TWAIN-L Archives

Mark Twain Forum

TWAIN-L@YORKU.CA

Options: Use Classic View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Peter Salwen <[log in to unmask]>
Sat, 21 Jul 2001 13:56:07 -0400
text/plain (50 lines)
"Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain" by Justin Kaplan is about 30 years old, but
it's wise, insightful, beautifully written and generally unexcelled (though
many folks will say otherwise); I expect many will recommend it, as do I.

But Twain is such a multifaceted character that you might do better to think
in terms of a small shelf of books that sort of add up to a "definitive"
work, in which case I would suggest:

"Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain" (Kaplan)

"The Autobiography of Mark Twain" (the Charles Nieder edition)

"Mark Twain Himself, A Pictorial Biography" (Milton Meltzer)

"Mark Twain and His World" (another pictorial treatment, this one by Justin
Kaplan; an alternative to the hard-to-find Meltzer book)

Ron Powers, "Dangerous Water" (the early years)

Jeffrey Steinbrink, "Getting to Be Mark Twain" (early manhood)

Hamlin Hill, "God's Fool" (old age)

Everett Emerson, "Mark Twain: A Literary Life" (wonderful treatment that
uses much recent scholarship & ties a lot a lot of loose ends together)

I think you'd find this group covers most of the important stuff -- and they
would also make a very enjoyable read.


-- Peter Salwen





-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Lloyd J
Grant
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 10:41 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Biographer


Would someone please suggest a definitive biography dealing with Mr. Clemens
life history?

Thankyou.
L. Grant.

ATOM RSS1 RSS2