Diaries of Adam and Eve (Oneworld Classics) [Paperback]

Mark Twain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2009 | Series: Oneworld Classics

This gloriously funny dialogue between the first man and woman is presented along with a number of other Twain pieces on Adam and Eve—including excerpts from his letters and diaries—as well as extracts from Eve’s autobiography. By giving a voice to Adam and Eve and hitting all the notes on the literary scale—from the intimate to the comical, from the journalistic to the idyllic—this classic volume displays the brilliance and wit for which Mark Twain is rightly considered one of the greatest satirists of all time.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910), better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, social critic, lecturer, and writer. Twain is most noted for his novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Oneworld Classics; Reprint edition (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847490905
• ISBN-13: 978-1847490902
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #896,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Short, Funny and Original, November 15, 2000

By 

Jeffrey Wolf "postgraduate" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diaries of Adam and Eve (Literary Classics) (Paperback)

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.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL!!!, July 20, 2004

By 

C. L Wilson (Elmhurst, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diaries of Adam and Eve (Literary Classics) (Paperback)

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!!!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Twain's Adam & Eve, but not the whole story..., August 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Diaries of Adam and Eve (Literary Classics) (Paperback)

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.