Chapters from My Autobiography

By: Mark Twain

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Samuel Langhorne Clemens – who wrote under the pseudonym Mark Twain - was born in Florida, Missouri, in 1835. He spent his childhood in the Mississippi River town of Hannibal, Missouri, leaving home in 1853. His brief career as a riverboat pilot was ended by the Civil War, in which he served as a Confederate irregular. He then traveled to Nevada to strike it rich, and when that plan failed went on to achieve renown as a deft humorist, masterful satirist, great novelist and memorable travel writer, using the name “Mark Twain” – a river pilot’s measurement of depth. Beloved by readers around the world, Clemens died in 1910. Collected here is a wonderful selection of anecdotes from Mark Twain's life, as told with candor by the great man himself. This book is part memoir, part philosophical text, part study in human behavior, from one of America's greatest literary treasures. Narrated masterfully by Bronson Pinchot, this audiobook also includes Twain’s popular short story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", as well as a printable eBook in PDF format.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

Public Domain (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Didn’t finish this one

Couldn’t get into this book at all, which disappointed and surprised me. I think it was the narrator. Just didn’t have the dialect I was expecting for Mark Twain.

Like spending an evening with Sam himself

I am looking forward to reading the new complete and authorised version appearing on the 100th anniversary of Twain's death, but I couldn't resist listening to this "self-censored" version read with such skill by Bronson Pinchot. Twain's humor is legendary, but here we get a close look at his tender side as well, as he writes about his family. The quotes from his daughter Suzy's childhood biography of her father add special depth and the narrator does an excellent job of communicating how Twain must have felt as he revisited her writings years after her death. The details of his travels, daily life and professional and political considerations are so lively it's hard to believe that he is describing events that took place more than a century ago. Pinchot is wonderfully present too.

The Irrepressible Twain

If you could sum up Chapters from My Autobiography in three words, what would they be?

What a guy!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Chapters from My Autobiography?

The great sadness of his personal losses at the passing of his wife and children.

What about Bronson Pinchot’s performance did you like?

Eveything, he melded into the story.

Any additional comments?

Loved the book: Twain is just a fascinating character - brilliant, funny, foolish, resilient, irreverent, hilarious. One of my favorite parts was where he composed extraneous, fake and shocking material into to the proofs Livy would read, not because they were really part of the story, but just so he could see and enjoy her reactions! It struck a chord with me in the way I attempt to inject humor into our family life!

Bronson Pinchot IS Mark Twain!

I had to keep reminding myself that it was not actually the author who was telling his own story. Funny, sad, clever, and I loved every minute of it. Hope that someday Mr. Pinchot records more American literature, including works by Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper and Kenneth Roberts.

Wonderful stories, even better narration.

Sometimes funny, sometimes heartwarming, sometimes sad, occasionally boring, always clever and charming. These are stories of a life well lived, and likely even better recalled.
Pinchot's performance is really incredible. This isn't just reading, it's acting. I might even listen to other books he's read simply because he's reading them.

Good stuff!

A great glimpse into American history, as Twain tells his own really interesting story (who knew it was so rich?). I'm not a big history buff, but Twain can tell a story and he's got lots of them, which makes fun! The narrator is really good as well - pleasure to listen to.

Funny, poignant, moving

A delightful selection from Twain's autobiography: a selection made by Twain himself, and read here in a wonderful performance by Bronson Pinchot. If you're interested in what Twain had to say about himself, but don't feel up to the full autobiography (which will amount to something like a million words when publication is complete), this is a highly entertaining, diverting, and at times moving, alternative. The selections capture the random nature of Twain's dictation. They shy away from his scathing denunciations of the human race: the emphasis here is on humor, affection, and poignancy. Some of the most affecting moments involve Twain's extensive quotes from a biography of him written by his daughter Suzy, who had been long dead when Twain began the autobiography. Pinchot (as I think somebody else said here) makes it sound like Twain is sitting in your living room, smoking a cigar and holding forth rapturously.

Extraordinary Journals of Mark Twain

This book gives interesting first-person information about the man we call, Mark Twain. Taken from his personal journals, Mark Twain shares his world view and humorous observations.
Enjoyable read with a bit of the extraordinary.

I highly recommend this book.

Great book by Mark Twain with and excellent performance by Bronson Pinchot. I highly recommend listening to it.

Amazing performance from Bronson Pinchot.

I don't know what Mark Twain sounded like, but this sounds right to me. Mark Twain was a very successful lecturer, so he must have been entertaining to listen to, this reading is one of the best I have heard in years of recorded books. I hope Bronson Pinchot can work his way through the Twain catalog. He could really make "The Innocents Abroad" come alive.