Mark Twain

Henderson, Archibald, 1877-1963Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 260K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Mark Twain by Archibald HendersonAuthor: Henderson, Archibald, 1877-1963,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 1, 2004

Editor's review

This book is Archibald Henderson's critical biography of Mark Twain, based on the public-domain electronic text from Project Gutenberg. Its value lies in the close-up perspective of an early biographer, tracing Mark Twain's life and literary career and helping readers understand how this American writer moved from his childhood experiences along the Mississippi to become a world-class master of humorous literature. As a public-domain e-book, it is easy to search, cite, and read alongside other texts, making it a useful introductory source for studying Mark Twain. It should be read as a period document rather than contemporary scholarship: note the biographer's interpretations of his subject's character and creative motives, and cross-check them against Mark Twain's own works to identify tendencies in the narrative. The book is in English, and its length and style bear the marks of biography writing from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century; it is suited to slow reading in a quiet setting, with notes on key dates and works.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature enthusiasts who want to understand Mark Twain's life and creative background
Students who need an English-language biography as source material for coursework or papers
General readers interested in nineteenth-century American literature and publishing history
Readers accustomed to public-domain e-books who like to search and quote freely

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for Mark Twain's original novels; this is a biography, not a collection of his works
Readers who find English difficult and expect a Chinese translation
Professional researchers seeking contemporary scholarly verification and the latest research findings

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and chronology first to establish a framework of the subject's life, then read chapter by chapter.
List the Mark Twain works mentioned as you read, and afterward choose one or two originals for comparison.
Mark evaluative passages and distinguish the biographer's opinions from verifiable historical facts.
Use the e-book search function to look up names and places to help understand the historical background.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book Mark Twain's autobiography?

No. This is a biography of Mark Twain written by Archibald Henderson; it is another person's account and assessment of his life, not an autobiography by Mark Twain himself. Readers should note the difference between the author's perspective and the subject's own account.

Do I need to read Mark Twain's works first?

Not strictly, but reading one or two of his major works first will make things smoother. The biography frequently mentions works and their creative background; if you are already familiar with titles such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and their general content, it will be easier to understand the author's commentary on each creative period.

What are the language and edition details?

This is an English public-domain e-book released by Project Gutenberg, in the language and literature category. It is free and easy to search, but the formatting and notes are minimal, so readers should prepare their own background materials.

Is this book suitable for academic citation?

It can be cited as early biographical material, but it should not be the sole basis. It reflects the biographical perspective of its time; cross-check with contemporary scholarly biographies, Mark Twain's original works, and his correspondence before citing it.

Comments

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About the author

Henderson, Archibald, 1877-1963 Author · American · 1877–1963

Archibald Henderson (1877–1963) was an American scholar and biographer. He taught for many years at the University of North Carolina and made his mark in both literary studies and biographical writing, being best known for his work on George Bernard Shaw. His book Mark Twain shows his grasp of the life and writing of a major author as a whole, while The Conquest of the Old Southwest turns to the early American frontier, telling the story of pioneers who moved into the Southwest and bearing the qualities of narrative history. On the whole, his works combine scholarship with readability, engaging closely with people and their times while telling historical events vividly. Public information about the details of his life is limited; this note draws only on the available facts and well-established public knowledge, focusing on the subjects and style of his works.