Centenary Reflections on Mark Twain's No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger

Centenary Reflections on Mark Twain's No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger PDF Author: Joseph Csicsila
Publisher: University of Missouri Press
ISBN: 0826271863
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
In this first book on No. 44 in thirty years, thirteen especially commissioned essays by some of today's most accomplished Twain scholars cover an array of topics, from domesticity and transnationalism to race and religion, and reflect a variety of scholarly and theoretical approaches to the work. This far-reaching collection considers the status of No. 44 within Twain's oeuvre as they offer cogent insights into such broad topics as cross-culturalism, pain and redemption, philosophical paradox, and comparative studies of the "Mysterious Stranger" manuscripts. All of these essays attest to the importance of this late work in Twain's canon, whether considering how Twain's efforts at truth-telling are premeditated and shaped by his own experiences, tracing the biblical and religious influences that resonate in No. 44, or exploring the text's psychological dimensions. Several address its importance as a culminating work in which Twain's seemingly disjointed story lines coalesce in meaningful, albeit not always satisfactory, ways. An afterword by Alan Gribben traces the critical history of the "Mysterious Stranger" manuscripts and the contributions of previous critics. A wide-ranging critical introduction and a comprehensive bibliography on the last century of scholarship bracket the contributions. Close inspection of this multidimensional novel shows how Twain evolved as a self-conscious thinker and humorist--and that he was a more conscious artist throughout his career than has been previously thought. Centenary Reflections deepens our understanding of one of Twain's most misunderstood texts, confirming that the author of No. 44 was a pursuer of an elusive truth that was often as mysterious a stranger as Twain himself.

Centenary Reflections on Mark Twain's No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger

Centenary Reflections on Mark Twain's No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger PDF Author: Joseph Csicsila
Publisher: University of Missouri Press
ISBN: 0826271863
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Get Book Here

Book Description
In this first book on No. 44 in thirty years, thirteen especially commissioned essays by some of today's most accomplished Twain scholars cover an array of topics, from domesticity and transnationalism to race and religion, and reflect a variety of scholarly and theoretical approaches to the work. This far-reaching collection considers the status of No. 44 within Twain's oeuvre as they offer cogent insights into such broad topics as cross-culturalism, pain and redemption, philosophical paradox, and comparative studies of the "Mysterious Stranger" manuscripts. All of these essays attest to the importance of this late work in Twain's canon, whether considering how Twain's efforts at truth-telling are premeditated and shaped by his own experiences, tracing the biblical and religious influences that resonate in No. 44, or exploring the text's psychological dimensions. Several address its importance as a culminating work in which Twain's seemingly disjointed story lines coalesce in meaningful, albeit not always satisfactory, ways. An afterword by Alan Gribben traces the critical history of the "Mysterious Stranger" manuscripts and the contributions of previous critics. A wide-ranging critical introduction and a comprehensive bibliography on the last century of scholarship bracket the contributions. Close inspection of this multidimensional novel shows how Twain evolved as a self-conscious thinker and humorist--and that he was a more conscious artist throughout his career than has been previously thought. Centenary Reflections deepens our understanding of one of Twain's most misunderstood texts, confirming that the author of No. 44 was a pursuer of an elusive truth that was often as mysterious a stranger as Twain himself.

Centenary Reflections on Mark Twain's No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger

Centenary Reflections on Mark Twain's No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger PDF Author: Joseph Csicsila
Publisher: Mark Twain and His Circle (Har
ISBN: 9780826218414
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
"Collection of essays by accomplished Twain scholars examines Mark Twain's unfinished and last significant full-length work of fiction, No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger, attests to the importance of this late work, and addresses its significance as a culminating work on the nature of truth and the human condition"--Provided by publisher.

The Introspective Art of Mark Twain

The Introspective Art of Mark Twain PDF Author: Douglas Anderson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1501329545
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 301

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Book Description
"A new reading of the major themes and concerns of Mark Twain's life and work, tracing the development of his imagination from his earliest works in 1865 to his writings in the early twentieth century"--

Mark Twain and Male Friendship

Mark Twain and Male Friendship PDF Author: Peter Messent
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199736804
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
This book explores male friendship in America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries through Mark Twain and the relationships he had with William Dean Howells, Joseph Twichell, and Henry H. Rogers.

Mark Twain's Literary Resources

Mark Twain's Literary Resources PDF Author: Alan Gribben
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
ISBN: 1588385663
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 1124

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Book Description
Dr. Alan Gribben, a foremost Twain scholar, made waves in 1980 with the publication of Mark Twain's Library, a study that exposed for the first time the breadth of Twain's reading and influences. Prior to Gribben's work, much of Twain's reading history was assumed lost, but through dogged searching Gribben was able to source much of Twain's library. Mark Twain's Literary Resources is a much-expanded examination of Twain's library and readings. Volume I included Gribben's reflections on the work involved in cataloging Twain's reading and analysis of Twain's influences and opinions. This volume, long awaited, is an in-depth and comprehensive accounting of Twain's literary history. Each work read or owned by Twain is listed, along with information pertaining to editions, locations, and more. Gribben also includes scholarly annotations that explain the significance of many works, making this volume of Mark Twain's Literary Resources one of the most important additions to our understanding of America's greatest author.

Mark Twain, the World, and Me

Mark Twain, the World, and Me PDF Author: Susan K. Harris
Publisher: University Alabama Press
ISBN: 0817359672
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 183

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Book Description
WINNER OF THE ELIZABETH AGEE PRIZE IN AMERICAN LITERATURE A scholar accompanies Twain on his journey around the world In Mark Twain, the World, and Me: “Following the Equator,” Then and Now, Susan K. Harris follows Twain’s last lecture tour as he wound his way through the British Empire in 1895–1896. Deftly blending history, biography, literary criticism, reportage, and travel memoir, Harris gives readers a unique take on one of America’s most widely studied writers. Structured as a series of interlocking essays written in the first person, this engaging volume draws on Twain’s insights into the histories and cultures of Australia, India, and South Africa and weaves them into timely reflections on the legacies of those countries today. Harris offers meditations on what Twain’s travels mean for her as a scholar, a white woman, a Jewish American, a wife, and a mother. By treating topics as varied as colonial rule, the clash between indigenous and settler communities, racial and sexual “inbetweenness,” and species decimation, Harris reveals how the world we know grew out of the colonial world Twain encountered. Her essays explore issues of identity that still trouble us today: respecting race and gender, preserving nature, honoring indigenous peoples, and respecting religious differences.

Heretical Fictions

Heretical Fictions PDF Author: LAWRENCE I. BERKOVE
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
ISBN: 1587299372
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Heretical Fictions is the first full-length study to assess the importance of Twain’s heretical Calvinism as the foundation of his major works, bringing to light important thematic ties that connect the author’s early work to his high period and from there to his late work. Berkove and Csicsila set forth the main elements of Twain’s “countertheological” interpretation of Calvinism and analyze in detail the way it shapes five of his major books—Roughing It, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger—as well as some of his major short stories. The result is a ground-breaking and unconventional portrait of a seminal figure in American letters.

Mark Twain Under Fire

Mark Twain Under Fire PDF Author: Joe B. Fulton
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1640140344
Category : Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
Tracks the genesis and evolution of Twain's reputation as a writer, revealing how and why the writer has been under fire since the advent of his career.

Mark Twain and Youth

Mark Twain and Youth PDF Author: Kevin Mac Donnell
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1474223117
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
One of the greatest American authors, Mark Twain holds a special position not only as a distinctly American cultural icon but also as a preeminent portrayer of youth. His famous writings about children and youthful themes are central to both his work and his popularity. The distinguished contributors to Mark Twain and Youth make Twain even more accessible to modern readers by fully exploring youth themes in both his life and his extensive writings. The volume's twenty-six original essays offer new perspectives on such important subjects as Twain's boyhood; his relationships with his siblings and his own children; his attitudes toward aging, gender roles, and slavery; the marketing, reception, teaching, and adaptation of his works; and youth themes in his individual novels--Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Pudd'nhead Wilson, and Joan of Arc. The book also includes a revealing foreword by actor Hal Holbrook, who has performed longer as “Mark Twain” than Samuel Clemens himself did. The book includes contributions by: Lawrence Berkove, John Bird, Jocelyn A. Chadwick, Joseph Csicsila, Hugh H. Davis, Mark Dawidziak, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, James Golden, Alan Gribben, Benjamin Griffin, Ronald Jenn, Holger Kersten, Andrew Levy, Cindy Lovell, Karen Lystra, Debra Ann MacComb, Peter Messent, Linda A. Morris, K. Patrick Ober, John R. Pascal, Lucy E. Rollin, Barbara Schmidt, David E. E. Sloane, Henry Sweets, Wendelinus Wurth.

Huck Finn's America

Huck Finn's America PDF Author: Andrew Levy
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439186960
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description
Examines Mark Twain's writing of Huckleberry Finn, calling into question commonly held interpretations of the work on the subjects of youth, youth culture, and race relations, based on research into the social preoccupations of the era in which it was written.