This is a collection of short pieces written by Twain and unpublished until 1938. As a fan of Twain, this is fantastic. The title story was the first in the collection. I understand that many will regard it as a work of genius due to the level of satire it exhibits, however it simply struck me as bitter: the satire was so scathing, so angry, that it was quite off-putting. The rest of the stories I enjoyed. Some were incomplete since Twain had a habit of not finishing every story that he started. I especially enjoyed “Letter To The Earth” in which a regular human receives a letter from heaven in response to a prayer. The letter has everything quantified, it reads more like a report from an accountant. Very funny.
I definitely recommend this book for any fan of Twain. I’m not sure this would be the best introduction to Twain’s work, for it is not necessarily his typical work. There’s not as much of the playfulness that one finds in Tom Sawyer or “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Still, good times wait within for anyone who wishes to read this book.
Review by Jessica A.
