"Why, you simple creatures, the weakest of all weak things is a virtue which has not been tested in the fire."
Written on hotel stati... read full description
Written on hotel stati... read full description
reviews
Jan 23, 2012
Michelle
rated it: 
To me this book seemed to drag on quite a bit. It starts slow. I really didn't get into it till 3/4 of the way through. Basically, a man went to a town and felt mistreated and decided to have revenge upon the entire town. I do not remember if the book specified exactly what happened to the man to have him hate the entire town this way. The man plotted for a long while exactly what would hurt each man, woman and child in the town. Now that's some far reaching revenge. I can not imagine what c
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Aug 09, 2011
janine
rated it: 
Ugh.
I consider a story good when I have a strong physical reaction to it, and The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg tied my stomach up in knots. Mark Twain nailed human greed. He nailed it, and he hit upon some sort of larger unconscious truth that I can reach at but cannot grasp.
Hadleyburg is a town noted for its incorruptible honesty and its exceeding morality. Twain informs us that the town of Hadleyburg once offended a traveler passing through but neglects to indulge any furt More...
I consider a story good when I have a strong physical reaction to it, and The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg tied my stomach up in knots. Mark Twain nailed human greed. He nailed it, and he hit upon some sort of larger unconscious truth that I can reach at but cannot grasp.
Hadleyburg is a town noted for its incorruptible honesty and its exceeding morality. Twain informs us that the town of Hadleyburg once offended a traveler passing through but neglects to indulge any furt More...
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Jan 25, 2012
Mark
rated it: 
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg first appeared in Harper's Monthly in December 1899. Twain wrote the story in 1898 while he lectured in Europe, and the manuscript, which is held by the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City, was written almost entirely on the stationery of Metropole Hotel in Vienna. Twain had hoped that a lecture tour would help him recover recent financial losses, which resulted from investing heavily in the unsuccessful Paige typesetting machine. Along with his financial b
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Jan 30, 2012
Jillian
rated it:
I read this novella as part of my effort to begin liking Mark Twain. It's the first I've read of him since this biography (Mark Twain), which changed my opinion of Twain recently. This story was written very late in Twain's life -- not long after the death of his daughter to spinal meningitis. It makes me sad to think what grief stood behind this very amusing story. Twain had been traveling the world, I know, to repay debts and reclaim his good name in the eyes of America. He was tired, and not
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Jul 16, 2011
Gabrielle
rated it:
This novella was an entertaining read, it's structure was such that from the very beginning I was dying to find out what came next. Generally speaking, I can't say that I've been a fan of Twain's work, to date this is the only one I've successfully completed with one go. Tom Sawyer I may have read but rather sporadically (to the point where I honestly can't recall if I ever read from start to finish. I may have picked up where I had left off on a previous attempt at reading it.) and Huckleberry
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Oct 13, 2008
Ken
rated it:
Some books have a way of coming back. They are not of their time necessarily. But at their core is the human comedy which never grows stale or loses its relevance. Shakespeare's MacBeth is such a work. After all, the hunger for power and the willingness to murder in order to obtain it are universal in the human experience. The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg retains its luster for very similar reasons.
I've often believed there are two Mark Twains. I won't argue that one of them is Samu More...
I've often believed there are two Mark Twains. I won't argue that one of them is Samu More...
Apr 11, 2010
Craig
rated it:
This was a very, very short story. Quite frankly, I'm surprised it was released as a book and not solely with a collection of short stories. Still, it was short but sweet! Twain does a good job satirizing the sanctimonious and hypocritical nature of small-town folks as only he can do. The trick that is played on the hapless population of Hadleyburg, which besmirches their good name, as well as their town, forever, is actually quite ingenious, and when it all plays out, it's a delight to read
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Apr 09, 2009
Libby
rated it:
I don't know how truly virtuous the people of Hadleyburg were in the first place (they reminded me of The Flanders Family on The Simpsons without the okeley dokeley's) but they soon succumbed to various vices and I enjoyed the moral of the story. Purity that has not been tested by temptation is not true purity at all but a false sense of piousness.
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May 01, 2011
Todd
rated it:
More like three and half. Not my favorite Twain work, but still has a lot of his trademark humor, wit, and style.
I would recommend not reading the inside flap before reading the book. It made me focus on certain aspects of the book that I would have liked to discover on my own.
I would recommend not reading the inside flap before reading the book. It made me focus on certain aspects of the book that I would have liked to discover on my own.
Sep 15, 2010
Deborah
rated it:
This is the darker side of Twain. These stories were written later in his life after the deaths of this wife and daughter. Twain has a darker cynical side in these stories that is not present in earlier works. Don't expect this to be like Tom Sawyer.
Oct 07, 2009
Janet
rated it:
My uber-favorite Mark Twain short story as a stand-alone book. Nobody does the devil like Twain. Oh, maybe Ambrose Bierce, but there's a richer quality to the Twain, less bitterness as the topnote.
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Jun 08, 2011
Luke
rated it:
Just a great short story. I love Twain's biting wit and his incisive perspective and this story is no different. He takes on the self-righteous and takes no prisoners.
Good stuff.
Good stuff.
Apr 29, 2010
Sandra
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This long short story shows Twain unmasked as the disillusioned Romantic I think he was. Cynical and sad, the story shows his negative view of what mankind thinks of as virtue.
Mar 14, 2011
margaret
rated it:
want to read as much of Twains work after touring his home in Hartford, and waiting for his autobiography to be released 100 yrs after his death.
Sep 04, 2011
Adrian
rated it:
Oof. Twain pulls no punches when he feels like it. A scornful laugh against greed and hypocrisy.
Aug 07, 2011
Great short story, mocking humanity's vanity of its virtues, in the way only twain can.
Nov 20, 2011
Lemar
rated it:
Those that live by pretension have climbed up to height from which Mark Twain happily shoves them off. The measure of delight that the crowd and perhaps the reader feels at their comeuppance is fairly mixed with the genuine regret felt by the characters that let themselves assume an exalted position that is unearned. Twain once again presents us with characters replete with human frailties. We cringe and laugh in equal measure because we share these frailties and pretensions and that is just
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Feb 18, 2008
Melville House Publishing
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This beautifully packaged series of classic novellas includes the works of Anton Chekhov, Colette, Henry James, Herman Melville, and Leo Tolstoy. These collectible editions are the first single-volume publications of these classic tales, offering a closer look at this underappreciated literary form and providing a fresh take on the world's most celebrated authors.
Jan 14, 2012
I discovered that I really don't like Mark Twain's style. He seems to be making fun of everyone in this story. The humor is really heavy, and pointed, and unpleasant. Like a practical joke of revenge.
May 22, 2011
Capsguy
rated it:
Reminds me of Tolstoy's 'The Forged Coupon', how a lie has the ability to escalate beyond expected limits until one stands up and admits their erroneous ways.
Nov 24, 2007
Nancy
rated it:
I recently reread this and recall why I prefer Mark Twain's short stories. It is a gem of his of quick humorous yet moral works.
Feb 15, 2008
Ashleigh
rated it:
Very good, very short. Has some poignant life lessons weaved in there once you get past the irony of the story...
