John's review
Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain (Bantam Classic)
by Mark Twain
John's review
Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain (Bantam Classic) by Mark Twain
John's review
rating:
recommended for: Humor readers, literary readers, classics readers
Twain explored the gamut of subjects in short stories. There are very serious, touching tales, like the reflections of a slave on his painless but joyless life. There are quirky and absurd stories, like the opening one narrated by a blue jay. There's a wealth of humor, from small-time scams like "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," to the civilized politics of cannibalism discussed by senators stuck under an avalanche in "Cannibalism in the Cars." The longer stories tend to be more obscurely moral, playing with how people react to temptation and conspiracy. There's enough humor here to satisfy people who want a laugh, but the diversity of his writing and the seriousness of his convictions should provide at least one story for every kind of reader.
