Life on the Mississippi
Mass Market
Penguin Publishing Group · Paperback · March 3, 2009
At once a romantic history of a mighty river, an autobiographical account of Twain's early steamboat days, and a storehouse of humorous anecdotes and sketches, here is the raw material from which Mark Twain wrote his finest novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
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- Who it’s for
- Twain pairs a river’s changing history with the lively humor of his early steamboat days.
- Themes
- Mississippi River history, Steamboat life, Humorous anecdotes
- Genres
- Writers' Lives, 19th-Century America, Travel Writing
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Start with this bookAbout this book
At once a romantic history of a mighty river, an autobiographical account of Twain's early steamboat days, and a storehouse of humorous anecdotes and sketches, here is the raw material from which Mark Twain wrote his finest novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River, was host to riverboat travelers from around the world, providing a vigorous and variable atmosphere for the young Samuel Clemens to absorb.
Continue reading
Clemens became a riverboat pilot and even chose his pen name—Mark Twain—from a term boatmen would call out signifying water depth at two fathoms, meaning safe clearance for travel. It was from this background that Life on the Mississippi emerged. It is an epochal record of America’s growth, a stirring remembrance of her vanished past. And it earned for its author his first recognition as a serious writer. With an Introduction by Justin Kaplan and an Afterword by John Seelye
River Lore and Wit
Twain pairs a river’s changing history with the lively humor of his early steamboat days.
Come here for
- A personal view of life as a riverboat pilot
- Humorous anecdotes alongside a romantic history of the Mississippi
Expect
- A remembrance of the river’s vanished past
- An absorbing blend of autobiography, history, and sketches
Where it sits
| Writers' Lives | 60% |
|---|---|
| Travel Writing | 47% |
| 19th-Century America | 38% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Personal Memoirs
- 19th-Century America
- Midwest History
- Authors
- Mark Twain
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Published
- March 3, 2009
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Mississippi River history · Steamboat life · Humorous anecdotes
- Reading lane
- Personal Memoirs