I only wish I could afford to attend... On Fri, 2017-06-09 at 21:33 -0500, Kevin Mac Donnell wrote: > The Celebrated Jumping Frog certainly introduced Twain to English > readers, > but I think it was The Innocents Abroad that became a bestseller and > spread > his fame internationally. I go into the bibliographic details that > demonstrate this at the beginning of my virtual tour of the Quaker > City > excursion (the trip that resulted in his writing IA, as most in this > Forum > probably know). I will present that virtual tour (with 200 slides, > including > previously unpublished photos from the trip and relics gathered by > one of > the vandals) at the International Mark Twain Conference in Elmira in > August. > This is just one of many many reasons to attend that conference, but > since > the question came up, I could not resist a bit of shameless self- > promotion. > > Kevin > @ > Mac Donnell Rare Books > 9307 Glenlake Drive > Austin TX 78730 > 512-345-4139 > Member: ABAA, ILAB > ************************* > You may browse our books at: > www.macdonnellrarebooks.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Martin Zehr > Sent: Friday, June 09, 2017 7:23 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Twain's fame/notoriety in Europe > > Kevin MacDonnell would know the publication information regarding > European > issues of Twain's works better than I, but an edition of The Jumping > Frog > was published by Routledge in England in 1867, simultaneous with the > American first edition, and the same thing applies to The Innocents > Abroad > in 1869. The English, it can be argued, were already primed to > receive > Twain's brand of American humor in 1867, the year of Artemus Ward's > death- > in England. Ward was widely popular in England at the time of his > death, > so shifting their interest to another variant of American humor may > not > have been the least bit difficult. Twain undoubtedly benefited from > Ward's > popularity at the time, and was all too willing to "borrow" from > Ward. > Twain's running joke in The Innocents Abroad, the question put to the > guides, "Is He Dead?" can be traced to an Artemus Ward sketch which > might > have been familiar to English readers. David E. E. Sloane has > recently > confirmed the link and the Ward citation for me. Thus, it can be > argued, > Ward should not only be credited as a/the source of "Mark Twain," his > popularity likely made Twain's early acceptance in England a bit more > likely. > > <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm > _campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon> > Virus-free. > www.avast.com > <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm > _campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link> > <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> > > On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 3:16 AM, Scott Holmes <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: > > > > > I remain dubious that Twain attained much recognition in Europe > > because > > of the Jumping Frog tale, as it is very much regional humor - but > > of > > such quality that it garnered national recognition. I suspect that > > it > > was The Innocents Abroad that earned him, at least, Europe's > > attention. > > I'm wondering if any of his letters to Alta California found their > > way > > into European publications. Is it possible that these columns > > caught > > the attention of those Europeans residing in the US; ambassadors, > > business representatives, etc. that may have forwarded the articles > > to > > their homelands. Their interest may have been piqued by this > > provocative journalist making unusual observations of their > > country(s). > > How successful was initial publication of The Innocents Abroad > > abroad? > > It appears that the French version of the Jumping Frog came out > > following publication of The Innocents Abroad. > > > > -- > > There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are > > dreamt of > > in your philosophy. > > http://bscottholmes.com > > -- There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. http://bscottholmes.com