Customer Reviews

The Diaries of Adam and Eve (Literary Classics)

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Apparently this version of the text is not the expanded version. I recommend getting the expanded edition ('translated' by Mark Twain). But if you get this one, here's what I think:

Retelling the famous story of Adam and Eve is always an exciting venture. There are so many cultural, religious and political overtones to the original story (or stories?) in the Bible that any retelling is bound to spark contention.

Milton's Paradise Lost is a great example of this. Even better are the stories by the long forgotten Gnostic Christians (See Elaine Pagels) who thought that the serpent was the hero of the story.

Twain has his own take on the matter. Adam is a boring, conceited man (at first) who is annoyed by Eve and her curiosity about everything. Eve is wonderful; she names everything (like Adam in the original story) and has an abundance of scientific wonder of the world. The only thing odd in this story was its avoidance of the temptation of Eve by the serpent--it was only mentioned in passing. Personally, I find that the most interesting part (see Milton) and i would haved loved to see Twain's thoughts on it.

Nevertheless, this is a short, funny (isn't Twain always?) and lively book that you can get through in an hour. If for no other reason, read it for its redemption of Eve from the sexist (and confusing) story of the OT.

If there is a shorter, funnier, more delightful book on the planet, I have yet to find it. The genius that was Twain's is in abundant evidence here. And there is no longer version, this is it. Twain only wrote "extracts from" to make it seem more believable. Notice the "translated" also? I own the PBS version with David and Meredith Baxter Birney and have watched it many times, but I still laughed out loud when I finally got around to reading this short little gem. And the illustrations are at least half of the fun. I suspect this can re-read many times, especially when one is in need of a pick-me-up. Because, as always with Twain, much wisdom is interspersed with the humor. And beautifully written passages as well. DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!!

I recently bought this "Literary Classics" edition of "The Diaries of Adam & Eve" expecting it to be the text of the wonderful audiobook version of Twain's stories, as read by Betty Buckley and Mandy Patinkin, only to find that it is not the same at all. This version is just a replica of the original books and does not include the full text as heard on the audiobook. Then I found the version I wanted, subtitled "Translated by Mark Twain" and it, like the audiobook version, is really something special. To anyone interested in these wonderful "first family" stories, I recommend searching for the Fair Oaks Press edition.

This little book manages to evoke more passionate emotions, word for word, than anything else you'll find. You'll be confused, frustrated, awed, elated, broken, and hopeful as Adam and Eve (and Twain) pull you into their thoughts and interpretations of life. This is a great little valentine for your sweetheart or yourself, and has been a very good gift for newlyweds who would like something short and sentimental and a little thought-provoking to read while honeymooning.

What if Adam and Eve had kept diaries? What would this have told us of their characters? Mark Twain, in his brilliance, shows what the possible result may have been in these two diaries.

Adam is a clumsy oaf, and rather stupid and economical with his words. He thinks that Eve is a pain in the neck, always naming things, always in his way. When Cain makes his appearance, at first Adam thinks that Cain is a fish out of water, then perhaps a monkey, maybe a bear, and so forth. Sundays are a torture to be endured and survived.

Eve is poetic, a dreamer. She cries when she sees her first dawn, thinking that the stars have gone away forever. She befriends the animals, naming them. She grieves over Adam's stupidity and tries to 'help' him through it.

Somehow, the two become reconciled to each other and build a life of love and experience. It is a wonderful tale, at once funny and sad, blunt and poetic, practical and dreamy.

Perhaps the best way to describe this book is with a couple of quotes from it, the final quotes from each of the major characters:

Eve: It is my prayer, it is my longing, that we may pass from this life together--a longing which shall never perish from the earth, but shall have a place in the heart of every wife that loves, until the end of time; and it shall be called by my name.

But if one of us must go first, it is my prayer that it shall be I; for he is strong, I am weak, I am not so necessary to him as he is to me--life without him would not be life; how could I endure it? This prayer is also immortal, and will not cease from being offered up while my race continues.

I am the first wife, and in the last wife I shall be repeated.

Adam (at Eve's graveside): Wheresoever she was, THERE was Eden.

This quote is Adam's final assessment of Eve; the true Eden is within us not a patch of picturesque landscape full of artificial harmony. I'm sure, had he died first in Mark Twain's vision, Eve would have said similar of Adam.

This is a wonderful, imaginative and amusing piece of writing - short, but with wisdom. I will never forget Eve trying to get stars out of the night sky to place in her hair - first with a big stick ('they must be so far away,' she complains) and then with clods of earth! I will never forget the speculations - how did the milk get into the cow? And the 'scientific' tests to prove the various theories!

Adam and Eve (and their children right up to Twain's own time) are fanciful imaginings in these writings but they are brim full of character and personality.

I was forced to read passages from this book in High School. When it comes down to it, it really isn't a realistic book. How could there possible have been a diary kept by Adam and Eve? Of course there wasn't. But through my college years, some of the parts I had read stuck with me. " Wheresoever she was THERE was Eden" Better to live outside the garden with her than in the garden with out her. Simple guides to love I thought. I drove to a library 45 minutes from where I live to read a shabby old copy of this book and couldn't put it down. The book is great for couples and great for the pure of heart!

This book was recieved in about a week and a half. Better than I had thought! It's a good book. It reads very quickly and sent chuckles flying out of my mouth every few pages. If you like Twain you'll adore this book. If you don't, you'll still chuckle.

The Diaries of Adam and Eve is a great book for pleasure reading or for research. It isn't as well known as some of Twain's other works, but it displays his amazing wit and sense of humor. Adam is a couch potato, while Eve is a stereotypical chatterbox. The book is set up as a series of diary entries by both Adam and Eve. These entries tell the creation story in a fresh, amusing way. Twain may have been influenced by Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost."

It's impressive how well Mark Twain describes difference between a man and woman. It's sometimes funny and often sentimental to love....