Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Mysterious Stranger

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 2,975 ratings · 232 reviews

In his last years Mark Twain had become a respected literary figure whose opinions were widely sought by the press. He had also suffered a series of painful physical, economic, and emotional losses.

The Mysterious Stranger, published posthumously in 1916 and belonging to Twain's "dark" period, belies the popular image of the affiable American humorist. In this antireligious...more

Paperback, 121 pages

Published September 1st 1995 by Prometheus Books (first published 1916)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

Best Books of the Decade: 1910's

34th out of 134 books — 169 voters

Best Page-Turners with Redeeming Social Value

247th out of 968 books — 2,835 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 03, 2009 Anca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10

Imi placu si asta, ca (aproape) tot ce-am citit 'existentialist' pana acum. Imi place franchetea, disperarea si pana ascutita din cartile astea, desi le contrazic majoritatea ideilor apoi. (Asa ca sa nu ma intrebati de ce le mai citesc)
Dupa ce-am citit celelalte povestiri ale lui Twain, nu ma asteptam sa-l gasesc asa intunecat si pesimist in asta (majoritatea celorlalte sint amuzante, scurte, ironice ca viata si au un clenci:) ). Oricum, sa vedem:

-nepotul lui Satan, (numit tot)Satan, un inger ne...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 27, 2008 Nathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I swear Bulgakov got a hold of this and picked the best parts for transmogrification into The Master & Margarita. A gigantic parade of corpses, a talking cat (Mary Margaret Florence Baker G. Nightingale), and the appearance of a banjo-playing minstrel (who in my mind looks just like Koroviev, but African American...) in the narrator's medieval Austrian print-shop. In a disused castle. So much weirder, creepier, more moving, and existentially fraught than Letters From the Earth, but with all...more

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 26, 2009 S.A. Alenthony rated it 5 of 5 stars

A number of Mark Twain’s lesser-known stories remain virtually unheard of - not because they aren’t good – but because they’d offend too many people.

His short novel The Mysterious Stranger, published posthumously in 1916, certainly qualifies in this regard. It’s not going to be on any of the official reading lists of the various public schools named after him. And it’s an absolutely hilarious and caustic little paperback that you need to get familiar with.

This book will be of interest to anyone...more A number of Mark Twain’s lesser-known stories remain virtually unheard of - not because they aren’t good – but because they’d offend too many people.

His short novel The Mysterious Stranger, published posthumously in 1916, certainly qualifies in this regard. It’s not going to be on any of the official reading lists of the various public schools named after him. And it’s an absolutely hilarious and caustic little paperback that you need to get familiar with.

This book will be of interest to anyone suspicious of religion in general. For non-theists that have grown accustomed to the standard academic treatments of the reasons for rejecting belief, as well-written as many have been of late, this book provides a fresh perspective and change of pace. The force of the satire that this irreverent, scathing genius brings down upon the entire Christian conception of God and Moral Sense is really something to behold.

In late sixteenth century Austria, a group of boys meet an angel that has appeared one day. The angel’s name is Satan (no, not the Satan, merely his cousin, hence the same family name). Satan gives them an education, both through words and deeds, about some Ultimate Truths. Here’s a brief excerpt of his examination of God Himself:

… a God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it; who gave his angels painless lives, yet cursed his other children with biting miseries and maladies of mind and body; who mouths justice and invented hell – mouths Golden Rules, and forgiveness multiplied by seventy time seven, and invented hell; who mouths morals to other people and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes, yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man’s acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally, with altogether divine obtuseness, invites this poor, abused slave to worship him!

In this 120-page work you can feel a lifetime of the great man’s anger, frustration, and contempt for so much baloney (baloney that was taken even more seriously in Twain’s day than it is in ours) on every page. This story belongs in the same class as Voltaire’s Candide and Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan as the best of that rare breed: atheist-themed fiction.

(less)

11 likes · like · see review

May 01, 2013 Kitty rated it 5 of 5 stars

For a long time I've avoided books written by Twain for the simple fact that the hype built around this particular author diminished my appeal for his books, instead preferring to look for less known authors and books. By pure chance I found out about this particular novel written by Twain, and after I saw bits of the claymation series on mark twain, showing a bit of the story, I realized that it might actually be more interesting that I originally thought. I decided to actually read the novel a...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Eli rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review will contain spoilers.

--

The Mysterious Stranger is a short novella, in which Mark Twain, (it would seem), embodies his hatred of Christianity, condemnation of mankind, and ultimate nihilism. The story takes place in a remote village in late 16th century Austria; the village of Eseldorf, which is situated in a valley surrounded by wooded precipices and cliffs, overlooked by a castle laying on one. The inhabitants of Eseldorf are simpletons; largely ignorant of the world beyond their...more This review will contain spoilers.

--

The Mysterious Stranger is a short novella, in which Mark Twain, (it would seem), embodies his hatred of Christianity, condemnation of mankind, and ultimate nihilism. The story takes place in a remote village in late 16th century Austria; the village of Eseldorf, which is situated in a valley surrounded by wooded precipices and cliffs, overlooked by a castle laying on one. The inhabitants of Eseldorf are simpletons; largely ignorant of the world beyond their village.

Within this village, three boys are close companions since their earliest childhood, who spend their free hours together playing outside and keeping one another's company; Theodor, Nikolaus, and Seppi. One day, as they lay on the ground after a hike, one pulls out a pipe, and wishes to smoke. Alas, they had left their flint and steel to light the tobacco in the castle, (they had spent the previous night there), and disappointingly put down the pipe. They were interrupted by this at the arrival of a youth who had just run out of the woods towards where the boys were laying, telling them to wait and that he could light the pipe. At his mere whim, the tobacco was inflamed and smoke was released from the pipe. The boys were astonished, and inquired as to who the stranger was. He announced that he was an angel, and when the boys asked him of his name, he plainly told them that he was named Satan. Unsurprisingly they were shocked and frightened that they were apparently in the presence of the Dark Lord, but he reassured them that it was only his family name, and the real Satan was his uncle.

Throughout the story, Satan appears at random, (he is only known to the three boys, when he appeared in plain sight to everyone else, he was known as Philip Traum), and incited various events to which the villagers are bewildered and frightened; always speculative that someone amongst them was wielding devilish powers in the form of witchcraft. Although, this is always the work of Satan, sometimes possessing a villager so as to make it seem as though they are responsible. These include giving a cat to an impoverished family that would cause a sum of money to appear in the pocket of the owner every morning as well as unlimited food, clothes, and other provisions, the appearance of a tremendous sum of money lying on a path, enabling an old man to sustain a hundred brass balls in a perpetual circle in the air, (as if one were juggling, but with no hands), and then to summer-sault along a high-wire, and many more, although the villagers (with the exception of the three boys), are always ignorant as to the cause of this.

There is much philosophical discussion between Satan and the narrator, (who is one of the boys), Theodor. Usually much of this is Satan's response to the thought-responses and reactions of Theodor, although sometimes his part of the discussion is verbal. Whenever a calamity occurs, (and there are several), Satan will "overhear" the thoughts of Theodor, who inquires as to why this occurs, to which Satan would inevitably reply something of the same message as "the human race is insignificant, hypocritical, pointless, worthless, of no value" and so on, so as to justify the death or peril of one, and it usually follows with, "there are more", or "we can make more".

Satan has the ability to appear at any place at any time, knows everything, is constantly aware of everyone's thoughts, can cause objects to appear at any time. He brings joyous gaiety to all around him. He even can, (and does multiple times throughout the novella), alter fate. There is never mentioned any limitation of his power, so as to make one wonder whether his power is limited at all. It is mentioned numerously that he is ultimately "beyond" the human race in almost every respect. And when Theodor wonders (in thought) why Satan is so indifferent to humanity, the latter contrasts this to an elephant worrying or even carrying about the fate and well-being of a spider that happened to crawl by; worrying whether it enjoys a long and full life, dies old and happy, and so on, multiplying this by a thousand, (it was a large number, I can't remember which). At another instance he asks Theodor to compare a leaf (I think it was a leaf), to Ceaser. Yet, he announces that what he is doing is ultimately for the benefit of the village. Usually this involves the sudden or imminent death of someone, rather than a lifetime of cruelty and struggle, (such as in one instance, where Nikolaus, one of the three boys dies in an attempt of saving a local girl from drowning, instead of him actually saving her and catching a severe fever and becoming paralyzed by it, clinging to a miserable life for more than forty years thereafter).

His indifference to humanity in general is in exception to the three boys, whom he said that he liked. I was confused as to this, why he should like the boys and perform miracles and entertainments for them, and yet bestow pitiless indifference among the rest of the human race, with no stated difference between the boys and humanity in general. On numerous occasions, in fact, most of their conversation, Satan constantly emphasizes the stupidity, pointlessness, vanity, and hopelessness of humanity. Yet, he does not hate them, and says when Theodor wonders if he does, Satan responds with a position of indifference, rather than hate.

Satan states that the "Moral Sense" obviously a conception of morality, wherein Man has the opportunity to choose between Good or Evil and, "nine times out of ten chooses the latter", is a blemish, and an something which he does not possess. Indeed, Satan says numerously that he has no knowledge of evil, and thus can not do it; even saying this after arranging someone's death. I am clueless as to whether this the sarcasm of Twain, or if this is supposed to be serious. Perhaps the author is trying to make an argument as to morality not existing, or at least being illusory or artificial, as Satan is omniscient, and has no knowledge of it.

The the various episodes of "witchcraft" incited by Satan, his input and the reaction of the villagers, (which comprises much of the content of the novella that is not conversation or any other sort of interaction between Theodor and Satan, comes to an abrupt halt when after Theodor, (the narrator), says that Satan had not showed up for a very long time, he appeared before him, and informed him that he would not return. This would be the final goodbye, for he had matters to attend to in other parts of the universe, (and it is not clear why he would have arrived to Eseldorf in the first place). Theodor was very upset by this, and asked if they would perhaps meet in another life. Satan's response is perhaps the most shocking part of the story. He says that there is no other, and that even this life is just a dream, and that nothing truly exists. He says that he doesn't even exist, and the only thing that does exist is you, an aimless thought, wondering about in the void of emptiness and space. He then disappears.

The ending is not logically sound, obviously and, if he intended it, would indicate Twain's nihilism, (although it must be noted that this is the very end of the story, and the author died before the story was finished; notes were found and someone else finished it, and no one knows where the second author begins, although it is quite possible that this is not the ending that Twain intended). Along with this nihilism, constant indication of the ultimate vanity of morality, hatred, (or in Satan's case, indifference), of the human race through Satan, Twain gives strong hints as to his hatred of Christianity as well, (there is, however, no way to know if this was the author's intention, as it is a piece of fiction and not ever stated to a reflection of the authors actual beliefs and opinions, although it would strongly indicate that it is). As Satan is showing Theodor and Seppi, (Nikolaus had drowned), a progress of the human race, he states that of all civilizations, only Christendom had intentionally improved upon war and was engulfed in constant violence, and incessant "sin", (citing numerous Bible stories as part of the "history" such as Cain's murder of Able, etc.), and even towards the very end, (indeed, where he claims that God didn't even exist), he states the preposterousness that a God who could have made His children happy but preferred for them to be in anguish, invented hell, imposed numerous rules but Himself followed none, invented hell, (this is listed more than once), and other things, could have existed.

In conclusion, this is a good story in my opinion. There didn't seem to be much progression of plot and it ended abruptly and oddly, (granted, the author died before it was completely, so this is excused from my criticism, but not my mention). Sometimes it seemed almost like a Platonic discussion in the Socratic Method in some of the conversations between Theodor and Satan. That said, it was well written, and the narrative never was hard to follow or choppy. Indeed, all throughout it was concise and easy to understand. I would disagree with his, (or rather "Satan's") position about humanity and theology, and certainly his claim that all of life is a dream and does not actually exist. However, I do appreciate and think it important to ponder these speculations. If one were only to hear what they already agreed with and "knew to be certain", then no one would learn, and nothing would be gained but gratification to one's own presuppositions. It being so small, (I read it not hurriedly in only a few hours), it is not a serious investment of time to read, and is worth the time put in. In fact, I really appreciate novellas sometimes, because they can capture the value and message of a story without the "filler" (drivel and other stuffing that novels usually have, that do not contribute to the aforementioned, but only lengthen the story and can definitely bog it down). Short and sweet, is certainly an applicable description of this book, and I encourage that you read it. Even if you do not appreciate the speculative and philosophical value of it, (and that isn't to say, agree or disagree, but rather, whether you understand or care about it or not), it is an entertaining story. I would encourage your reading of it. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 04, 2012 Marcus Tay rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Marija Atanasova rated it 3 of 5 stars

Морална беседа која ги синтетизира првите размисли околу духовноста на сите нивоа- во самиот човек (индивидуален морал), социјалните односи (altered by она што се нарекува “психологија на стадо“ - “..само покажи кривце и ето кориде, а месија није најмудрији, веч ко виче најгласније..), како и опозицијата добро-зло во безвременски рамки, независна од моментот во кој битисуваме.
Делото претставува НЗС од повеќето хуманистички науки, меѓу кои религијата се разгледува како крајно комплексен изблик н...more

like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 Adriene rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First and foremost, I read some academic journal publishing's over this short story before I read it. Now, having finished it, I am very glad that I did. It was interesting to read that so many Christians despise Twain's composition, and that so many Atheists use it as proof of there being no God. I take an undecided approach to religion when I read and I have to say, I see no foundation for Atheism in this work. In fact, it is the complete opposite. Instead, you have the inner frame working of...more First and foremost, I read some academic journal publishing's over this short story before I read it. Now, having finished it, I am very glad that I did. It was interesting to read that so many Christians despise Twain's composition, and that so many Atheists use it as proof of there being no God. I take an undecided approach to religion when I read and I have to say, I see no foundation for Atheism in this work. In fact, it is the complete opposite. Instead, you have the inner frame working of an overall perception of fault within the post-developments in the religion and the natural inability of man to recognize his faults in doing so. Twain was able to adapt this present day small Austrian village to portray several Biblical stories. They unfold in a symbolic way as these villagers show that man continues to make the same mistakes even after given repeated chances to change. Twain ingeniously tells a story within a story within a story. It's most evident during the play village scene in the woods with the three boys. The parallels are structurally predictable but how they are constructed is what makes them unique. You have correlations between stories like Job and Father Peter, a woman who bathes people to cure sickness and Christ, the children and Christ's disciples, and so forth. From Genesis forward, the connections are vast. I felt that Twain was calling for Christian's to recognize that their foundation had changed from trying to live pure lives in the replication of that which they idolize, an Immortal and Just God, to simply believing they "are" immortal-like prosecutors. Notice I say "pure" not good, because "good" is as defined by man, not by God. The works of the Disciples were discovered, even possibly written, hundreds of years after the death of Christ. They were passed down through generations by word of mouth alone. I think this, like the stories passed throughout the village of the events at the party and afterwards, is evidence of a tainting of the original message. And what is ironic, the boys spend so much time wanting to change how Satan feels about man, instill compassion to make wiser decisions to save their lives and lead them to merciful futures, that they fail to realize that is not Satan's purpose. Several times he says you have a path you walk down, nothing divine changes that. It's not predestination. The man could choose not to go to the well and thus miss the opportunity to lead a life of royalty and instead live in famine and disease all his life. And it is when he does interfere, just as the boys request, they become ungrateful and don't understand the mercy that is provided. One could spend and eternity dissecting the symbolism in this short story and I'm sure come up with a different overall theme or message. However, the point remains that Twain created a dynamically constructed dramatic work that deserves to be respected.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 10, 2011 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Mysterious Stranger is Twain's final novel that he worked on periodically from ~1890 up until 1910 (the year he died). It was published posthumously in 1916 and Albert Paine, Twain's biographer evidently tacked on an ending that he found in Twain's papers. However, later researchers discovered other writings suggesting that Paine's version was, inaccurate at best and fraudent at worst. Because of scholarly disagreement, this story has been published in a variety of versions with the definiti...more

like · see review

Nov 14, 2011 D.M. Kenyon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary-fiction

It may seem nonsensical that I would rate my favorite book with only four out of five stars. The reason for this is because, the 1916 edition of Mark Twain's Mysterious Stranger is not entirely original to Twain. Twain died in 1910 with several versions of a manuscript for the Mysterious Stranger incomplete. The versions vary considerably in setting and in story line, although they arguably seek to make the same point.

The popular version of this story was completed by his editor and, therefore,...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 13, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lit-american, religion, kindle-freebie

Every Christmas, American television shows It's A Wonderful Life at least once. For many people, the movie is the Christmas must watch. (Note, not for me. That's Rudolph or Nestor the Long Eared Donkey or the Muppet Christmas Carol or Sim's Christmas Carol). In some ways, Life is the American Christmas Carol. It heavily colors views about angels too.

So, if you like It's A Wonderful Life, you shouldn't read this work.

This Kindle edition includes the title short novel as well as three short storie...more

like · see review

Mar 03, 2011 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

Twain delves into a story aimed at critiquing religion in his short story "The Mysterious Stranger." The story revolves around three young boys who meet Satan in a field one day. Now, Satan is actually the nephew of the "real" Satan and was named after him since his family line was a "great and distinguished one" in heaven. Twain's angels are neither good nor bad but seem totally indifferent to the sufferings and ecstasies of man. When the angel interferes with members of the boys' town, the boy...more Twain delves into a story aimed at critiquing religion in his short story "The Mysterious Stranger." The story revolves around three young boys who meet Satan in a field one day. Now, Satan is actually the nephew of the "real" Satan and was named after him since his family line was a "great and distinguished one" in heaven. Twain's angels are neither good nor bad but seem totally indifferent to the sufferings and ecstasies of man. When the angel interferes with members of the boys' town, the boys first see the angel as apparently doing evil to thier kin and friends. Only when the angel explains why it was better for some of his victims to suffer at the stake, or drown in a lake, do the boys begin to understand that sometimes "better" doesn't necessarily mean living a long, rich life. Sometimes a quick life, extinguished even at the stake, was a better alternative than living.

For example, one lady loses her daughter in an accident. She curses G-D and vows to never pray to H-M again. The boys wish her to have a better life, the angel chooses the one that burns her at the stake within a couple of days of her blasphemies. Of course, the boys are horrified but the angel on chides them by explaining that out of all the possible outcomes of her life, this one was the only one that would get her into heaven. Otherwise, she would have lived forty years in pain and suffering, mourning the loss of her daughter, and then found her way into hell once she died. This type of story is repeated throughout Twain's work with some positive and negative outcomes. Eventually, the boys stop asking for the angel's interference only to have a great secret revealed to them about G-D, heaven, hell, and the universe in general.

As a reader of Twain, again I recognize many of Twain's witticisms in the text. However, I think Twain's aim in this work was more to critique perceived views of religion and G-D and force the reader to reassess just exactly why such a benevolent, and powerful being, would actually care to be involved in the daily lives of such low creatures that He has little in common with. Surely, in Twain's view, such a being would care for the human race as much as the human race cares about the feelings and piety of bed bugs. Do bed bugs worship us as gods? Do we even care to know? How would we react if we found out they did worship us? Is there anything they'd possibly offer us so we would care? This is Twain's point (the bed bug analogy is my own not his) in his story. The angel is neither good nor evil because he cannot relate to the human condition. The boys perceive his actions as evil when, in reality, the angel is merely shaping out one future out of millions of possible ones for each individual. He also asserts that everyone's decisions, every day, affects the outcome of one's life.

For Twain, this is a "heavy" read where the reader has to really think about what Twain is saying. I enjoyed reading the story because it was thought provoking. It is a quick read, like many of Twain's works, but be warned it is far from as entertaining as many of his works.(less)

like · see review

Sep 25, 2010 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Michael by: who knows...maybe the Devil

This is a great little book. I agree with Twain's opinions to a large degree, but I cannot agree completely. I think Twain became a Atheist....I am not. I am not a believer but I still hope for a God that mankind cannot comprehend nor describe.

A very important and still timely idea expressed in this book is that humans are a lower order of animal than the wild beast because of his Moral Sense. Twain said that 95% of people are like sheep and cattle that stupidly follow the herd and are led by th...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 17, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fable

THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER is Mark Twain's final novel published in nineteen-sixteen. Twain wrote the majority of the work between eighteen-ninety and nineteen-ten, the year of his death leaving several versions of an ending. Albert Paine had sole possession of Twain's unfinished work and chose the ending of this edition.

While writing this commentary on man's existence, his moral sense, and the refutation of religious dogma, Twain suffered great loses. Three of his four children died along with his...more

like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Hriday rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Twain novel unlike any of his other - 1) it is a short novel 2) it is not humorous or light 3) it is extremely thought-provoking/disturbing depending on how you take it and 4) it was printed after his death.

This book pulls a biting parody on the human race, our growth over the ages, our behavior esp our 'Moral Sense' and our notions of God and religion. It is definitely an eye-opener in many ways though in some ways it is found wanting in spiritual depth; Twain should have explored other relig...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2013 Larry Piper rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm pretty sure I read this at the end of high school or perhaps early in college, but I only remembered a small part from the beginning. I had remembered liking it quite a bit and remembered that it had some kind of religious message. So I was happy to re-read it.

Mark Twain is a most excellent writer, so the book was well written, and full of Twain's wry commentary on the foibles of the human condition. In some ways, it was a dark story, essentially the story of Satan's visiting a small town in...more

like · see review

Aug 31, 2011 Maxine rated it 3 of 5 stars

One night, my roommate and I were watching Youtube videos when we happened upon this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqi5F5...

My roommate, a devout Christian, was very disturbed by the video. Naturally, I saw Mark Twain in the clip and thought, "OMG! That's my boy, Mark!" I later found out that the whole thing was inspired by "No 44., The Mysterious Stranger," which also happened to be the last novel Twain wrote. As it turns out, Mark Twain was very critical of religion in the years preceding hi...more

like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Aug 03, 2011 Mike Sheehan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

To me, I think problems can only begin to be solved once they're recognized as such; this could work on a societal level too. And so it genuinely saddens me that one-hundred years after Mark Twain's railing against human nature and its major institutions (government and religion), practically nothing has changed, because the things he speaks of truly are a part of human nature, as it seems. The most damning one of all is Satan's speaking of the nature of war, a conversation which could've taken...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Barry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

The revelation at this story's conclusion, completely changed my impression of this short novel and the author's intent. I see that it's very similar to what Flaubert reflects on in The Temptation of St. Anthony. Both authors were writing these experimental stories before the great wars of the 20th century and the fruition of anxiety in modern existential thought, yet they're tackling the same dilemmas: the problem of evil, fate, suffering, human ignorance and what appears to the rational as cos...more

like · see review

Jul 22, 2009 Katharine Yvonne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm including The Mysterious Stranger on my list for the same reason Faulkner's Mosquitoes is---you should read it if you say you're a fan of Twain. It was never finished, but you probably won't notice that when you read it.

There's alot of speculation about what the book means, but the superficial description is this:

Boys live in village in Austria. New boy shows up (the mysterious stranger), pretends to be related to Satan, and does all sorts of magical things to make the boys believe him. Eve...more

like · see review

May 02, 2012 Grady Dickinson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I encountered this story in the form of a LibriVox audiobook while I mowed lawns during one of my summers home from college. Just the plot teaser was very intriguing to me, given my experience with Twain as an American novelist. For me Twain's stories are usually representative of some sort of quintessentially American sentiment. But the very dark, disillusioned mood of this story, as well as its setting in the forests of Austria, give it a very European aesthetic; so the story is quite unlike a...more

like · see review

Sep 06, 2008 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I set aside my four other books "to be read" because I became so engrossed in this one. I usually don't read a book in 4 days but it was short and interesting. I thought it was clever, timeless, a book for all times, a message for yesterday, today and tomorrow; offering insights into humanity, thought provoking. If only my reviews were as good as the books.....

1 like · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 John Harder rated it 5 of 5 stars

Throughout literature Satan is always more interesting than the unfallen. The Mysterious Stranger introduces us to Satan’s nephew (also named Satan). Through twists and canny logic Satan proves man’s morals lead to cruelty, while Satan, though indifferent to the human condition, does not actively cause suffering.

Like many of Twain’s controversial works, The Mysterious Stranger was published after his death (one hopes that Mark was in a warm place; he no doubt would prefer the company of those w...more

like · see review

May 14, 2011 Nicholas Griffith rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the first Mark Twain I've read since being forced to meander through The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a boy. The Mysterious Stranger is an interesting commentary on "The Moral Sense" of humans. The central character of the story is an angel named Satan (after his mischievous, celebrity status uncle). And Satan, being an angel, has no sense of right or wrong. As such, Satan argues he can do no wrong--even when he causes humans pain and suffering. Chiefly because he lacks this "Moral...more

like · see review

Mar 27, 2011 Madz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: must-read-again

How fitting that I finished this hauntingly beautiful tale on the ides of March.

A few of my peers who'd read this felt they needed some serious comfort or humor upon its completion. I simply laughed and replied if I were ever persuaded to be a Satan worshipper, this would certainly the book to win me over.

Though thoroughly imbued with Twain's signature satire and flippant humor (I laughed out loud each time Philip Traum was referred to as the young man from somewhere in the tropics), this was no...more

like · see review

Dec 17, 2008 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, american-lit

Such a great twist on how your perception of happiness is not always what it seems. Reminds me of when people say "be careful what you pray for, because you just might get it." Vaguely reminiscent of The Screwtape Letters. You'll see why when you read it. Very unusual for Mark Twain - not at all comedic relief, but as always, fantastically written.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 Margaret Langstaff rated it 3 of 5 stars

A strange and "mysterious" unfinished manuscript Twain could never bring himself to polish off. I think it reflects his deep ambivalence about the book's serious themes: good v. evil, and the abiding question of an all-merciful, all-loving, almighty God per Christianity's received tenets. He, like Thomas Jefferson, and other plain-spoken, intellectually honest, rational American "souls," couldn't swallow whole the inherent contradictions. Why create humankind as an act of love and doom it to fai...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 28, 2009 David Sigismund rated it 5 of 5 stars

First of all- I don't really think of this as a complete book, but rather a collection of posthumously released manuscripts. There are three main versions floating around out there and its worth checking them all out. Anything with an "ending" is just put together that way for marketing reasons. I find it annoying that some versions seem to suggest that their way is that way Samuel Clemens would have wanted it...how would they know?

Mark Twain worked on this story off and on for the last 20 year...more

like · see review

May 02, 2012 Bybee rated it 5 of 5 stars

As Mark Twain got older, his always-present BS detector grew keener and keener. By the time he began work on The Mysterious Stranger, his view of the human race -- especially clergy -- was quite bitter. The title character turns out to be Satan, who travels in time to a small village in Austria during the 1590s, and charms a trio of three young boys. Superstition and ignorance run rampant in this village. Things are so backward and hopeless that Satan's presence actually makes things better. At...more

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (71)

More editions...

Genres

Classics

89 users

Literature

19 users

Fantasy

16 users

Novels

11 users

Literature > American

10 users

Short Stories

8 users

Religion

8 users

Philosophy

7 users

Humor

6 users

Classics > Classic Literature

5 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), called "the Great American Novel", and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which would later provide the setting for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. He apprenticed with a printer. He also work...more

More about Mark Twain...

Books by Mark Twain

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer/Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Mysterious St...

2 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Mysterious Stranger

“I have replaced his tin life with a silver-gilt fiction” — 4 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Mysterious Stranger
avg rating	preview: The Mysterious Stranger Goodreads rating: 4.13 (2975 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102564.The_Mysterious_Stranger?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1365463862l/102564.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102564.The_Mysterious_Stranger?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain[/url]

The Mysterious Stranger

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website