Mark Twain's Library of Humor

Name: Mark Twain's Library of Humor
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: Mark Twain
ISBN: 9781572706071

Author: Mark Twain, various authors

Narrator: Marni Webb, Richard Russ, others

Unabridged: 6 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 01/01/1996

Categories: Nonfiction, Humor, Fiction, Classic, Humorous

Synopsis

Master wit Mark Twain selected these twenty-seven stories himself by fifteen of his favorite nineteenth century authors. The order follows that which Twain placed them in in the original anthology, published in 1888. He indulged his comic fancy rather than making a textbook in which all themes or authors are placed together, saying that "This way, you will have to peruse the whole thing before discovering that one of your favorites is not included." However, it is no joke that these are the authors represented: Charles Dudley Warner, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Eugene Field, William D. Howells, James M. Bailey, Joel Chandler Harris, Katherine Kent Child Walker, Robert J. Burdette, Sam Davis, Artemus Ward, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Francis Lee Pratt, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Frederick W. Cozzens, and Twain himself.

About Mark Twain

Mark Twain (1835–1910) was born Samuel L. Clemens in the town of Florida, Missouri. He is one of the most popular and influential authors our nation has ever produced, and his keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. He has been called not only the greatest humorist of his age but also the father of American literature.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Cindy B. on December 01, 2021

Clean humor and wit, very welcome in these times. And I had a few smiles and a laugh or two. Narrator was not reading, he seemed to be experiencing, with a spirit of fun, enhanced the listening experience.......more

Goodreads review by Al on March 29, 2010

The edition with Steve Martin's and Roy Blount's introductions is great. It includes Twain's posthumous assessment of the writers who had by then become obscure as "mere humorists" and his note that humor of the mere quality cannot survive forever which he says he means about 30 years. Also his noti......more

Goodreads review by Randy on October 04, 2009

What a mixed bag. Some were actually VERY funny. Some had no point and were obvious beyond possibility (perhaps they have been copied so much since 1888 (!!!) that they have become uninteresting). Some were dated to the point of obscurity. And two were so interesting I listened to them 4-5 times eac......more

Goodreads review by kazure007 on February 06, 2012

Another book I picked up at a garage sale. I got this one about four years ago and haven't gotten through it all yet. It contains several authors including Mark Twain of course, and Ambrose Bierce, William Alden, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Washington Irving and several other humorists of the time. It's......more

Goodreads review by Amy on October 19, 2022

I picked up a copy of this book because I had never read any of Mark Twain's humor. This volume had several essays written by Twain and then many others of his contemporaries. I did not enjoy the essays as much as I thought I would, at least in part because some of his humor hasn't aged particularly......more

Quotes

“Discover the array of comic genius that kept Mark Twain on his toes and inspired him to lead the way for comic writers across the country in his day.” Barnes & Noble, editorial review

“The director and his cast strive for clarity and comprehension. They splash through the shallows of these pieces with broad strokes…Uniformly energetic and expressive.” AudioFile