Mark Twain has a New Book: One Century On His Full Memoirs / Autobiography are To Be Published
Posted: Thursday, July 15, 2010
by Connor Davidson
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) is dead. Long dead in-fact . Just over one hundred years dead. So dead that only a handful of people alive today could have possibly heard the news on the day that he died. But he’s alive.
His work clearly lives on: who has not heard of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Wonderfully, one century on his work is not dead. The autobiography will be an extension of this when it is published this November.
The main question I suspect you want answered is: why wait one hundred years? And why go to all the trouble of producing a book he will never see in print? Well, for a start I found out about his new book on Atheist Media Blog. As you can imagine his opinion on religion were not entirely positive:
“Alas! Those good old days are gone, when a murderer could wipe the stain from his name and soothe his trouble to sleep simply by getting out his blocks and mortar and building an addition to a church. "
In the autobiography he also discusses his relationship with his secretary and his views on Theodore Roosevelt. By publishing the autobiography after his death he is able to speak with total freedom.
Most people, I suspect, will hold back when writing their autobiography. Imagine, for example, that you had an Uncle who you really despised. Would you write the following if that was your genuinely held opinion?
“My Uncle, John McJohnson, is the most egotistical and narcissistic man that ever did trample on this earth. He also has this discussing wart on his nose which is so hideous that whenever I see him I almost puke in his face. Frankly, I wish I really did – he would have deserved it. "
Or would you have skipped over this uncle? I suspect most authors would. Twain however is not subject to the consequences or backlashes associated with speaking your complete and uncensored opinions which makes the new book all the more exiting.
Millions of people and I cant wait to read this one. I just hope theyve got an umbrella because theres a good chance of a storm.
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Top-level comments on this article: (9 total)I didn't know you can be that humorous Connor. Cute article. Nicely written & it triggers my sense of humor grinnnnnnn .Thanks for the comment.
I'm experiencing the not dead-but-awful-relative dilemma right now, Connor! I love your quotes. I haven't read Twain yet, but he's at the top of my list next time I go to the library. Sounds like my kind of fella! Great article, thanks.Thanks for the comment.
Hey Conner,I went into a video store and was searching for a particular movie of Clint Eastwood's. A "kid" about your age, "by your pic" asked me, "Who's that?"....Got a kick out of that...So I am very happy to hear that you DO know someone older than Clint...Thanks for Writing! Keep up the good work!Thanks for the comment.
The article tells a good story and certainly makes you want to read the book. A very good job I think.Thanks for the comment.
Ah, so I guess reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated? Hadn't heard of this before, thanks for reporting on it!Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for this article, Connor. I love Mark Twain, but was unaware of his autobiography. Guess I'll have to check out Amazon to see when I can get it. Does it have a specific title?As far as I know the title has not been released.Thanks for the comment.
Always nice to find out what people really think, or thought. I guess it's a good thing that some people were willing to suffer the persecution of their times, can you imagine what things would be like if we were just getting off the edge of the earth?YeahThanks for the comment.
Outstanding info here Connor--never knew about this and what a great idea to have it published after you are long gone. I'm going to start writing mine right now--there are a few people I have been dying to talk crap about....Thanks for the comment.
Have missed reading your pieces lately and enjoyed this one!Thanks for the comment.
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