Details Out Of Books Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings
Title | : | Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings |
Author | : | Mark Twain |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 321 pages |
Published | : | February 17th 2004 by Harper Perennial Modern Classics (first published 1962) |
Categories | : | Fiction. Classics. Humor. Religion. Short Stories. Literature. Writing. Essays |
Mark Twain
Paperback | Pages: 321 pages Rating: 4.2 | 8186 Users | 545 Reviews
Narration In Favor Of Books Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings
Letters from the Earth is one of Mark Twain's posthumously published works. The essays were written during a difficult time in Twain's life; he was deep in debt and had lost his wife and one of his daughters. The book consists of a series of short stories, many of which deal with God and Christianity. Twain penned a series of letters from the point-of-view of a dejected angel on Earth. This title story consists of letters written by the archangel Satan to archangels, Gabriel and Michael, about his observations on the curious proceedings of earthly life and the nature of man's religions. By analyzing the idea of heaven and God that is widely accepted by those who believe in both, Twain is able to take the silliness that is present and study it with the common sense that is absent. Not so much an attack as much as a cold dissection. Other short stories in the book include a bedtime story about a family of cats Twain wrote for his daughters, and an essay explaining why an anaconda is morally superior to Man. Twain's writings in Letters From the Earth find him at perhaps his most quizzical and questioning state ever.Specify Books As Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings
Original Title: | Letters from the Earth |
ISBN: | 0060518650 (ISBN13: 9780060518653) |
Edition Language: | English |
Characters: | God |
Literary Awards: | Grammy Award Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album (2002) |
Rating Out Of Books Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings
Ratings: 4.2 From 8186 Users | 545 ReviewsCritique Out Of Books Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings
This book is a varied collection of Mark Twain's later writings, from a period traditionally overlooked by American students but intensely scrutinized in Europe. The titular "Letters from the Earth" series include wry and mildly heretical musings on Biblical lore, Christian cosmology, and human nature in general. These were indeed the basis for a rather creepy children's Claymation TV show in the 80s called "The Adventures of Mark Twain," the sort of thing that nowadays would get programOne of the very few books I've read three times, at least parts of it. I first read it on a plane and I could not stop cracking up. I tried to interest my seatmate, but he preferred his portable DVD player. Alas!
I have to rate this lower than things like The Autobiography and other novels because this represents sort of a hodgepodge of remnants and unfinished works. That's not to say it is not worthwhile. I mean why struggle through something as tedious as Nietzsche, when all the same scathing sentiments against the banality of humans are presented here in humorous form? There were parts where he seemed to be writing about today (overcrowding, wastefulness, phony religion, and the end of days). Most
Cynics bow down before the idol of your seething ire! Mark Twain's critique of the Earth's entanglement with religion as told by an oft-banished-bad-boy-of-heaven we all know (but not so well as we thought) singes eyelashes at times. A series of letters written by Satan himself during a term of expulsion from heaven depict the sad hilarity of mankind's relationship with it's creator. Satan's outside perspective yields Twain an opportunity to express his deep criticism of god-fearing culture. It
Do any of us die having said everything we wanted to say? Or having said everything that needed to be said? Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, certainly did not. When he died in 1910 he left behind a substantial cache of notebooks, letters, and unfinished manuscripts, much of which turned out to be a treasure trove of brilliant satirical and existential prose. Herein lies the problem. How do you publish what amounts to be three pages of notes here, eighteen pages of an incomplete essay there,
After reading the 3 volumes of Mark Twain's autobiography I have been interested in reading everything else outside of his well-known catalog. "Letters from the Earth" was also published posthumously and his daughter Clara delayed publication until 1962 to prevent potential embarrassment to the family. It is a collection of essays and short works, some not even finished. The bulk of the writings concern Satan's letters to the other angels about God's latest creations. It is reminiscent of C.S.
I could write a long review of this amazing and shocking book. Mark like I've never seen him before; the Mark I always wanted to hear more from and did not find in his stories of mischievous childhoods in the Mississippi. But i won't write that long review, instead, i will sub it up in the following sentence: Man is a mistake. The human race, basically, is the most horrible species that ever dwelled this earth. We kill, torture, pass judgment, discriminate, and do the worst things possible with
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