Maria: Are you interested in a comparison of "styles" only or also themes? Stylistically, Irving wrote more in the style of the century previous to his own (and hid his deeper purposes by cloaking them in the veil of legend and fantasy), while Twain preferred the Realist style of his own time, although he also demonstrated a willingness to work in the realm of the fantasicic. Thematically, they are much closer, for both were addressing issues of their times. In particular they both addressed the effects of technological progress on the structure of society. I just gave a paper on Irving, and (obviously, since I'm on this list) also study Twain, so if you'd care to continue privately, please feel free to post me directly. Jeri Zulli George Washington University