The Cambridge Introduction To Mark Twain

This page intentionally left blank The Cambridge Introduction to Mark Twain Mark Twain is a central figure in nineteenth-century American literature, and his novels are among the best-known and most often studied texts in the field. This clear and incisive introduction provides a biography of the author and situates his works in the historical and cultural context of his times. Peter Messent gives accessible but penetrating readings of the best-known writings including Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He pays particular attention to the way Twain’s humour works and how it underpins his prose style. The final chapter provides up-to-date analysis of the recent critical reception of Twain’s writing, and summarises the contentious and important debates about his literary and cultural position. The guide to further reading will help those who wish to extend their research and critical work on the author. This book will be of outstanding value to anyone coming to Twain for the first time. P e t e r M e s s e n t is Professor of Modern American Literature at the University of Nottingham. Cambridge Introductions to Literature This series is designed to introduce students to key topics and authors. Accessible and lively, these introductions will also appeal to readers who want to broaden their understanding of the books and authors they enjoy. r Ideal for students, teachers, and lecturers r Concise, yet packed with essential information r Key suggestions for further reading Titles in this series: Eric Bulson The Cambridge Introduction to James Joyce John Xiros Cooper The Cambridge Introduction to T. S. Eliot Kirk Curnutt The Cambridge Introduction to F. Scott Fitzgerald Janette Dillon The Cambridge Introduction to Early English Theatre Jane Goldman The Cambridge Introduction to Virginia Woolf Kevin J. Hayes The Cambridge Introduction to Herman Melville David Holdeman The Cambridge Introduction to W. B. Yeats M. Jimmie Killingsworth The Cambridge Introduction to Walt Whitman Ronan McDonald The Cambridge Introduction to Samuel Beckett Wendy Martin The Cambridge Introduction to Emily Dickinson Peter Messent The Cambridge Introduction to Mark Twain John Peters The Cambridge Introduction to Joseph Conrad Sarah Robbins The Cambridge Introduction to Harriet Beecher Stowe Martin Scofield The Cambridge Introduction to the American Short Story Peter Thomson The Cambridge Introduction to English Theatre, 1660–1900 Janet Todd The Cambridge Introduction to Jane Austen The Cambridge Introduction to Mark Twain PE T E R M E S S E N T CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521854450 © Peter Messent 2007 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2007 ISBN-13 ISBN-10 978-0-511-27528-9 eBook (NetLibrary) 0-511-27528-5 eBook (NetLibrary) ISBN-13 ISBN-10 978-0-521-85445-0 hardback 0-521-85445-8 hardback ISBN-13 ISBN-10 978-0-521-67075-3 paperback 0-521-67075-6 paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. his generosit