Mark Twain: The Gilded Age and Later Novels: The Gilded Age / The American Claimant / Tom Sawyer Abroad / Tom Sawyer, Detective / No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger (Library of America) [Hardcover]

Mark Twain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 2002

"Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand," Mark Twain once wrote. In this sixth volume in The Library of America's authoritative collection of his writings-the final volume of his fiction-America's greatest humorist emerges in a surprising range of roles: as the savvy satirist of The Gilded Age, the brilliant plotter of its inventive sequel, The American Claimant, and, in two Tom Sawyer novels, as the acknowledged master revisiting his best-loved characters. Also in this volume is the authoritative version of Twain's haunting last novel, No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger, left unpublished when he died.

The Gilded Age (1873), a collaboration with Hartford neighbor Charles Dudley Warner, sends up an age when vast fortunes piled up amid thriving corruption and a city Twain knew well, Washington, D.C., full of would-be power brokers and humbug. The novel also gives us one of Twain's most enduring characters, Colonel Sellers, who returns in The American Claimant (1892), an encore performance that moves beyond the worldly satire of its predecessor into realms of sheer inventive mayhem.

Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894) and Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896) extend the adventures of Huck and Tom. No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger (1908), an astonishing psychic adventure set in the gothic gloom of a medieval Austrian village, offers a powerful and uncanny exploration of the powers of the human mind.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This latest Twain addition to the Library of America series offers the title novel plus The American Claimant, Tom Sawyer Abroad, Tom Sawyer Detective, and No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger, all written in Twain's later years, between 1873 and 1910. The publisher claims that this text of No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger is the "authoritative version." This also includes the standard LOA goodies, e.g., a chronology, notes on the text, introductions, etc. Note that Twain is the subject of a forthcoming documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns and the book Mark Twain (LJ 11/1/01), by Geoffrey Ward and others. Expect demand.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Editor Hamlin L. Hill, Distinguished Professor of English at Texas A&M University (retired), is the author of Mark Twain: God's Fool, editor of Roughing It, and he appears in Ken Burns' new PBS documentary Mark Twain.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1053 pages
• Publisher: Library of America (January 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931082103
• ISBN-13: 978-1931082105
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Twain (1835-1910) was an American humorist, satirist, social critic, lecturer and novelist. He is mostly remembered for his classic novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mark Twain's Lesser Known Novels by Library of America, November 20, 2004

By 

C. Hutton "book maven" (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mark Twain: The Gilded Age and Later Novels: The Gilded Age / The American Claimant / Tom Sawyer Abroad / Tom Sawyer, Detective / No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger (Library of America) (Hardcover)

This collection of five Mark Twain novels is the sixth volume of his works published by the Library of America (LOA). Once again, the LOA has performed their usual impressive work of scholarship and quality craftsmanship.

The first five volumes comprised his classics and well known short stories, novels and essays. With this volume, the reader is introduced to five of his least famous novels. The Gilded Age was his first novel (1873) and the only one he ever collaborated with another writer on (Hartford neighbor Charles Warner). The other four books were written toward the end of his career (from the 1890's on).

Three of the novels were sequels : "The American Claimant" was itself a successor to "The Gilded Age" as it follows the further misadventures of Colonel Sellers; "Tom Sawyer, Abroad" and Tom Sawyer, Detective" continues the exploits of Tom and Hucklebery Finn. The final book, "The Mysterious Stranger" was never published in Twain's lifetime as it reflects the tragic darkness of his family life with it dark haunting gloom.

This volume is a must for the Mark Twain fan (along with the other five LOA volumes of his writings). While I do not consider this collection to be Mark Twain at his best, even Mark Twain at 3/4 strength is better than most other writers at their peak. The humorous satire of human nature (and of politics in the first two novels) is present in all five books.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be afraid--be very, very afraid, March 24, 2002

By 

Kerry Walters (Lewisburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mark Twain: The Gilded Age and Later Novels: The Gilded Age / The American Claimant / Tom Sawyer Abroad / Tom Sawyer, Detective / No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger (Library of America) (Hardcover)

I have to confess that I seem to be about the only person on the face of the planet who's not a big Mark Twain fan. But after the Enron debacle, and in light of the affluenza sweeping our consumerist society, I recently went back to reread *The Gilded Age*. The more things change, the more they stay the same! Twain's dissection of unscrupulous tycoons wanting to get richer, corrupt senators jumping in bed with the tycoons by cutting them sweet political deals, and get-rich crazy middle class types who kiss up for their cut of the pie could've all been taken from last night's news. A brilliant and occasionally hilarious portrait of what happens to individuals in a souless age mesmerized by the almighty buck. A good warning to us today. I wish it could be required reading for everybody coming of age in these fast-paced times. (It's probably too late to do much good for Enron-type execs.)

One of the bonuses of this Library of America edition is that it includes *The American Claimnant,* a sequel to *Gilded Age*. I'd never heard of it before, and in all honesty didn't enjoy it as much as *Gilded*. But it's a good read for anybody with an afternoon of leisure time.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sixth Volume of L of A's Masterpiece Series!!, July 19, 2010

By 

Frank Beckendorf "Frank from Chalmette and no... (Abilene, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mark Twain: The Gilded Age and Later Novels: The Gilded Age / The American Claimant / Tom Sawyer Abroad / Tom Sawyer, Detective / No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger (Library of America) (Hardcover)

Here Twain gives us some lesser known works, but not less quality. This volume from the Library of America is superb American Literature. Human comedy, satire, vision, invention, and new adventures for Tom and Huck across the Atlantic make this a must for Tom and Huck fans...