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Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature."
- Who Was Mark Twain?
- Early Life
- Twain in Hannibal
- Steamboat Pilot
- Heading Out West
- 'Innocents Abroad'
- Marriage to Olivia Langdon
- 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'
- 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'
- 'Life on The Mississippi'
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Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, was the celebrated author of several novels, including two major classics of American literature: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer andAdventures of Huckleberry Finn. He was also a riverboat pilot, journalist, lecturer, entrepreneur and inventor.
Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in the tiny village of Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835, the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. When he was 4 years old, his family moved to nearby Hannibal, a bustling river town of 1,000 people. John Clemens worked as a storekeeper, lawyer, judge and land speculator, dreaming of wealth but never a...
Twain stayed in Hannibal until age 17. The town, situated on the Mississippi River, was in many ways a splendid place to grow up. Steamboats arrived there three times a day, tooting their whistles; circuses, minstrel shows and revivalists paid visits; a decent library was available; and tradesmen such as blacksmiths and tanners practiced their ente...
Then, in 1857, 21-year-old Twain fulfilled a dream: He began learning the art of piloting a steamboat on the Mississippi. A licensed steamboat pilotby 1859, he soon found regular employment plying the shoals and channels of the great river. Twain loved his career — it was exciting, well-paying and high-status, roughly akin to flying a jetliner toda...
In July 1861, Twain climbed on board a stagecoach and headed for Nevada and California, where he would live for the next five years. At first, he prospected for silver and gold, convinced that he would become the savior of his struggling family and the sharpest-dressed man in Virginia City and San Francisco. But nothing panned out, and by the middl...
His next step up the ladder of success came in 1867, when he took a five-month sea cruise in the Mediterranean, writing humorously about the sights for American newspapers with an eye toward getting a book out of the trip. In 1869,The Innocents Abroadwas published, and it became a nationwide bestseller. At 34, this handsome, red-haired, affable, ca...
However, Twain worried about being a Westerner. In those years, the country's cultural life was dictated by an Eastern establishment centered in New York City and Boston — a straight-laced, Victorian, moneyed group that cowed Twain. "An indisputable and almost overwhelming sense of inferiority bounced around his psyche," wrote scholar Hamlin Hill, ...
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published in 1876, and soon thereafter he began writing a sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Writing this work, commented biographer Everett Emerson, freed Twain temporarily from the "inhibitions of the culture he had chosen to embrace."
"All modern American literature comes from one book by Twain calledHuckleberry Finn," Ernest Hemingway wrote in 1935, giving short shrift to Herman Melvilleand others but making an interesting point. Hemingway's comment refers specifically to the colloquial language of Twain's masterpiece, as for perhaps the first time in America, the vivid, raw, n...
In 1883 he put out Life on the Mississippi, an interesting but safe travel book. When Huck Finnfinally was published in 1884, Livy gave it a chilly reception. After that, business and writing were of equal value to Twain as he set about his cardinal task of earning a lot of money. In 1885, he triumphed as a book publisher by issuing the bestselling...
Learn about the life and works of Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Clemens, one of the greatest American writers. Explore his childhood, adventures, novels, humor and legacy.
Apr 17, 2024 · Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Born: November 30, 1835, Florida, Missouri, U.S. Died: April 21, 1910, Redding, Connecticut (aged 74) Awards And Honors: Hall of Fame (1920) Notable Works: “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” “A Tramp Abroad” “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” “Following the Equator” “Letters from the Earth”
Apr 5, 2010 · Learn about the life and works of Mark Twain, the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, an American humorist, journalist, and novelist. Explore his childhood, travels, adventures, and legacy in this comprehensive article.
Learn about the life and works of Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, the famous American author and humorist. Explore his childhood, travels, family, and social commentary in this comprehensive biography.
Learn about the major events and achievements of Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, from his birth in 1835 to his death in 1910. Explore his travels, writings, inventions, family, and legacy in this chronological overview.
Learn about the life and works of Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, America's most famous literary icon. Find out his birthplace, childhood, career, family, and legacy.
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