Showing results by author "Mark Twain" in All Categories

In this "tale for young people of all ages" young Tom switches identities with his look-alike, the Prince of Wales. But it's not quite a whimsical story. Twain uses this situation to compare the hardships of the lower class and the absurd privileges of the aristocracy.

In Captain Stormfields Visit to Heaven, Mark Twain takes readers on a whimsical journey through the cosmos with Captain Stormfield, who finds himself in a hilariously convoluted adventure to the afterlife. Published in 1909, this thought-provoking short story explores the absurdities of our perceptions of heaven, where souls become just as enamored with celestial celebrities like Adam and Moses as we are with stars on Earth. Twains sharp wit and keen observations challenge traditional beliefs about the afterlife, making this tale both entertaining and insightful.

These letters were arranged in two volumes by Albert Bigelow Paine, Samuel L. Clemens's literary executor, as a supplement to Mark Twain, A Biography, which Paine wrote. They are, for the most part, every letter written by Clemens known to exist at the time of their publication in 1917. They begin with a fragment of a letter from teenaged Sam Clemens to his sister, Pamela, and conclude with a letter to his attorney two weeks before his death. These letters give us some degree of insight into the evolution of Twain's style of speech and prose over the period of his lifetime.

When Mark Twain reflects on childhood you can be certain humor will follow. Such is the case with a young boy and an attempt to capture a turkey bare handed. You may wonder if you should sympathize with the turkey—or the boy.

Tom Sawyer, a universally recognizable classic literary hero, is an intelligent and imaginative boy who is nevertheless careless and mischievous. He along with his friend Huck Finn accidentally witnesses a murder for which an innocent man is wrongly accused. Together they succeed in revealing the truth, but now the real murderer is after their life.

Step into the wildly over-the-top world of The Curious Book (originally titled The Enemy Conquered; or, Love Triumphant), Mark Twain’s wickedly funny satire of 19th-century romantic fiction. In a tale dripping with flowery prose, impossible heroics, and swooning declarations of love, we meet the valiant Major Elfonzo—a man of honor, swordplay, and strangely poetic monologues. His heart beats only for the lovely Ambulinia, whose beauty is rivaled only by her baffling metaphors. But standing between them? An angry father, absurd obstacles, and enough melodrama to fuel a dozen dime novels.

Tom Sawyer does not like school. He does not like work, and he never wants to get out of bed in the morning. But he likes swimming and fishing, and having adventures with his friends. And he has a lot of adventures. One night, he and his friend Huck Finn go to the graveyard to look for ghosts.They don’t see any ghosts that night. They see something worse than a ghost – much, much worse.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain has been popular since it was first published in 1884. It is known for its colorful and often scathng look at the people and places along the Mississippi River at a time when racism was an entrenched attitude in Southern antebellum society. The strong point of view, masterful depiction of dialects, and confrontations of issues of prejudice and race have inspired crtics to dub it “the great American novel”.

In Following the Equator, American author Mark Twain takes readers on a captivating journey around the globe, published in 1897. Facing severe financial struggles after a failed investment in a revolutionary typesetting machine, Twain embarked on a tour of the British Empire in 1895 to repay his $100,000 debt (equivalent to about $2 million in 2005). His travelogue is not just an account of his experiences; it is a sharp critique of racism, imperialism, and missionary zeal, all delivered with Twains signature wit. From insightful reflections on Cecil Rhodes in Australia and South Africa to a ...

Step back in time with Mark Twain's Old Times on the Mississippi, an audiobook that offers a fascinating glimpse into the author's experiences as a young riverboat pilot on the mighty Mississippi River. Twain's vivid storytelling brings to life the era of steamboat travel, complete with colorful characters, daring escapades, and the challenges of navigating treacherous waters. With his trademark wit and humor, Twain's narrative paints a vivid picture of a bygone era, making this audiobook a delightful journey through the pages of history.

A classic tale written by America's foremost storytellers and humorists Mark Twain, "The Joke that Made Ed's Fortune" is a wry tale about a mischievous prank that backfires in a most surprising way.

Twain's classic novel tells the story of a teenaged misfit who finds himself floating on a raft down the Mississippi River with an escaping slave, Jim. In the course of their perilous journey, Huck and Jim meet adventure, danger, and a cast of characters who are sometimes menacing and often hilarious. Underlying Twain's good humor is a dark subcurrent of Antebellum cruelty and injustice that makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a frequently funny book with a serious message.

The story takes place in Victorian London, where two very rich, eccentric brothers give the penniless story protagonist, Henry Adams, one million pounds of money in the form of a single peerless bank note. Henry would not be easily able to exchange that note in the bank without being questioned about how he had come to it, charged with theft and arrested. He would also not be able to spend it since no ordinary person would be able to change it.

Exciting excerpts from some of the best classic stories for younger listeners, presented with classical music and, often, sound effects, to bring the characters vividly to life. Here is Mowgli, Anne of Green Gables, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Odysseus, the monster wolf Fenrir, and Tom Sawyer getting in and out of scrapes. Before each excerpt is an introduction, setting the scene.

Im zweiten Teil von Mark Twains Bericht über seine Reisen in Europa geht es in die Schweiz. Zwar liegt das, was der Autor dort beschreibt, gut 120 Jahre zurück, aber manches hat durchaus Wiedererkennungswert...

Some of the greatest ghost stories of all time, here to send chills down your spine.

Cracked on the head by a crowbar in nineteenth-century Connecticut, Hank Morgan wakes to find himself in King Arthur's England. Branded by Twain's aptitude for broad comedy and biting social satire, the grim truths of Twain's Camelot, fear, injustice, ignorance, resound as clearly now as when it was written.

What if a story by Mark Twain about political economy had nothing to do with politics or economy? This humorous short story has everything to do with the interruptions by a workman the author faced when trying to pen thoughts on politics. There were many reasons Twain frustratingly agreed to something he never would have asked for, but the result were - shocking.

When we first met "the pariah of the village... the son of the drunkard" in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom was "under strict orders not to play with him," so he played with him every time he got the chance. Twain took his most outrageous and outcast character (and perhaps the one he loved the most), Huckleberry Finn, from that timeless tale and wrote his own adventures.

Rediscover one of America’s greatest adventures — now told in clear, modern language that captures all the wit, humor, and heart of Mark Twain’s classic masterpiece. Join young Huck Finn as he escapes his troubled home life and journeys down the Mississippi River with Jim, a runaway slave seeking freedom. Their daring voyage is filled with danger, laughter, and moral awakening — a timeless story about friendship, courage, and the fight for what’s right.