Extracts from Adam's Diary and from Eve's Diary

by Mark Twain

Written at the end of Twain's career, Extracts from Adam's Diary was first published in 1897 and Extracts from Eve's Diary in 1905. Twain's Adam was based on himself while Eve was modelled after his wife Livy. It is fitting that these two essays be joined together in one package.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Short Stories, Humor, 20th Century, Religion, Satire

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1893

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.

Reviews

[Majenta · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXTRACTS from Adam's Diary.
Eve's Diary COMPLETE.
And of course there was much, much less to Eve's. I wonder, if Mark Twain were really Samantha L. Clemens, would it be ADAM'S DIARY COMPLETE and EXTRACTS FROM EVE'S DIARY?

Which would any of you prefer to read? I think I'd like the complete diaries of each!

Adam simply did not know what to think of Eve when she appeared, and at times he was VERY impatient with her. You've just got to read his reaction to the arrival of Cain, then how he keeps up with the development of this new creature that looks more and more like them than like the other creatures around them. Stay tuned to see if Adam is ABLE to cope with the next new arrival...

I enjoyed Eve's explorations, her reasons for the particular names she chose for things, and how she would think she came up with an idea or a remark that was so clever or thoughtful "for one so young." I think she enjoyed life and living more than Adam did. You'd hate to think that he thought, "That was the perfect day--until SHE showed up...." Is that what Eve would have said about life and Adam if she had been created first and then had her landscape cluttered up with THAT specimen?

Whether you're a son of Adam or a daughter of Eve, thanks for reading. And whoever you are, I hope you're enjoying life rather than tolerating existence.

[Dave Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know this hidden gem existed until browsing through the table of contents for a Twain anthology I picked up for my Kindle. I had to stifle my laughter in order not to disturb my partner who was sleeping next to me while I devoured this quick read in bed. Very, very funny stuff.

I read it along with his companion piece, Eve's Diary, which I also enjoyed though not nearly as much. Perhaps that speaks to the criticism in some corners that Twain never understood women; maybe it suggests that I don't understand them. When my sweetie wakes up, I'm going to recommend them both to her. Perhaps then I'll have an answer to that conundrum. In the meantime, I strongly recommend these short pieces to anyone with a sense of humor.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful, humorous, chipper and lighthearted. Very smart take on good ole’ Adam.

[Owlseyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, fictionalized version of the Genesis story of Adam and Eve, though, with some "tricks". Somehow Twain managed to decipher Adam's hieroglyphs. One can really wonder about a lone-Adam and how he would react when facing Eve for the first time.

This is a story which would deserve a Jungian analysis. Maybe some day I will do it, because it touches on archetypes, male and female, but also on prejudice.

The first reactions of Adam to the new "creature" are: "she" cries, she's always talking, she eats too much fruit, she prefers another name for Garden of Eden: Niagara Falls Park. He's puzzled about the use of "we". She's also always doing experiments with animals and looking in the pond.

Most importantly is that Adam had warned her to stay away from a certain tree, the snake had recommended her to take fruit from. Here's the trick. The serpent had told Eve it wasn't an apple, the forbidden fruit, but chestnuts. You go figure.

The end is beautiful. Adam concludes "I was mistaken about Eve". Truly, it seems it's better to live outside the Garden with her, than alone in the Garden. At her graveyard you may find: "Wherever she was; there was Eden."

Obviously, it's mandatory to read Eve's version, to get the whole picture.

[Estefanía · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una de las novelas más divertidas que he leído. Me encantó. Ya había gozado de la narración irónica de Mark Twain en El forastero misterioso, pero aquí lo ha hecho de magistralmente.

Tanto la forma como los pensamientos diferenciados entre hombre y mujer están muy bien retratados, aunque alguno tome por estereotipado, creo que ha estado muy bien la exageración propia de una sátira.

Empezamos leyendo el Diario de Adán que es corto, parco, de entradas concisas, con cuestionamientos respecto a lo que hace Eva y lo que va ocurriendo de una manera bastante peculiar. Luego viene el Diario de Eva con entradas más extensas, reflexivas, emocionales y en algunos momentos escribiendo sobre lo mismo que escribió Adán pero desde su perspectiva de mujer. Estas criaturas tan disímiles terminan por complementarse y lograr una convivencia armoniosa.

La frase final: "Dondequiera que estuviera ella, allí estaba el Edén". No puedo más que recomendar esta joyita literaria, corta en palabras pero extensa en lo que trae consigo.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why haven't I heard of this wonderful book before? I stumbled upon it by accident while reading one of Helen's Keller's autobiographies. She mentioned visiting Mark Twain and how he read some excerpts from "Eve's Diary" to them. That made me curious; I found Eve's Diary on Google Books as well as Extracts from Adam's Diary. Figured I should read that one first. It was absolutely charming; the illustrations were delightful. Only Mark Twain could have infused so much humor into the story of Adam and Eve. What a treasure!

[Benja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Twain's Extracts from Adam's Diary reads exactly as what it sounds like: a brief account of the Book of Genesis (beginning with Eve's inception in 2:21 and ending with Abel's birth in 4:2, by my estimate), as narrated in the first person by Adam himself in his diary. It begins thus:

"Monday. This new creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. It is always hanging around and following me about. I don't like this; I am not used to company. I wish it would stay with the other animals... Cloudy to-day, wind in the east; think we shall have rain... We? Where did I get that word?... I remember now - the new creature uses it."

Despite being a relatively minor (and lamentably short) work from the author's latter days, Twain remains at his satirical sharpest, comical and observant as always. The first half of the story tells of Adam's dismay for fretful Eve, who takes the role of William Blake's Urizen as a force of law and conventional reason, slowly leeching Eden's purity while tripping affable Adam with guilt and self-doubt.

"I advised her to keep away from the tree. She said she wouldn't. I foresee trouble. Will emigrate."

The second half, taking place after Adam and Eve's corruption, focuses on Adam's perplexity at his first-born, an "unclassifiable zoological freak" that mystifies and disturbs him. As the story ends, Adam finally comes to terms with Eve and her offspring. I'm still not sure if this is intended as a happy or tragic outcome.

EDIT: And can I just say, Frederick Strothmann's illustrations for the story are adorable. There's a one-page doodle for every diary entry, summarizing it stupendously while imbuing it with jovial charm. Strothmann is Quentin Blake to Twain's Roal Dahl: the story and the illustrations accompany each other.

[Vaishali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lol !!! Absolutely brilliant. I read this twice in a row just to laugh again, and it was actually better the second time. A huge contender for my "favorites" list.

And there's even this gemstone :
"I find that principles have no real force except when one is well-fed."

[Jan Priddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was always so far ahead of his time.

[Aylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

No y si me gusta la biblia💫

[Sara Snarr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam and Eve's diaries were a fun quick read. Twain, ever the clever wit, has a lot of fun extrapolating from the original story. Adam complains that Eve eats too much fruit and talks too much. Eve complains that Adam keeps disappearing but she is certain that he enjoys listening to ALL she has to say. I can't put this on par with Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer, but it's definitely worth spending an afternoon chuckling over. Without offering any spoilers, the ending was surprisingly sweet and poignant. I waffled between 3 and 4 stars because it is Mark Twain after all, but I felt like his writing was a little less consistent than I would have liked. But overall, an enjoyable read.

[Suzanne Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful read.

I do love Twain's humor. There is something so true about being human, funny without being cruel, and always a good lesson to learn. In this case about the relations, the similarities, the differences between the sexes, albeit with a Victorian era slant.

[K. Anna Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just might be my favorite of Mark Twain's work. And I've arranged my thoughts into a haiku:

"Superintending,
So pensively gullible,
While Eve sets the score."

[Just Another English Major · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautiful last lines of a story ever written.

[Ángela · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dondequiera que estuviera ella, allí estaba el Edén". El paraíso está siempre con uno mismo. Además, las ilustraciones son preciosas.

[Samanta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A downright hilarious story of the "first couple", written from Adam's point of view. His diary entries are short and to the point. Feels like reading a scientific journal. The funniest part is him trying to figure out WHAT exactly Cain and Abel are and where they came from. It's was refreshingly positive and funny after reading Eve's Diary, which is somewhat melancholic.

[Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witty, enjoyable, with a sprinkle of the wisdom. Sadly much much too short like to me. I would like to read longer and more specific Adam's diary.

[I have been listening to Mr. Baby Man reading from LibriVox.]

[Lynn Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I was confused, then amused, then I was entertained. And by the end, I swooned a little.

[Márcio Ricardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Os segredos jamais revelados.

Mark Twain resolveu nos dar outros prismas sobre a história de Adão e Eva. Temos a versão de cada um. Temos até a versão do diabo, que não parece tão diabólico assim. Deus não aparece.

O livro tem nuances muito boas, mas em alguns momentos deixa a desejar. Vale a pena ler pela fina e suave ironia e também por sua originalidade em vários pontos.

[Keri Payton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translated from the original manuscript, Mark Twain gives us an insight into the first man's mind through extracts from his diary.

Twain lends his brilliant wit in the translations of Adam's diary. From the start, Adam is startles by the arrival of this new creature which proclaims itself a "she" and goes around naming everything and talking to no end. He is sure he will have to emigrate to get away from it.

From the first few days in the Garden of Eden with Eve, to the arrival of the unknown creature that is "Cain" which may or may not be a type of fish, Adam is troubled and perplexed by the circumstances in his life, which he is sure all of are to be blamed on Eve.

I've never really appreciated Adam as a historical figure before but I do now. Having an insight into his voice and through process was quite interesting. After all, we are led to believe that Adam and Eve just lived happily in the Garden and that was that until The Incident. We never really know how they lived together or thought of one another.

As the days, months and years pass, Adam not only discovers more about the things which perplex him but also learns to appreciate and love Eve and all her quirks which once drove him away.

'Extracts from Adam's Diary' is a short story I would recommend to anyone who is interested in an insight into early mankind or just a humorous and compelling read.

Translated from the original manuscript, Mark Twain gives us an insight into the first man's mind through extracts from his diary.

Twain lends his brilliant wit in the translations of Adam's diary. From the start, Adam is startles by the arrival of this new creature which proclaims itself a "she" and goes around naming everything and talking to no end. He is sure he will have to emigrate to get away from it.

From the first few days in the Garden of Eden with Eve, to the arrival of the unknown creature that is "Cain" which may or may not be a type of fish, Adam is troubled and perplexed by the circumstances in his life, which he is sure all of are to be blamed on Eve.

I've never really appreciated Adam as a historical figure before but I do now. Having an insight into his voice and through process was quite interesting. After all, we are led to believe that Adam and Eve just lived happily in the Garden and that was that until The Incident. We never really know how they lived together or thought of one another.

As the days, months and years pass, Adam not only discovers more about the things which perplex him but also learns to appreciate and love Eve and all her quirks which once drove him away.

'Extracts from Adam's Diary' is a short story I would recommend to anyone who is interested in an insight into early mankind or just a humorous and compelling read.

Translated by Mark Twain, Eve writes of her life as an experiment and shares with us the unique way in which she views the world.

Eve is a curious, romantic soul. She wonders why the moon slips out of the sky in the morning and who fetches it back the next night. She wishes she could catch some stars to put in her hair but no matter how hard she tries, she never can. She tries to get Adam to take an interest in her but with no luck.

Mark Twain lends his brilliant literary skills to the translation of Eve's diary. Her way with words is far more lyrical than Adam's, whose is quite abrupt. Although, there is an extract from Adam's diary included which is a little more fluid than in Extracts from Adam's Diary.

There was never a dull moment with Eve, who is always discovering new things and trying to be helpful to Adam. She is not without her faults, however. She's not very modest and her romanticism sometimes borders on the extreme.

'Eve's Diary' is a short story I would recommend to anyone who is interested in a further insight into the mind of a woman in love with life...and a man. I do insist that you first read 'Extracts from Adam's Diary.'

(From my blog: Quill Café.)

In accordance with the FTC, I would like to disclose that I purchased this book. The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was offered to me by the author or publisher.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This text is as exact as it sounds it's from Adams point of view completely read like diary entry's rather than read for the audiences enjoyment. I love the way he writes very boldly about his days especially his annoyance when Eve first finds him and forces her company on him. He doesn't call her Eve though he often refers to her as the new creature or the annoying creature, he finds her presence frustrating and annoying because she seems interested in naming everything whereby he's not. The first half of this book tells of mainly his dislike for Eve and how she follows him around forcing her presence on him even after he tries escaping and building another lone abode, she comes and finds him and well I guess guilts him into coming back to share the first one. He's a lot like a sulking child who can't get his own way and the way he talks of Eve isn't so endearing, after reading Eves account before Adams now reading this makes me feel sorry for her especially as she merely wanted his company and affections. The second half of the book is obviously after they're corrupted and focuses mainly on Adams confusion of his first born child, he doesn't even recognise it as a human thinks it a fish at first and wants to analyse it and work out how it works in a logical way, he also can't understand how or why Eve has changed her behaviour towards what he calls "unclassifiable creature" and even less so when it develops and he then proceeds to believes it to be a kangeroo and when that theory doesn't work out he goes on the hunt through the woods to try and find another of the creature so he can study them more closely.

Eventually as it skips through ahead of time Adam finds himself accepting Eve and "creature" even finding endearing qualities in it occasionally. I feel this was cut short and could have been extended slightly as it ends as Adam finally starts to feel for Eve now that she i assume from his way of talking has died and he misses her.

I enjoyed reading both parts of the story and a snippet into this kind of world even though I'm not very religious it was still an intriguing and interesting read and a good take on how they might well be feeling back when it was rumoured to be how it was created.

[superawesomekt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It used to be so pleasant and quiet here." - Adam

[Abner D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading and analyzing the short story Eve’s Diary by Mark Twain, I would not recommend this story for it lacks it has failed to organize the plot and events that follow. From reading the first two pages of the short story, I cannot understand the overall meaning of the passage. With help from my english teacher, we think we actually figured out how to place this story. We came up with the idea that the setting for this passage possibly taking place in the early 1800s. This prediction was made from the understanding of Mark Twain’s background. Originally, the story was only Eve’s Diary, and with that, I made a connection with the infamous historical duo Adam and Eve. Mark Twain does have a creative personality, but the objective is to be sure his work is clear to the readers.
Later on in the story, the confusion surrounds the idea of who Eve, the narrator, is referring “HIM” to. I assumed Eve is referring to someone of male-dominance or of deity. From this, I made another assumption that Eve is referring “HIM” to Adam. This story has a lot of loopholes and dead ends when breaking it down. What I can get out of this is that during the time, females would submit to men and were limited to what their true desires may be. I believe it is safe to assume that in the story Eve wanted to submit to Adam and be his wife for the rest of her life. All this confusion has my head spinning, so if there is anyone who desires misleading stories, this story is right for them.

[Terézia · Rating 3 out of 5]

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

(KJV, Gen 2:18-23)

That's not how it went said Mark Twain and went on to expose the translation of Adam's and Eve's diaries to the world.

Scandalous.

It is short and sweet and full of good chuckle and the roots of the original gender stereotypes sin, and I did waver between three and four stars, but I don't think that for the time being I've done anyone injustice. I would be happy to reread in the future to see if my more mature and tasteful self can bump it up to four.

[Henry Sturcke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received religion was one of Mark Twain’s favorite targets. These two short stories, bound together in one handy edition, retell chapters two and three of Genesis. The book is printed and bound to allow the reader to begin with one or the other. Was it just masculine pride that led me to start with Adam’s version, or was it the logical decision since Adam was created first?

Whatever the reason, the sardonic tone confirmed my prior expectations. But when I reached the end of Eve’s diary and read the moving words Adam spoke at her grave, I realized that  Eve’s story was also a love letter, albeit cantankerous, to Twain’s wife, Livy. A quick internet search confirmed that this was written shortly after her death. Forget Updike’s misplaced, pre-feminist assessment that these stories are paradigmatic for the relationship between men and women. There is too broad a variety of the ways men and women relate to each other for this to be generalized. Instead, I read the conclusion of Eve’s Diary as the testimony of one grieving man, whether Adam or Mark Twain, who possibly wishes he would have said these words while his wife was still alive.

[Cora · Rating 3 out of 5]

En este libro he encontrado cosas muy bonitas, muchas reflexiones de Eva son muy interesantes; en específico una de las últimas sobre vivir queriendo descubrir cosas y sobre todo su manera de ver el mundo es maravillosa.
Es una pena que al final hable de que ama a Adán tan intensamente que se haría daño por él y cito: "si me golpeara y abusara de mí, seguiría amándolo".
En cuanto a Adán, no le encuentro tan interesante, apenas evoluciona y es bastante aburrido, como bien dice Eva, poco le importan las cosas hermosas como las flores y el fuego. Sin embargo, él también acaba amando y mostrando interés por el mundo.
Ha sido una lectura interesante y rápida de leer.

[Elier Mancilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Texto simple, directo y muy divertido. Me gustó mucho el perfil psicológico de Adán y Eva, y como se van desarrollando.
Pero las palabras finales de Adán  -después de que son expulsados de jardín- es lo que más me conmueve:
Donde sea que ella este, ahí está el Eden.

Simple, direct and hilarious text. I really like the psychological status of Adam and Eve, and how the grow up.
But the final words of Adam -after they are kick out of the garden- it's what really touched my heart:
Wherever she is, there's the Eden.

[Craig Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super quick read, but really entertaining! I loved Adam's curious nature, especially in regards to the first time he sees a baby (which Eve claimed to have "found" while hunting), since it doesn't resemble a grown person as he knows it, he mistakes it for a fish, a kangeroo, a bug, before eventually settling on a type of bear. This is a cute, clever spoof of the Genesis story, and I look forward to reading Eve's Diary next!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny, relatively short story purported to be an extract from Adam's diary.
Eve (so SHE calls herself, and she's a she not an it) talks too much. She's overly fond of naming things with no rhyme nor reason. (A dodo is a dodo because it looks like a dodo.) And she's attached a little too much to Cain, which Adam first thinks is a fish, then a strange kangaroo, then a bear.
It ended rather abruptly and I would have enjoyed a bit more.
Recommend. Free Kindle download.

[Nehal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can you say? The master of satire and jest tackles the beginning of mankind. A rare book (but available free on iBooks) that is not read too often.

The awkwardness of the beginnings of any man-woman relationship (each with it's gender stereotypes) is addressed with wit and humor. The edge to this book is certainly the fact that Adam and Eve were the first couple on earth and had no experience from the collective consciousness to fall back upon. Makes for hilarious reading.