Review: A Real Deal for Twain
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 18, 2012
I was surprised to find myself learning so much about history while being bombarded with the wit and humor that is so characteristic of Mark Twain. I am fascinated with the clever way he clues the reader as to the accuracy of the various parts of his writing by attributing the ridiculous and hilarious stuff to some other character, and then making sure the reader knows of the departure from the truth by insinuating that he doubts the veracity of their story.Even so, as with all of Twain's work, it is imperative that all of his writing be taken with a "grain of salt", and a reader's ability to separate the facetious, from the facts. For example, I remember a story in which he makes derogatory statements about an Indian standing out in the snow and watching the author eat a nice hot meal through the window of a warm and luxurious restaurant. Some people have actually been turned off of Mark Twain because they did not realize that this was his way of illustrating the inherent injustice of the scenario. Having yet to revisit that particular story, I look forward to reading once again, what I have always considered to be an excellent and heart-felt illustration of compassion on his part.Mark Twain's writing seems simple, but he is quick and clever in his presentations and has a remarkable command of the language. So if you are up to matching wits with him, I heartily recommend his work, and in particular this large collection.