Sunday, October 17, 2010

Twain Finally Tells All

It's been a hundred years since Sam Clemens passed from this world -- at least in body. But now, fulfilling his dying wish, Mark Twain's full, outspoken, no-holds-barred autobiography is being published. Volume I is now in my hands, and I'm so excited I can hardly turn the pages fast enough! Seven hundred thirty-six pages of Twain's extensive notes and rambling dictation, honed by the meticulous work of Harriet Elinor Smith and half a dozen contributing editors, offer a treasure to be mined and savored for days and weeks to come.

Not that I haven't tried my best to read everything I could lay my hands on about Sam Clemens/Mark Twain over the last thirty-plus years! My walls are lined with books by and about the man and the myth. But now I have a chance to read the story of his life as he wanted to tell it: uncensored and honest, telling it like it was, without fear or hesitation. Should be extremely fun listening to Twain "speaking from beyond the grave."

Now if I can just figure out how I'm going to handle this mammoth book with my one good hand . . . !

1 comment:

  1. I think I may have seen this at a bookstore called the Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene, BK tonight after I got off the phone with you! I bought a book called "This is not the story you think it is...A season of unlikely happiness," by Laura Munson...you guys (especially mom) might like it. I'm only 5 pages in, but I'm enjoying it thus far.

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