Mark Twain

De: Ron Chernow

Narrado por: Jason Culp

The #1 New York Times Bestseller!

“Comprehensive, enthralling . . . Mark Twain flows like the Mississippi River, its prose propelled by Mark Twain’s own exuberance.”—The Boston Globe

“Chernow writes with such ease and clarity . . . For all its length and detail, [Mark Twain] is deeply absorbing throughout.”—The Washington Post

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow illuminates the full, fascinating, and complex life of the writer long celebrated as the father of American literature, Mark Twain

Before he was Mark Twain, he was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Born in 1835, the man who would become America’s first, and most influential, literary celebrity spent his childhood dreaming of piloting steamboats on the Mississippi. But when the Civil War interrupted his career on the river, the young Twain went west to the Nevada Territory and accepted a job at a local newspaper, writing dispatches that attracted attention for their brashness and humor. It wasn’t long before the former steamboat pilot from Missouri was recognized across the country for his literary brilliance, writing under a pen name that he would immortalize.

In this richly nuanced portrait of Mark Twain, acclaimed biographer Ron Chernow brings his considerable powers to bear on a man who shamelessly sought fame and fortune, and crafted his persona with meticulous care. After establishing himself as a journalist, satirist, and lecturer, he eventually settled in Hartford with his wife and three daughters, where he went on to write The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He threw himself into the hurly-burly of American culture, and emerged as the nation’s most notable political pundit. At the same time, his madcap business ventures eventually bankrupted him; to economize, Twain and his family spent nine eventful years in exile in Europe. He suffered the death of his wife and two daughters, and the last stage of his life was marked by heartache, political crusades, and eccentric behavior that sometimes obscured darker forces at play.

Drawing on Twain’s bountiful archives, including thousands of letters and hundreds of unpublished manuscripts, Chernow masterfully captures the man whose career reflected the country’s westward expansion, industrialization, and foreign wars, and who was the most important white author of his generation to grapple so fully with the legacy of slavery. Today, more than one hundred years after his death, Twain’s writing continues to be read, debated, and quoted. In this brilliant work of scholarship, a moving tribute to the writer’s talent and humanity, Chernow reveals the magnificent and often maddening life of one of the most original characters in American history.

©2025 Ron Chernow (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Chernow writes with such ease and clarity . . . For all its length and detail, [Mark Twain] is deeply absorbing throughout.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“A rollicking and comprehensive portrait of Samuel Clemens, otherwise known as Mark Twain, the humorist and orator who turned a frontiersman’s wit into an American legacy.”—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair

“Chernow’s biography avoids the trap of idolizing Twain and gives an honest assessment of the author’s life, including his flaws and contradictions . . . Chernow’s willingness to give readers the unvarnished truth about Twain makes the biography stand out, as does his ability to simultaneously explore the historical and literary context of Twain’s writing . . . The recurring theme of Chernow’s biography is Twain’s love affair with the written word, and it ably demonstrates the impact that relationship had on a nation.”—Associated Press

Pretty long

I love Chernow’s books, including this one, but thought this one got a little longer than it needed to be. Twain had a complicated and, I think, sad life and was a complex man who treated many of those around him poorly. This biography made me like him a little less than I did before reading the book. It’s worth a read for the simple fact that it shows how much a man’s public image can differ from the private life he’s leading.
The reader quoted Twain using a voice that sounded like what I suspected he would, and I did enjoy that.

A Towering Figure

Ron Chernow has produced an epic masterpiece of biography. The audio performance is exemplary. What a treasure.

Outstanding biography of a complex man

Ron Chernow has written a fascinating biography of Mark Twain. He goes into great detail of Twain's public life and published writings, illustrating his points with wonderful Twain quotes.

But Chernow also delves into Twain's much less well known private life, diaries, and correspondence. We get a wonderfully complete portrait of Twain, "warts and all." I can't recommend this book enough.

Classic Chernow

Fans of American literature should feel grateful that Chernow took on Mark Twain given the associations and protestations that he elicits today, some for good reason. The scholarship is exemplary, and his writing style is effortless for weaving together a volume of information into a conversational narrative that continues to impress as the hours roll by. One disappointing choice in the audio production lies in the decision for the narrator to affect Southern accents for various people, chiefly Twain. While some may see this as a theatrical flourish or simply to be expected, it is a polarizing choice for such a long audiobook. If this were a 10 hour book, the affected southern drawl would be less of an issue, but this is 44 hours. The audiobook producers should have considered this polarizing choice and scaled back the theatrical style or left it out altogether. It is nearly a dealbreaker, even for a huge Chernow fan.

Another great book

Yes the book is long. But I happen to like long books. He takes me back in time and there's so much research left behind about this man. Every life is a story. Every one of his books for me tells me their story. Since I read Rockefeller,I have read all his books and look forward to his next Book.

Mark Twain stood for so much more than I realized

The 44 hours, though daunting, were so well-read and so interesting that time flew by. The author does not minimize Twain‘s flaws, but makes him very human. The last quarter of his life was unknown to me, but so interesting.

Well-researched and detailed

The book thoroughly describes Twain's personality, family hardshups, and financial woes. If you want to know every aspect of Twain's life, this is the book for you. However, the book would have benefited with less exploration of some aspects of his life, and a greater focus on literary criticism.

Exceptional

Mark Twain

By Ron Chernow

I have previously read Ron Chernow’s biography of Ulysses S. Grant, which I now see as the most even handed, authoritative account of Grant’s life. It is no surprise to me that Chernow found it necessary to write Mark Twain’s life, as Grant and Twain’s lives, beyond all reason, became intertwined.
I learned a great deal I did not know about Samuel Clemons. His path and maturation is almost a mirror of the same for America. He started life with pre Civil War southern racism, and ended it quite the opposite. He dealt with depression and self doubt, which you do not find evidenced in his writings. His family life was worthy of Peyton Place, and he was accused of pedophilia in his later years.
You will not find more than incidental references to his books, as the focus is more his life than a bibliography.
Very interesting and worth the time.

Great book, complicated man.

Why are all of my heroes such weird sad men? What does that say about me? What does that say about life?

Ron Chernow does it again!

I read a negative review of this book in the NYT Book Review, but having listened to other books by Chernow, I was not deterred.
I am so glad I wasn't. I learned so much about Twain and his family, etc. The reader did a great job voicing all of the many people in Twain's life.