The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg, and Other Stories and Essays (Oxford Mark Twain) [Hardcover]

Mark Twain (Author), Shelley Fisher Fishkin (Series Editor), Cynthia Ozick (Introduction), Jeffrey Rubin-Dorsky (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 1996

This collection of 15 pieces by Mark Twain displays, as Cynthia Ozick writes in her introduction, "the entire arsenal of his art: the occasionally reckless polemic, the derisive irony, the intelligent laughter, the verbal stilettos, the blunt country humor, the fervent despair, the hidden jeer, the relishing of palaver and tall tale, the impatient worldliness, and the brilliant forays of language." "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg," a dark and riveting dissection of a town's hypocrisy, vanity, and misplaced pride, is one of Twain's most ingenious and memorable stories. Whether anatomizing the dynamics of anti-Semitism in "Concerning the Jews" or "Stirring Times in Austria," or looking back on his personal literary odyssey in "My D�but as a Literary Person," Twain is lively and engaging. This volume also contains "My First Lie, and How I Got Out of It," a remarkable essay that begins lightly, but soon turns into a razor sharp attack on humanity's indifference to injustice.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 5, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195101502
• ISBN-13: 978-0195101508
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #818,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit confusing but. . ., March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg, and Other Stories and Essays (Oxford Mark Twain) (Hardcover)

Well, not one of Mark Twain's finest, but The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg is a good book. It deals with the temptation and corruption that occurs in everyones life. A couple receives anonymous money and is forced by reputation to do the right thing. Whether they and the town do is another situation. Eventually the whole community becomes involved and the righteous owner of the money is to be determined. Although it is a little confusing, it makes the reader think just how much money is the greed of all evil.