Yesterday at work, one of my associates, Roger, slyly convinced Janice to do some of his work for him. Janice turned to me, dropped her shoulders and said over the top of her glasses, "I guess he read Tom Sawyer and remembered it better than me!" It's hard to imagine how anyone could be considered culturally literate if they didn't follow Janice's meaning. Notwithstanding the fact that Mark Twain is perhaps one of the most quoted authors of our times, I sometimes wonder how many of us have actually read more than one or two of his works. I remember reading both Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn as a child. That was over forty years ago, and it's difficult to recall if I ever read more than the children's versions. The opportunity to read two of his books along with thirteen shorter pieces was too good to pass up.
Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer were my idols. We had some things in common. I grew up on a cotton farm in the 1950's about an hour from the Mississippi Delta. Vicksburg, Natchez, Port Gibson, St. Francesville, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans all figure into my history as they did that of Samuel Langhorn Clemens. Jeans and overalls were my uniforms along with bare feet.
A Tramp Abroad begins with a convincing list of reasons why a walking trip across Europe would be preferable to other modes of travel. Twain then discusses his efforts to find a traveling companion willing to travel on foot. After resting in Hamburg, plans were begun for a long walk south in the spring weather, but, as Twain says, "at the last moment we changed the program, for private reasons, and took the express train." Stories abound that Twain was a much sought after speaker; I wonder if his delivery was deadpan (like Steven Wright).
Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
This was a wonderful piece! Yes, it is a pleasure to enjoy writing of great writers that we haven't explored.
I would suggest reading Twain's Life on the Mississippi, which tells the story of his days on the river as a steamboat pilot before the war (Civil). It's truly a great read.
2 - FCEtier
Thank you Victor! I really appreciate your comment.