How to Tell a Story and Other Essays Quotes

“Here the narrator bursts into explosion after explosion of thunderous horse-laughter, repeating that nub from time to time through his gaspings and shriekings and suffocatings.”
― Mark Twain, How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

“To the rear, sir—he's lost his leg!”
― Mark Twain, How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

“But the teller of the comic story does not slur the nub; he shouts it at you—every time. And when he prints it, in England, France, Germany, and Italy, he italicizes it, puts some whooping exclamation-points after it, and sometimes explains it in a parenthesis. All of which is very depressing, and makes one want to renounce joking and lead a better life.”
― Mark Twain, How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

“Artemus Ward used that trick a good deal; then when the belated audience presently caught the joke he would look up with innocent surprise, as if wondering what they had found to laugh at. Dan Setchell used it before”
― Mark Twain, How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

“If I got it the right length precisely, I could spring the finishing ejaculation with effect enough to make some impressible girl deliver a startled little yelp and jump out of her seat --and that was what I was after.”
― Mark Twain, How to Tell a Story and Other Essays (1897)

“There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kind—the humorous. I will talk mainly about that one. The humorous story is American, the comic story is English, the witty story is French. The humorous story depends for its effect upon the manner of the telling; the comic story and the witty story upon the matter.”
― Mark Twain, How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

“The humorous story depends for its effect upon the manner of the telling; the comic story and the witty story upon the matter. — Mark Twain”
― Pascal Covici Jr., How to Tell a Story and Other Essays