Mark Twain: The Adventures of Samuel L. Clemens

by Jerome Loving

Mark Twain, who was often photographed with a cigar, once remarked that he came into the world looking for a light. In this new biography, published on the centennial of the writer's death, Jerome Loving focuses on Mark Twain, humorist and quipster, and sheds new light on the wit, pathos, and tragedy of the author of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In brisk and compelling fashion, Loving follows Twain from Hannibal to Hawaii to the Holy Land, showing how the southerner transformed himself into a westerner and finally a New Englander. This re-examination of Twain's life is informed by newly discovered archival materials that provide the most complex view of the man and writer to date.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

520 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Evanston Public Library]

In this remarkable biography, Jerome Loving contrasts the embellished life stories that MarkTwain created for his public against Mark Twain's actual life story, based on Loving’s historical research. Twain’s youth in the Midwest pales when compared to his life on the West and East Coasts; his travels overseas were both exhilarating and wearisome. Loving takes on Twain’s poor business sense, his predisposition towards risk taking, and the tragedies that plagued Twain's later years. (Russ K., Ref.)

[Connie Becerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. A lot of the stuff I knew, but it was nice to read it in chronological order. It took me about six months to read, only because it was so long and more of a text book read.

[Natalie Fincher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This man is an American dream. His mind, humor, foresight, unique view and storytelling tickle me and make me want more. This author shines an incredible light like never before. YES!!! Highly recommend.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why another book about Mark Twain? There are 20 biographies about him and I've read several, including his autobiography. More has been written about Samuel Clemens than any other American writer.

Well, he was just damned interesting: a Confederate militia member (for 2 weeks), a riverboat pilot, a prospector, a lecturer, an inventor, a humorist, a journalist, an investor, a travel writer, among other occupations. And, since 1966 more than 5,000 of his letters have been discovered.

Twain was a prolific writer and often reworked earlier tales of his. Near the end of his life, he extended his writing beyond the humor for which he is known into areas of politics, being strongly critical of western imperialism and the Catholic church.

As an investor, he was a disaster. That his family had any assets left at all is due to his meeting one of the former Standard Oil vice-presidents, Henry Rogers, who helped him with investments. Twain had sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into a typesetting machine, the Paige Compositor, and continued to throw good money after bad until Rogers began to monitor investment contracts with the inventor. Rogers was too late to help him with the publishing company that Twain ran with his nephew, the Charles L. Webster Co., which eventually went bankrupt despite having Clemens' titles and books by Pres. U.S. Grant, Gens. Phil Sheridan and William Sherman, Leo Tolstoi and Walt Whitman's biography.

Interestingly, though Thomas Edison is known to have made several recordings of Samuel Clemens performing as Mark Twain (and possibly even a brief film), none are known to exist. Perhaps with the recent discovery of an old wax cylinder of the voice of Alexander Graham Bell in 2013, one will yet be found.

[SWC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the author’s use of short chapters, 52 altogether, to chronicle the life of Mark Twain. Mark Twain’s future father-in-law required references. Apparently while they were not really satisfactory, the father-in-law did not stand in the way of the marriage. Mark Twain was a regular transatlantic traveler at a time when ship travel was a dangerous mode of transportation. For an American icon I found it interesting that he died in Florence, Italy

[Gloria]

I love Mark Twain. However....
The author compares Sam Clemens life to Sam/Mark Twain's works so if you have read most of Twain, even some early and obscure writings, you might relate more to this book. I skipped much of it and finally gave up.

[Stephen Rynkiewicz]

Literary bio suggests how Twain's life was reflected in his writing, from cub reporting to grumpy-old-man autobiography. Reads like a serial novel.

[Chambers Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better Mark Twain biographies!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, a keeper, sometimes slow and I felt like repetitive, but worth the read.