>Why did many readers/ reviewers find it dull, or disappointing?  What 
>should we make of that phenomenon?  In particular, and on the other hand, 
>what should we make of the sheer amount of negative response to MT seen in 
>many reviews?  There is a surprising amount of NEGATIVE criticism of MT's 
>meandering memories.... something we are not always used to with the King.

Actually, I wasn't surprised that people found it disappointing; I was more 
surprised that so many did not. I would guess that when most people see the 
word "autobiography" they expect a more or less chronological account of a 
famous person's life, and as a result the stream-of-consciousness structure 
probably put a number of readers off, though not as many as I had assumed, 
certainly. I suspect that Charles Neider's edition of the autobiography will 
be the one that most general readers prefer in the long run, since it's the 
only one that conforms to the traditional structure.

What struck me about the reviews I saw was not the idea that much of the 
book had already appeared in print, but the almost universal impulse to 
point out the high percentage of "extraneous" material -- the introduction, 
the early attempts, the extensive notes. The general claim, often made with 
something like amusement, was that the actual autobiography made up only 
one-third of the book. That, I think, is an example of what can occur in 
"encounters between the popular press & reading public," and not too 
surprising.

I think every review I saw also mentioned the very small type, and I had 
similar thoughts until that was cleared up right here on the forum not long 
ago, when we learned that it was 10-point, a normal size. The problem was 
that the typeFACE just looks smaller than others, and I think that choice 
might not have been the best.

Despite these complaints from reviewers, though, the book sold in very high 
(and unexpected) numbers, so I wouldn't think the review had much of an 
effect in that regard. I was shocked by the extraordinary sales figures 
myself. I hope its success is a reflection of Twain's continuing hold on the 
public imagination. There aren't many authors who can "publish" runaway 
best-sellers 100 years after their death.

-- Bob G.