Mark Twain's Library of Humor

By: Mark Twain, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Harriet Beecher Stowe

Narrated by: Richard Russ, Marni Webb

Master wit Mark Twain selected these 27 stories himself by 15 of his favorite 19th-century authors. The order follows that which Twain placed them in in the original anthology, published in 1888. He indulged his comic fancy rather than making a textbook in which all themes or authors are placed together, saying that "This way you will have to peruse the whole thing before discovering that one of your favorites is not included." However, it is no joke that these are the authors represented: Charles Dudley Warner, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Eugene Field, William D. Howells, James M. Bailey, Joel Chandler Harris, Katherine Kent Child Walker, Robert J. Burdette, Sam Davis, Artemus Ward, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Francis Lee Pratt, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Frederick W. Cozzens, and Twain himself.

Public Domain (P)1996 The Audio Partners Publishing

Mixed bag

Good stories, some of which are well narrated, but not as interesting as the title suggests. These are mainly stories by other authors, not Twain. And while some are quite good, others are downright boring. OK for historical perspective.

Kind of a humor anthology

If you're looking for a collection of Mark Twain humor, know that this isn't solely Mark Twain's work. This is a collection of humorous works put together by him.

Be prepared to grow your vocabulary a bit, you'll likely need to look some words up. Also the time period is pre-Civil War. These are not criticisms; just so you know this isn't 20th century humor.

The narration is excellent in my opinion. The readers actually understand the material and give life to the characters and voices.

Must Read Period Peice

Where does Mark Twain's Library of Humor rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Upper Mid.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Twain, talented expression of the times.

Which character – as performed by Marni Webb and Richard Russ – was your favorite?

The guy who slept alone in a warm bed.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not yet.

Any additional comments?

No