Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven/The Diaries of Adam and Eve [Audio CD]

Mark Twain (Author), Chris Bocast (Editor), Greg Carr (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2008

A story forty years in the making, Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven was initially a parlor tale that Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) preferred to read to friends and family, considering it too radical for his general audience. Begun in 1869, the narrative was alternately expanded then set aside, and finally saw publication in 1909. Like many Twain characters, Captain Stormfield is based on an actual person Clemens knew; in this case Captain Ned Wakeman, a colorful American seaman Clemens met on a steamship journey from San Francisco to Nicaragua in 1866. The real Captain regaled Clemens with his stories of his many astounding, mostly true adventures on the high seas, even claiming to have visited heaven in a dream. Wakeman made a powerful impression on Clemens, who afterwards included literary versions of him in many of his tales. Captain Stormfield remained a personal favorite of Clemens his entire life; he named his final residence in Redding, Connecticut, 'Stormfield.' The Diaries of Adam and Eve continue Twain's humorous examination of Biblical themes and characters; their underlying message of the fragile joy of human companionship is both funny and poignant. Clemens himself was happily married for 36 years, and never fully recovered emotionally from his wife Livy's death in 1904. The stories were initially published separately - Adam's Diary in 1893 and Eve's Diary in 1906; they are presented here as companion pieces per Clemens' original intent.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MARK TWAIN (1835-1910) is the pseudonym for Samuel Langhorne Clemens, American author and humorist. Born in Missouri, near the Mississippi River, Clemens' life and travels encompassed a vast and memorable stretch of American history, and he translated his experiences into an extensive collection of books, letters, and essays that has become an American national treasure. His most renowned work, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, combines humor and vernacular language into a social critique that has been hailed as America's first, and perhaps best, modern novel.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Ascendant Audio; 1st edition (March 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097903647X
• ISBN-13: 978-0979036477
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,525,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)