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Mark Twain's Story

Mark Twain's Story image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
June
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Hartford Courant sáys that "it is now known for a f act that Mr. Clemena is the author of the "Joan of Are" romance, now running its serial course in Harpers Magazine. This has been guessed from the repeated occurrence of phrases and modes of expression, which are emlnently characteristic of Mark Twain. It is srmised by the Lit erary World of Boston that "the eloak oí anonymity" is used because the author may deem thi.s his masterpiece, and dislikes to have it hampered by remembrance of the work he has done in the past. This may be bo, and if it be Mr. Clemens, we Bould suppose ii I that he would be glad to shred away hir old alias, Mark Twain, and be known by his real name, as ai) author - just aa many a popular writer has longed to do. Dr. Holland for example, grew very tired of being called "Tlmothy Titcomb," after the reason for using that name no longc-r existed. Hut the "Joan of Are," whleU s exceedlngly tnterestln,-ï, is not th.f 'at work t show Mr. Clemens ss a writer of deep and Btrojig purpose. He is a btimanitarlan, a moralist, a philoBopher in his treatment of human life, as even "Tom Bawy.er" indicated, and as the "Yankee in Klng Arthurs Court," "The Prinee and the Pauper" (that beautiful apologue oí "all sorts and conditions of men") and, above all, "Pudd'nhead Wilson." have abundantly proved. The last-named tale of slavery is one of the mnst powerful pietures of the evils of "the peculiar institution" ever written, ranking beside "Únele Tom'g Cabin." A scholar Mr. Clemens never ean be, for he has waited too long, and thus he filis this romance of France centuries ago with expressions which belong to the uncultured west of the United States of his day, and to "Mark Twain" above all. Nevertheless, "Joan of Are" is to be worth reading. We may hope that Mr. Ctemens has read De Quincey's brilliant essay on the Maid of Orleans. It is in line with his conception of the character.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register