I ended up reading some relatively obscure works of his in that time -- I may be the only person born after 1990 who's ever read "Puddnhead Wilson," lol). Feel like I should read one of his nonfiction books this year or something.
I’m a big fan of his short pieces, which don’t get as much attention in the modern era. Some of them could be described as nonfiction, I suppose, in the sense that they’re comical observations about things that actually happened. The famous novels are great but the short pieces are where I think you find the essence of his comic style.
A Tramp Abroad was the book that made him famous. I haven’t read it but it was huge in its day.
Connecticut Yankee is a very funny one that gets overlooked in favor of the more famous novels.
I haven’t read Puddnhead Wilson myself, but I have a friend who swears by it.
My guess: nothing big, but lots of little events and details. Also: i think he may have added some contemporary-style psychological conjecture and judgment that earlier biographers may not have. But i haven’t read the earlier bios, so this is conjecture of my own. Chernow worked hard to get at Twain’s psychology, and i am guessing his ideas in that area represent progress, but perhaps not earthshaking progress. I think he occasionally commented on the work of previous biographers, distinguishing himself from them a bit, but that’s a fuzzy memory of mine and may not be right.
You may want to get a kindle sample, or thumb through it at a library or bookstore, to see if you need it. I have concluded that i don’t need to read the earlier ones, but that sort of conclusion is always at best an educated guess.
Woohoo! Let's go!
I don't think I've read any Twain since middle school (although I ended up reading some relatively obscure works of his in that time -- I may be the only person born after 1990 who's ever read "Puddnhead Wilson," lol). Feel like I should read one of his nonfiction books this year or something.
I’m a big fan of his short pieces, which don’t get as much attention in the modern era. Some of them could be described as nonfiction, I suppose, in the sense that they’re comical observations about things that actually happened. The famous novels are great but the short pieces are where I think you find the essence of his comic style.
A Tramp Abroad was the book that made him famous. I haven’t read it but it was huge in its day.
Connecticut Yankee is a very funny one that gets overlooked in favor of the more famous novels.
I haven’t read Puddnhead Wilson myself, but I have a friend who swears by it.
Hey well done, Karl!! I’ll check out the LitHub link. Love Twain.
Thanks, Kathleen!
Very nice. Congratulations!
I've read several books about Twain and am wondering if Chernoff adds anything I don't know about him before into it.
Thanks, David!
My guess: nothing big, but lots of little events and details. Also: i think he may have added some contemporary-style psychological conjecture and judgment that earlier biographers may not have. But i haven’t read the earlier bios, so this is conjecture of my own. Chernow worked hard to get at Twain’s psychology, and i am guessing his ideas in that area represent progress, but perhaps not earthshaking progress. I think he occasionally commented on the work of previous biographers, distinguishing himself from them a bit, but that’s a fuzzy memory of mine and may not be right.
You may want to get a kindle sample, or thumb through it at a library or bookstore, to see if you need it. I have concluded that i don’t need to read the earlier ones, but that sort of conclusion is always at best an educated guess.
Psychological conjecture? Van Wyck Brooks kind of did that already…
That doesn’t surprise me. Whether a modern example of that would be an improvement, i couldn’t say.