Chris ChadwickMark Twain's Autobiography-A Century of Waiting.
May 27th 2010 13:44
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Mark Twain's Autobiography
Twain-Hamming it up!
It was Mark Twain's wish that his autobiography not be published for 100 years following his death. Well, folks, time is up! Mr. Twain died April 21, 1910. The University of California, Berkley has the manuscript locked in a vault and will release the document in three volumes with the first due out in November. I can't wait to roll my eyes over this baby! I have always been a huge Twain fan-both his fiction and dry, stinging wit have brought a smile to my face numerous times over the years.
Be warned, if you have thin skin about religion or don't want to tarnish your view of Twain as a stately Victorian figure stuffed to the collar with manners and gentlemanly behavior, this may not be a fun read for you. Apparently, he uncorks on both politics and religion in his memoirs. I predict he will make Bill Maher and Dennis Miller look like rank amateurs...hopefully.
The elder statesman
"There is a perception that Twain spent his final years basking in the adoration of fans. The autobiography will perhaps show that it wasn't such a happy time. He spent six months of the last year of his life writing a manuscript full of vitriol, saying things that he'd never said about anyone in print before. It really is 400 pages of bile." historian Laura Trombley is quoted as saying. (According to Hindustan Times)
Where it got ugly?
Regardless of what these pages hold he will still be one of literature's greatest treasures. In any event, I doubt Tina Fey will be returning that award she received the other day.
Chris
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