Mark Twain's Autobiography

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bookslover

Puritan Board Doctor
At long last, after being suppressed (at his request) for a full century, Mark Twain's autobiography is being published. It will appear in three volumes. Volume 1, clocking in at about 750 pages, will be published in November. Volumes 2 and 3, which will appear subsequently, will be about 600 pages each.

The volumes are fat because the manuscript is fat. During about the last four years of his life (1906-1910), Twain dictated his memoirs to a stenographer. When he was finished, he had a 2,500-page, 500,000-word manuscript on his hands. Knowing that the book would not be published until he was long-since dead, Twain spoke freely on all sorts of subjects. He then left instructions that those parts of the book deemed too "truthful" or too "racy" (by the standards of his day, of course) could and should be suppressed.

Parts of the autobiography were published three times: in 1929, 1940, and 1957, I believe. Yes, the "juicy" parts were suppressed, per Twain's wishes, but the manuscript was mutilated in other ways, as well. Editors manipulated his text into a strict chronological order, which Twain himself had consciously, specifically avoided. Twain's unique way of using punctuation was also ignored by various of his editors, etc.

But, now, Twain's autobiography is being published in its unabridged, uncensored, unbowdlerized, unsanitized, rolicking fullness. Since he is America's most important author ("Modern American literature begins with Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - Ernest Hemingway), I'm stoked.

The University of California Press is doing the honors. Volume 1 will list for about $35.

I believe that the trade of critic, in literature, music, and the drama, is the most degraded of all trades, and that it has no real value. However, let it go. It is the will of God that we must have critics, and missionaries, and Congressmen, and humorists, and we must bear the burden. - Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910)
 
That's exciting. :) I'll just skip to the scandalous parts; I wouldn't be surprised if they were milder than the average sit-com today.
 
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