For today’s
author spotlight, we are going back to 1800s, to the father of American
literature. Mark Twain is a name you probably know, even if you never read any
of his books, and you might ask yourself if you should read his books
considering how long ago, they were? Well, you defiantly should. Mark Twain is
my favorite of the older authors I have read, and all-American literature owes
a great debt to this all-American genius. Mark Twain, who’s real name was
Samuel Clemons, has written some of the most iconic books of all times.
Capturing both the nature of his time in American history, while upholding
issues America still deals with even to this very day, Twain is one of the
great and most iconic forefathers of American books. Here are some books and stories
worth reading if you want to get into the world of Mark Twain.
The
Adventures of Tom Swayer – One of Twain’s most iconic books, this 1876 book is simply about a boy
named Tom Swayer and his friends, including another iconic character,
Huckleberry Finn. Tom Swayer is an orphan who lives his Aunt Polly, in
Missouri. While living with his aunt, he gets into all sorts of mischief,
including running away to the woods with his friends, trying to impress his
crush, Becky, and tricking unsuspecting neighbour kids into doing his chores. This
includes the iconic scene where he tricks the kids into painting that white
fence. Tom Swayer was one of the first books to be written in an American
dialect, something Twain is known for. Also, according to Twain himself, the
first novel ever to be written on a typewriter.
The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – The most iconic book of Twain’s bibliography, the 1884 novel is
considered by some scholars and readers to be the best American novel ever
written. Huckleberry Finn is a trouble making boy, who runs away from his
guardian, and starts rafting the Mississippi river. While on the run from both
his guardian, and his abusive alcoholic father who comes back to town, Finn
meets a runaway slave named Jim. This leads to an unlikely friendship, as the
two unite against trouble on the riverfront, all the while Huckleberry Finn
must confront his prejudges himself and see Jim as a person. Does Huckleberry
sell out his new friend to a slave owner or does he continue their journey to
freedom? To this day, the book is controversial for his expensive use of the N
word. However, this book was controversial in its day for its anti-racism
message. Hemingway himself would say “all American literature comes from
Huckleberry Finn.”
A
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court – A fantasy adventure novel, Twain deals with
time travel in this comedy. A Yankee engineer, named Hank Morgan, from
Connecticut suffers a blow to the head and is transported through space and
time back to England, during King Arthur’s rule. After some confusion, Hank
realizes he had time travelled and starts to cause mischief in England during
the rule of King Arthur. This includes becoming a ravel of Marlin, who he
quickly realizes is a fraud, and gaining the trust of King Arthur. However, he
also starts to see how the common people during this era were treated and is disguised
by it. While this book is a time travel novel, it also pokes fun at the modern
era during which Twain’s writing took place.
The
Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County – One of Twain’s most famous short stories, the
story takes place as a flashback. The narrator is sent to interview an old man,
Simon, who might know the location of an old acquaintance named Leonidas. While
there, he finds the man at an old mining camp. While the narrator is sent to
find the location of Leonidas, he instead tells the man a truly off the topic
story about a frog everyone was betting on. Everyone in Calaveras County bets
on a found frog and if the frog was going to jump or not. The story goes on for
a while, and while by modern standards, this story might sound plain, it’s one
of Twain’s funniest stories. The story is included in an 1867 collection called
“The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and
Other Sketches”.
Extracts
from Adam’s Dairy - One of my favorite Mark Twain
stories, the story is narrated by Adam himself, as he is introduced to this new
creature, Eve, and how annoying he finds her at first. He tries to figure out
what exactly Eve is. Is she a fish, a kangaroo or a bear? However, as the story
progresses, he finds out Eve is a human like himself. A long short story, at 89
pages, Extracts from Adam’s Dairy is well worth reading for Twain’s unique take
on the biblical story.
The Prince and the Pauper – Yet another example of Twain’s fascination with class and times
past, The Prince and the Pauper is the story of Tom Canty, a young boy living
in England during 1547. During a royal event, he meets Edward Tutor, who is the
prince of Wales. Edward invites Tom to his royal quarters, and they get to know
each other. The two boys notice they look alike and decide to switch clothes
and switch each other’s lives. While they are exploring each other’s lives,
they find there are both good and bad to being rich and poor. Class and society
were a constant theme in Twain’s works, and this is yet another example of a
work that explores this. This is also the first attempt Twain made at
historical fiction, but the same themes he has in all of his works is still
present.
These are some works to start with to
explore the world of Mark Twain. Twain is one of the greatest and most
influential writers of all times. It would be fair to say that American
storytelling would not exist without Mark Twain’s giant contribution to writing.
It’s well worth checking out.
