There are many revelations in the Autobiography of Mark Twain, and Newsweek found today that these only make Twain more intriguing: “The more you read, the more complicated he seems….He is still a mystery, a riddle wrapped in an enigma shrouded in a white suit”.
Twain had many faces, living at various times as a reporter, gold and silver prospector, traveler, steamboat pilot, family man, publisher, and world-famous author. The Newsweek article explored the many parts that make up Mark Twain, from his “double name”, his timeless humor and cutting observations, to his fantastical novel, No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger (and its Claymation adaptation), and the fact that throughout his life, even through anger and loss, he never stopped writing.
When Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was banned in 1885 from the Concord Public Library, Twain wrote: “That will sell 25,000 copies for us sure.” It was not the last time the book would be banned, and in this excerpt from his Autobiography, posted on Newsweek.com, Twain recalls visiting a librarian who found fault with Huck Finn.
