Our Famous Guest: Mark Twain in Vienna [Hardcover]

Carl Domeltsch (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This meticulously researched and detailed account of Twain's 20-month stay in fin-de-siecle Vienna offers convincing evidence that the pessimism and despair of his late, now mostly neglected, work spring not from personal misfortune but from his immersion in that city's cultural nihilism. Portraying a legendary Vienna in a legendary time, Dolmetsch offers a Twain who was not, in the last decade of his life, simply a soured and artistically failing victim of circumstance but a mentally active, productive writer whose late works are worth reevaluating. This is no innocent, buffoonish American abroad but a thoughtful world-class writer on a European stage. Recommended for most libraries.
- Charles C. Nash, Cottey Coll., Nevada, Mo.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Georgia Pr; 1ST edition (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0820314587
• ISBN-13: 978-0820314587
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,228,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The interesting tale of Mark Twain's residence in fin-de-siecle Vienna, August 18, 2010

By 

Arthur Digbee (Indianapolis, IN, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Our Famous Guest: Mark Twain in Vienna (Hardcover)

In 1897-1898, Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) lived in and around Vienna for almost two years. As one of the world's most famous writers, he was an instant celebrity. He also experienced the city deeply, becoming acquainted with many of the personalities who made up remarkable fin-de-siecle Vienna.

Dolmetsch tells this story, arguing that these experiences also shaped Twain's later writings. These writings are darker than Twain's most well-known middle period, and critics have traditionally attributed this change to personal tragedies. Without denying that, Dolmetsch shows also that the particular style and themes of later writing also reflected Viennese elements such as aphoristic writing, impressionism, solipsism and nihilism.

As a fan of both Twain and Vienna, I'm surprised I hadn't run across this book earlier. This period of Twain's life has never been a secret - - his essay, "Stirring Times in Austria," is well-known. Dolmetsch goes further, connecting the dots that should have been noticed before. It's written in an accessible academic style, and well worth reading if you are interested in either Mark Twain or Vienna.