3 Review(s)

Mark Twain: A Biography. Volume I, Part 1: 1835-1866 by Albert Bigelow Paine is the first installment of a comprehensive biography of the celebrated American author, humorist, and social commentator, Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). Paine, who was a close friend and literary executor of Twain, provides an intimate look at the formative years of the writer’s life, covering his birth in 1835 through his early career up to 1866.In this volume, Paine explores Twain’s childhood in Hannibal, Missouri—a town on the Mississippi River that would inspire much of his later work. Paine delves into the young Samuel Clemens's experiences and adventures, which shaped his observations on human nature, social injustice, and the quirks of American life. He highlights Twain's early fascination with the river and recounts his varied jobs, including his training as a printer and his work as a riverboat pilot, which deepened his understanding of American society and its contradictions.