M twain when. Important dates in Twain's biography

1835

1839

1847

IN 1853

IN 1857

1858

Mark Twain's real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Sam Clemens was born on November 30 1835 year in Florida, Missouri. Two weeks before Sam was born, Halley's Comet was at its closest approach to the Earth.

Sam was the sixth of seven children in the family of John and Jane Clemens, but only four of them survived. IN 1839 When Samuel was four years old, his family moved to the small port town of Hannibal on the Mississippi River in the same state of Missouri. It was here that the future writer spent his childhood. Hannibal was later described more than once by Mark Twain in his works under the fictitious name of St. Petersburg, including in the famous book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

Sam's father, a lawyer and judge, died of pneumonia in 1847 year. A year later, twelve-year-old Samuel gets a job as a printer's apprentice at the local newspaper Hannibal Journal, which was published by his older brother, Orion Clemens. Over the next few years, Sam not only mastered the skill of a typesetter, but also became the author of a number of articles and humorous sketches published in the newspaper.

IN 1853 year, Samuel Clemens left his hometown and traveled around the country, working in printing houses in New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Cincinnati. Sam is actively engaged in self-education, spending his evenings reading books in public libraries.

IN 1857 The future author of Life on the Mississippi returns to his homeland and gets a job as an apprentice pilot on a river steamer plying the great American Mississippi River. Two years later, having perfectly studied all the intricacies of a difficult craft and more than three thousand kilometers of the channel of a changeable river, Sam Clemens received a pilot's license.

Samuel wanted him to work on the river with him. younger brother, Henry. However, Henry died in June 1858 year due to a boiler explosion on a steamship. Mark Twain said later that he foresaw this death; he dreamed about it a month before the disaster. This incident, combined with feelings of guilt over the death of his brother, sparked Mark Twain's interest in parapsychology. Twain later became one of the first members of the Society for Psychical Research, which studied the phenomena of mesmerism, telepathy and other paranormal phenomena.

Sam Clemens worked on riverboats before 1861 years when, due to the outbreak of the American Civil War, traffic along the Mississippi sharply decreased.

It was from the time he worked as a pilot that Mark Twain took his world-famous known pseudonym. "Mark twain" in the slang of Mississippi pilots meant "measure two", that is, a depth of two fathoms, the minimum required for the passage of river vessels.

IN 1861 In the same year, Mark Twain's older brother Orion Clemens entered the service as secretary to the governor of the newly created Nevada Territory, James Nye. Mark Twain also went to the West of the United States with his brother. A stagecoach trip across the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, a visit to the Mormon community in Salt Lake City, and other impressions from the trip later served as material for the autobiographical book “Light.”

For some time, Mark Twain tried to mine silver in the town of Virginia City, Nevada. However, the prospector's career did not work out, and Twain soon got a job at the city newspaper Territorial Enterprise. It was in this newspaper that readers first saw the name that became famous - Mark Twain. He signed the document published on February 3 1863 year story "Letter from Carson".

IN 1864 Mark Twain moved to San Francisco, California, where he continued his career as a journalist, working simultaneously for several newspapers. IN 1865 year the first comes to Mark Twain literary success- On November 18, the New York literary weekly The Saturday Press published the story “The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras.” The story was liked by both readers and critics; it was reprinted by many publications across the country.

A year later, in 1865 , Mark Twain traveled as a correspondent for the Sacramento Union newspaper to the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii). His essays about this journey, regularly published in the newspaper, were very popular. After returning from the islands, Mark Twain traveled around California giving lectures about his journey, invariably attracting full audiences.

IN 1867 year Twain goes on a trip again. Now he is going on a grand tour of Europe and the Middle East, during which he visits, among other places, Odessa, Yalta and Sevastopol. The result of the trip is the book “Innocents Abroad,” which immediately made Mark Twain famous.

It was during this trip that Mark Twain met his future brother-in-law, Charles Langdon. Seeing a photograph of his sister, Olivia, Twain, according to him in my own words, fell in love at first sight. Mark and Olivia met in 1868 year, a year later they announced their engagement and 1870 got married in the year.

Olivia was from a "rich but liberal family." Among her friends, who also became Mark Twain's friends, were abolitionists, socialists, atheists, and women's rights activists.

Samuel and Olivia Clemens were married for thirty-four years, until Olivia's death in 1904 year.

The young family lived in Buffalo, New York, where Twain worked for the Buffalo Express newspaper and 1871 moved to Hartford, Connecticut. In Hartford, Twain organized the construction of a house in which the Clemens lived until 1891 of the year. It was here that Samuel and Olivia's daughters, Susan, were born 1872 - 1896 ), Clara ( 1874 - 1962 ) and Jane ( 1880 - 1909 ) (another child, Langdon, born in 1870 year, died of diphtheria at the age of one and a half years).

In Hartford, Mark Twain wrote his most famous books: "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" ( 1876 year), "The Prince and the Pauper" ( 1881 year), "Life on the Mississippi" ( 1883 year), "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" ( 1884 year), "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" ( 1889 year).

Twain was always very interested in the achievements of science and technology. He was a close friend of the famous inventor Nikola Tesla and spent a lot of time in his laboratory. Twain also communicated with Thomas Edison. Mark Twain even received several patents, including “Improved Adjustable, Removable Garment Straps” (a kind of suspenders).

Twain's love of science is clearly visible in the book A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which tells the story of the triumph of progress and laid the foundation for the genre of alternative history.

IN 1907 Mark Twain was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Oxford University.

Twain was never a successful financier. With fairly large income from writing, Mark Twain invested his money very unwisely. For example, he spent more than three hundred thousand dollars (about seven and a half million in today) to create a mechanical typesetting machine, which was never put into production. His endeavors in publishing were also unsuccessful. IN 1893 Samuel Clemens was declared bankrupt. Significant assistance in financial matters was given to Mark Twain by his friend Henry Rogers, director of the Standard Oil company. Twain took his creditors very seriously and did not rest until he repaid his debts.

The last years of Mark Twain's life were overshadowed by deep depression caused by the deaths of his closest relatives. IN 1896 year his daughter Susan died of meningitis, 1904 wife Olivia died 1909 daughter Jane died.

IN 1909 Twain said: "I came into the world with Halley's Comet in 1835 year. She will come again next year, and I want to leave the world with her. If this doesn't happen, it will be the most big disappointment in my life. We came together, we must leave together."

April 21 1910 year, the day after Halley's Comet made its closest approach to the Earth, Mark Twain died of a heart attack.

Upon learning of Twain's death, US President William Taft said: "Mark Twain gave pleasure - real intellectual pleasure - to millions. His works will continue to give such pleasure to millions ... His humor was American, but it was also appreciated by the British and representatives of other countries ... He forever became part of American literature."

Samuel Clemens is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, New York. A monument two fathoms high was erected on his grave, a tribute to his famous pseudonym. But perhaps the most the best monument- these are his books that remain with us forever.

Mark Twain is an American writer, journalist and public figure. His work is full of sharp humor and satire, but he wrote many works in the genre of journalism and philosophical fiction.

Dozens of feature and animated films have been made based on Twain’s novels and stories, and his “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is known all over the world.

There were many interesting events in Twain, which we will tell you about right now.

So, in front of you short biography Mark Twain.

Biography of Twain

Mark Twain (real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens) was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida (Missouri, USA).

On his birthday, Halley's Comet flew over the Earth. An interesting fact is that on the day of the writer’s death, the same comet will sweep over the Earth again.

Mark Twain's father, John Marshall, was a judge, and his mother, Jane Lampton, was a housewife. However, despite the father’s seemingly good position, the family experienced serious financial difficulties.

In this regard, the Clemens family decided to move to the shipping city of Hannibal. It was this small town with its attractions that left many pleasant and warm memories in the memory of the future writer, playing an important role in Twain’s biography.

Childhood and youth

When Twain was 12 years old, his father died of pneumonia, leaving behind many debts. For this reason, the children had to leave school and go to work.

Soon, Twain's older brother began publishing a newspaper. As a result, Mark began working there as a typesetter. It was then that the young man began to sometimes write his own articles.

At the age of 18, Twain went on a trip to the cities of America.

During this period of his biography, he developed a special interest in. He for a long time spends in libraries reading different genres.

Over time, Mark Twain becomes a pilot on the ship. In his own words, he really liked this profession, requiring care and knowledge of the fairway.

However, when it began in 1861 Civil War, private shipping declined. As a result, the guy had to look for another job.

Creative biography of Twain

Over time, Mark Twain goes to the Wild West to mine precious metals. Despite the fact that the mines did not make him rich, during this period of his biography he managed to compose several witty stories.

In 1863, the writer signed his books for the first time with the pseudonym Mark Twain, taken from shipping practice. In the future, he will publish all his works only under this name, and it is with this name that he will go down in the history of world literature.

The debut work in Twain's biography was “The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras.” This humorous story gained great popularity throughout America.

After this, Twain began to actively engage in writing. He was offered cooperation by many reputable publications, who wanted them to publish the works of the rising literary star.

Soon Mark discovers his gift as a speaker, and therefore he begins to speak frequently in different halls in front of large audiences. During this period of his biography, he meets his future wife Olivia, who was the sister of his friend.

Twain's works

At the peak of his popularity, Mark Twain wrote several books in the genre of realism, which received many positive reviews from critics.

In 1876, the famous story “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” came out from his pen, which brought him even greater popularity. Interestingly, it contained many autobiographical episodes from the author’s life.

After this, Mark Twain’s new historical novel “The Prince and the Pauper” is published. In America, the book was a stunning success. Later this work will translate, thanks to which Soviet citizens will be able to appreciate this wonderful novel.

In the mid-1880s, Mark Twain opened his own publishing house, in which he published the novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” He later published the best-selling book “Memoirs,” which he dedicated to American President Ulysses S. Grant.

Twain's printing house existed for about 10 years until it went completely bankrupt due to the economic crisis that began in the United States.

It is worth noting that latest works Twain, although they were quite popular, were no longer as successful as the first ones.

At this time, the writer’s biography experienced a peak of fame and recognition: he was awarded doctorates at various American universities and honored him in every possible way.

Friends of Mark Twain

Mark Twain was very interested. He had friendly relations with a famous inventor. Together with him, he could spend a long time in the laboratory, observing the research of the “Lightning Lord”.

Another close friend of Twain was oil tycoon Henry Rogers. It is interesting that by nature Henry was a very stingy person. However, after a long conversation with the writer, he changed dramatically.

The tycoon helped Mark Twain get rid of financial difficulties, and also began donating substantial sums of money to charity. Moreover, many of his donations became known only after Rogers’ death.

Death

In the last decade of his life, Mark Twain had to experience many tragedies associated with his family. He survived the death of three children and his wife Olivia, whom he loved very much.

Perhaps this is why during this period of his biography he finally lost faith in God and began to promote atheism. This was especially noticeable in the works “ A mysterious stranger" and "Letter from the Earth", published after the death of the classic.

Mark Twain is a writer who made great contributions to journalism and social activities. His creativity was not limited a certain direction. He wrote humorous and satirical works, journalism and even science fiction. On the other hand, the author always adhered to a democratic and humanistic position. The description of life should begin with the fact that Mark Twain’s real name is completely different. The initials by which he is known throughout the world are his pseudonym. The history of its origin is quite interesting. The real name of the writer is Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

The appearance of a pseudonym

How did the idea of ​​creating a different name come about? Samuel Clemens himself said that "Mark Twain" was taken from river navigation terminology. IN early years he held the position of assistant pilot on the Mississippi. Each time the message that the minimum mark had been reached, which was acceptable for the passage of river boats, sounded like “Mark Twain”. It turns out there is nothing unusual in this story.

However, there is another version why the writer changed his real name to Mark Twain. In 1861, the Northern Star magazine published a story written in a humorous direction by Artemus Ward. One of the main characters was named Mark Twain. Clemens really liked the humorous section, and for his early performances he chose stories from this particular author.

Childhood and adolescence

Samuel Clemens (real name Mark Twain) was born on November 30, 1835 in the small town of Florida, which was located in Missouri. When the boy was 4 years old, his parents, in search of a way to improve their lives, decided to move to the city of Hannibal. He was in the same state. The image of this particular town and its inhabitants was later reflected in most of Mark Twain’s published books.

Clemens's father died in 1847 from pneumonia, leaving a large number of debts To improve the family’s financial situation, the eldest son decided to publish a newspaper, to which he made a major contribution young Samuel. The boy was engaged in typing, and sometimes published as an author of articles. The most alive and interesting works were written by the future Mark Twain. Usually such materials were published when his brother was away. Clemens also traveled occasionally to St. Louis and New York.

Pre-literary activity

The biography of Mark Twain is interesting not only for his literary creations. Before devoting himself to the work of a writer, he worked as a pilot on a steamship ship. Clemens himself later said that if it had not been for the Civil War, he would have continued to work on the ship. Since private shipping was prohibited, the young man had to change his type of activity.

May 22, 1861 is marked in the biography of Mark Twain by the fact that he joined the Masonic fraternity. The writer knew firsthand about the people's militia, which he vividly described in 1861. In the summer of that year he went west. Interesting facts from his biography include his experience as a miner in Nevada, where silver was mined. But his mining career did not work out, so Clemens decided to try himself as a newspaper employee.

Beginning of a literary career

In a Virginia newspaper, Clemens (Mark Twain's real name was indicated just above) was first published under a pseudonym. In 1864, he moved to San Francisco, where he began collaborating with several newspapers at once. The year 1865 was marked by the fact that Mark Twain achieved his first success as a writer. His story, written in a humorous genre, was published and recognized as the best.

In the spring of 1866, Twain went on a trip to Hawaii. On behalf of the newspaper, he had to tell in letters about what happened to him during the trip. After returning to their native lands, these descriptions were a huge success. Soon the writer received an offer to go on a tour around the state with interesting lectures, which the public listened to with pleasure.

Publication of the first book

Twain received his first real recognition as a writer for another book, which also contained his travel stories. In 1867, he went to travel around Europe as a correspondent. Clemens also visited Russia: Odessa, Yalta, Sevastopol. Interesting facts about Mark Twain include his visit as part of a ship’s delegation, when he visited the residence of the Emperor of Russia.

The author sent his impressions to the editor, then they were published in the newspaper. Later they were combined into one book called "Simps Abroad." She was released in 1869, which immediately produced big success. Throughout his creative career, Twain visited Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

In 1870, when Mark Twain was at the height of his popularity, he married and moved to Buffalo, then to Hartford. At this time, the writer gave lectures not only in America, but also abroad. Afterwards he began to work in the genre of sharp satire, criticizing the American government.

Creative career

Mark Twain's books are still loved by readers all over the world. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn made the greatest contribution to American literature. It is difficult to find a person who would not be familiar with this work. “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “The Prince and the Pauper” and other books also enjoy popular love and success. Today they are in the home libraries of many families. Most of his public appearances and lectures have not survived.

Interesting facts about Mark Twain include the fact that some works were banned from publication by the writer himself during his lifetime. The lectures were interesting to listeners because Clemens had a talent for speaking in public. When he achieved fame and recognition, he began to look for young talents and helped them take their first steps in the literary field. The writer used useful contacts in literary circles and his own publishing company.

For example, he was very friendly with Nikola Tesla. Mark Twain was interested in science, which is confirmed by the descriptions of various technologies in the books. From time to time his works were banned by censorship. Some works that could offend people's religious feelings were not published at the request of the writer's family. Mark Twain himself, with his characteristic sense of humor, took censorship lightly.

The last years of the writer's life

Mark Twain experienced the loss of three of his four children and the death of his wife. Despite his depressed state, he never lost his ability to joke. His financial situation was not better condition. Most of savings were invested in new model machine, which was never released. The rights to Mark Twain's books were stolen by plagiarists.

In 1893, the writer was introduced to the famous oil magnate Henry Rogers. Soon their acquaintance grew into strong friendship. His death greatly upset Twain. Samuel Clemens, who is known throughout the world as Mark Twain, died on April 21, 1910. This is the same year that Halley's Comet passed by.

Mark Twain's biography is rich in bright events, ups and downs. However, he always treated everything with humor. And his contribution to literature - not only American, but also worldwide - is great. And now all the boys, and girls too, as well as adults, continue to read about the adventures of two mischievous children - Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

Mark Twain, real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Born November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri, USA - died April 21, 1910 in Redding, Connecticut, USA. American writer, journalist and public figure.

His work covers many genres - humor, satire, philosophical fiction, journalism and others, and in all these genres he invariably takes the position of a humanist and democrat.

William Faulkner wrote that Mark Twain was "the first truly American writer, and we have all been his heirs since then,” and Ernest Hemingway believed that all modern American literature came from one book by Mark Twain, called “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Of the Russian writers, Mark Twain was especially warmly spoken of by.

Clemens claimed that the pseudonym "Mark Twain" was taken by him in his youth from river navigation terms. Then he was an assistant pilot on the Mississippi, and the cry of “mark twain” (literally - “mark two”) meant that, according to the mark on the lotline, the minimum depth suitable for the passage of river vessels had been reached - 2 fathoms (about 3 .7 m).

However, there is a version about literary origin of this pseudonym: in 1861, Vanity Fair magazine published Artemus Ward's humorous story "North Star" about three sailors, one of whom was named Mark Twain. Samuel was very fond of the humorous section of this magazine and read Ward's works in his first stand-up performances.

In addition to “Mark Twain,” Clemens once signed in 1896 as “Sieur Louis de Conte” (French: Sieur Louis de Conte) - under this name he published his novel “Personal Memoirs of Joan of Arc of Sieur Louis de Conte, her page and secretary."

Samuel Clemens born November 30, 1835 in a small town in Florida (Missouri, USA). He later joked that being born increased its population by one percent. He was the third of four surviving children of John and Jane Clemens. When Sam was still a child, the family moved to the city of Hannibal (also in Missouri) in search of a better life. It was this city and its inhabitants that were later described by Mark Twain in his famous works, especially in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

Clemens's father died of pneumonia in 1847, leaving him with many debts. The eldest son, Orion, soon began publishing a newspaper, and Sam began to contribute to it as a typesetter and sometimes as an article writer. Some of the newspaper's liveliest and most controversial articles came from the pen of the younger brother - usually when Orion was away. Sam himself also occasionally traveled to St. Louis and New York.

A profession that, according to Clemens himself, he would have been engaged in all his life if the Civil War had not put an end to private shipping in 1861. So Clemens was forced to look for another job.

Twain entered Freemasonry at North Star Lodge No. 79 in St. Louis on May 22, 1861. During one of his travels, he sent a “gavel” from Palestine to his lodge, to which was attached a letter in a humorous spirit. Twain informed his brothers that “The handle of the hammer was carved by Brother Clemens from the trunk of a cedar of Lebanon, planted in due time by Brother Geoffrey of Bouillon near the walls of Jerusalem.”

After a short acquaintance with the people's militia (he colorfully described this experience in 1885), Clemens left the war west in July 1861. Then his brother Orion was offered the position of secretary to the governor of the Nevada Territory. Sam and Orion traveled for two weeks across the prairies in a stagecoach to a Virginia mining town where silver was being mined in Nevada.

The experience of living in the Western United States shaped Twain as a writer and formed the basis of his second book. In Nevada, hoping to get rich, Sam Clemens became a miner and began mining for silver. He had to live for a long time in a camp with other miners - a lifestyle he later described in literature.

But Clemens could not become a successful prospector; he had to leave silver mining and get a job at the Territorial Enterprise newspaper there, in Virginia. In this newspaper he first used the pseudonym "Mark Twain".

In 1864, he moved to San Francisco, where he began writing for several newspapers at the same time.

In 1865, Twain had his first literary success; his humorous story “The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras” was reprinted throughout the country and called “ best work humorous literature created in America up to this point."

In the spring of 1866, Twain was sent by the Sacramento Union newspaper to Hawaii. As the journey progressed, he had to write letters about his adventures.

Upon returning to San Francisco, these letters were a resounding success. Colonel John McComb, publisher of the Alta California newspaper, invited Twain to tour the state giving fascinating lectures. The lectures immediately became wildly popular, and Twain traveled throughout the state, entertaining the public and collecting a dollar from each listener.

Twain achieved his first success as a writer on another journey. In 1867, he begged Colonel McComb to sponsor his trip to Europe and the Middle East. In June, As a correspondent for Alta California and the New York Tribune, Twain traveled to Europe on the Quaker City.. In August, he also visited Odessa, Yalta and Sevastopol (the “Odessa Bulletin” of August 24, 1867 contains the “Address” of American tourists, written by Twain). As part of the ship's delegation, Mark Twain visited the residence of the Russian Emperor in Livadia.

Letters written by Twain during his travels through Europe and Asia were sent to his editor and published in the newspaper, and later formed the basis of the book "Simps Abroad". The book was published in 1869, distributed by subscription and was a huge success. Until the very end of his life, many knew Twain precisely as the author of “Simps Abroad.” For my writing career Twain had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

In 1870, at the height of the success of Simpletons Abroad, Twain married Olivia Langdon and moved to Buffalo, New York. From there he moved to Hartford (Connecticut). During this period he often lectured in the USA and England. Then he began to write sharp satire, sharply criticizing American society and politicians, this is especially noticeable in the collection "Life on the Mississippi", written in 1883.

One of the things that inspired Mark Twain was the writing style of John Ross Brown.

Twain's greatest contribution to American and world literature considered a novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". Also very popular "Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "Prince and the Pauper", "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" and collection autobiographical stories "Life on the Mississippi".

Mark Twain began his career with unpretentious humorous couplets, and ended with sketches of human morals full of subtle irony, sharply satirical pamphlets on socio-political topics and philosophically deep and, at the same time, very pessimistic reflections on the fate of civilization.

Many public performance and the lectures were lost or were not written down, certain works and letters were banned from publication by the author himself during his lifetime and for decades after his death.

Twain was an excellent speaker. Having gained recognition and fame, Mark Twain devoted a lot of time to searching for young literary talents and helping them break through, using his influence and the publishing company he acquired.

Twain was interested in science and scientific problems. He was very friendly with, they spent a lot of time together in Tesla's laboratory. In his work “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court,” Twain introduced time travel, as a result of which many modern technologies were introduced in England during the time of King Arthur.

The technical details given in the novel indicate good acquaintance Twain with the achievements of contemporary science.

Mark Twain's other two most famous hobbies were playing billiards and smoking a pipe. Visitors to Twain's house sometimes said that there was such thick tobacco smoke in the writer's office that the owner himself could hardly be seen.

Twain was a prominent figure in the American Anti-Imperial League, which protested the American annexation of the Philippines. In response to these events, in which approximately 600 people died, Twain wrote a pamphlet, The Philippine Incident, but the work was not published until 1924, 14 years after his death.

From time to time, some of Twain's works were banned by American censors for various reasons. This was mainly due to the active civic and social position of the writer. Twain did not publish some works that could offend people's religious feelings at the request of his family. For example, "The Mysterious Stranger" remained unpublished until 1916.

One of Twain's most controversial works was a humorous lecture at a Paris club, published under the title "Reflections on the Science of Onanism". Central idea The lecture was: “If you have to risk your life on the sexual front, then don’t masturbate too much.” The essay was published only in 1943 in a limited edition of 50 copies. Several more anti-religious works remained unpublished until the 1940s.

Twain himself treated censorship with irony. When in 1885 public library in Massachusetts decided to withdraw The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the fund, Twain wrote to his publisher: "They kicked Huck out of the library as 'slum trash,' and we'll no doubt sell another 25,000 copies because of that.".

In the 2000s, attempts were again made in the United States to ban the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn due to naturalistic descriptions and verbal expressions offensive to blacks. Although Twain was an opponent of racism and imperialism and went much further in his rejection of racism than his contemporaries, many words that were in common use in Mark Twain's time and used by him in the novel do now sound like racial slurs.

В феврале 2011 года в США вышло первое издание книг Марка Твена «Приключения Гекльберри Финна» и «Приключения Тома Сойера», в котором подобные слова и выражения заменены на политкорректные (например, слово «nigger» (негр) заменено по тексту на «slave» (slave)).

Before his death in 1910, he suffered the loss of three of his four children and his wife Olivia. In their later years Twain was deeply depressed, but he could still joke.

In response to an erroneous obituary in the New York Journal, he made his famous phrase: “Rumors of my death are somewhat exaggerated”.

Twain's financial situation also shook: his publishing company went bankrupt, he invested a lot of money in a new model of a printing press, which was never put into production. Plagiarists stole the rights to several of his books.

In 1893, Twain was introduced to an oil magnate Henry Rogers, one of the directors of the Standard Oil company. Rogers helped Twain reorganize his financial affairs profitably, and they became close friends. Twain often visited Rogers, they drank and played poker. You could say that Twain even became a member of the family for the Rogers.

Sudden death Rogers in 1909 was deeply shocked by Twain. Although Mark Twain publicly thanked Rogers many times for saving him from financial ruin, it became clear that their friendship was mutually beneficial. Apparently, Twain had a significant influence on softening the tough temper of the oil tycoon, who had the nickname “Cerberus Rogers.” After Rogers' death, his papers showed that his friendship with famous writer made a real philanthropist and philanthropist out of a ruthless miser. During his friendship with Twain, Rogers began to actively support education, organizing educational programs, especially for African Americans and talented people with limited physical capabilities.

Twain died on April 21, 1910 from angina pectoris. A year before his death, he said: “I came in 1835 with Halley’s Comet, a year later it comes again, and I expect to leave with it.” And so it happened.

Twain is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, New York.

In the city of Hannibal, Missouri, the house where Twain played as a boy has been preserved, and the caves that he explored as a child and which were later described in the famous “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” are now visited by tourists. Mark Twain's house in Hartford has been turned into his personal museum and declared a national historical treasure in the United States.

A crater on Mercury is named after Twain. The only street in Russia named after Mark Twain is located in Volgograd.

Political Views Mark Twain:

Mark Twain's views on the ideal form of government and political regime can be found by reading his speech “The Knights of Labor - a New Dynasty,” which he delivered on March 22, 1886 in Hartford, at a meeting of the Monday Night Club. This speech, entitled “The New Dynasty,” was first published in September 1957 in New England Quarterly.

Mark Twain took the position that power should belong to the people and the people alone: “The power of one person over others means oppression - invariably and always oppression; perhaps not always conscious, deliberate, deliberate, not always harsh, or heavy, or cruel, or indiscriminate - but one way or another - always oppression in one form or another. Whoever you give power to, it will certainly manifest itself in oppression. Give power to the king of Dahomey - and he will immediately begin to test the accuracy of his brand new rapid-fire rifle on everyone who passes by his palace; people will fall one after another, but neither he nor his courtiers and it will not even occur to you that he is doing something inappropriate. Give power to the head of the Christian church in Russia - the emperor - and with one wave of his hand, as if driving away midges, he will send countless young men, mothers with babies in their arms, gray-haired elders and young girls into the unimaginable hell of his Siberia, and calmly go to breakfast, not even realizing what barbarity he has just committed. Give power to Constantine or Edward IV, or Peter the Great, or Richard III - I could name a hundred more monarchs - and they will kill their closest relatives, after which they will fall asleep perfectly, even without sleeping pills... Give power to anyone - and this power will oppress".

The first are few - the king, a handful of other overseers and assistants, and the second are many - these are the peoples of the world: the best representatives of humanity, working people - those who earn bread with their labor. Twain believed that all the rulers who had so far ruled the world sympathized with and patronized the classes and clans of gilded loafers, clever embezzlers, tireless intriguers, troublemakers, thinking only about their own benefit.

Mark Twain and religion:

Twain's wife, a deeply religious Protestant (Congregationalist), was never able to “convert” her husband, although he tried to avoid sensitive topics during her lifetime. Quite a few of Twain's novels (for example, A Yankee in King Arthur's Court) contain extremely harsh attacks on catholic church. IN last years Twain wrote many stories on religious themes in which he ridiculed the Protestant ethic (for example, “Curious Bessie”).

From posthumously published materials it is clear that Mark Twain was infinitely far from any existing religious denomination. He summed up his views in 1906 in “Reflections on Religion”: "Now let's talk about the true God, the real God, the great God, the highest and supreme god, the true creator of the real universe... - a universe not hand-made for an astronomical nursery, but arose in the limitless extent of space at the command of the just mentioned real God, a God unimaginably great and majestic, compared with whom all other gods, swarming in myriads in the pitiful in the human imagination, are like a swarm of mosquitoes lost in the infinity of the empty sky...

As we explore the countless wonders, splendor, brilliance and perfection of this infinite universe(now we know that the universe is infinite) and we are convinced that everything in it, from a stalk of grass to the forest giants of California, from an unknown mountain stream to a boundless ocean, from the course of ebbs and flows to the majestic movement of planets, unquestioningly obeys a strict system of precise, not knowing exceptions to laws, we comprehend - we do not assume, we do not conclude, but we comprehend - that God, who with a single thought created this incredible complex world, and with another thought he created the laws that govern him - this God is endowed with limitless power...

Do we know that he is just, gracious, kind, meek, merciful, compassionate? No. We have no evidence that he possesses at least one of these qualities - and at the same time, every day that comes brings us hundreds of thousands of evidence - no, not evidence, but irrefutable evidence - that he does not possess any of them .

Due to his complete absence of any of those qualities that could adorn a god, inspire respect for him, arouse reverence and worship, the real god, the true god, the creator of the vast universe is no different from all the other gods available. Every day he makes it absolutely clear that he is not at all interested in man or other animals - except in order to torture them, destroy them and extract some kind of entertainment from this activity, while doing everything possible to prevent his eternal and unchanging monotony he didn't get tired of it".

Bibliography of Mark Twain:

"The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras", collection of stories (1867)
"The Story of Mamie Grant, Missionary Girl" (1868)
"Innocents Abroad, or the Path of New Pilgrims" (1869)
"The Tempered" (1871), Russian translation under the title "Light" (1959)
The Gilded Age (1873), co-written with C. D. Warner
"Old and New Sketches" (1875), collection of short stories
"Old Times on the Mississippi" (1875)
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876)
"The Prince and the Pauper" (1881)
"Life on the Mississippi" (1883)
"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884)
“Knights of Labor - a new dynasty” (1886)
"Letter from a Guardian Angel" (1887), published 1946
"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1889)
"Adam's Diary" (1893)
"Simp Wilson" (1894)
“Personal Memoirs of Joan of Arc by Sieur Louis de Comte, Her Page and Secretary” (1896)
"School Hill", left unfinished (1898)
"The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg" (1900)
"Deal with Satan" (1904)
"Eve's Diary" (1905)
“Three thousand years among microbes (Biography of a microbe with notes written by the same hand seven thousand years later). Translation from Microbial Mark Twain. 1905" (1905)
"Letters from Earth" (1909)
“No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger. An ancient manuscript found in a jug. Free translation from a jug", remained unfinished (1902-1908)

The great writer was born on November 30, 1835 in the small town of Florida in the southern United States, on the banks of the Mississippi River. Real name: Samuel Lenhorne Clemens.

Samuel was the sixth child in the family. When he was four years old, his family moved to the small town of Hannibal. When Samuel was 12 years old, his father died of pneumonia and in order to somehow survive, the boy had to leave school and earn money. He got a job in a publishing house. He really liked this work and he and his brother began publishing newspapers, first in their hometown, then moved to Iowa. There was not enough money, and in 1857 future writer returned home and became a pilot's apprentice - this was his childhood dream. In 1859, Samuel Lanhorn received his pilot's license, had a high salary and enjoyed his work. Sam served on ships for many years and it was here that he found his literary pseudonym.

At the age of 18 he already knew C. Dickens, W.M. Thackeray, W Scott, Disraeli, E. Poe. But most of all he valued W. Shakespeare and M. de Cervantes.

In 1861, he was forced to become a Confederate soldier because the war between the North and South began at that time. But after two weeks, Samuel deserts and heads west, to his brother in Nevada. Here he works in a silver mine and writes humorous stories for the Territorial Enterprise newspaper in Virginia City. In 1862, he received an invitation to work at the same publishing house and looked for a pseudonym for himself. Thus, a writer was born who managed to gain worldwide significance with his work.

The writer learned the skills of a humorist, he loved to tease the audience, told things that were not in the title, and made illogical, absurd conclusions. But, despite this, he was a realist in his stories, and also the first and worthwhile realist in American literature.

One of the most famous stories young writer, there was a piece called "A Journalist in Tennessee" that made people laugh until they cried.

Mark Twain's early works were cheerful, mischievous and mocking, which amazed their readers. Twain lived by the ideas of his country and his time. He was convinced that America had a great future.

Mark Twain came to literature late. He became a professional journalist at the age of 27. The writer published his first book at the age of 34. His early publications were published from the age of 17 and were characterized by the rough humor of the American outback. Samuel tried to write with humor, otherwise he would get tired quickly. In 1866, after a trip to Hawaii, there was a transformation from an amateur to a real professional. In Hawaii, his job was to write letters to the editor about his trip while traveling. Mark Twain's recordings, published after his return, were a stunning success.

For several years, he has been traveling to newspapers, earning money by publicly reading humorous stories. During a Mediterranean cruise on the Quaker City, he collected material for his first book, Innocents Abroad. In 1870, he married Olivia Langdon, the sister of his friend Charles Langdon, whom he met while on a cruise.

In 1871, Twain and his family settled in Hartford, Connecticut.

Samuel Clemens's next successful book was The Gilded Age, which he wrote with Charles Warner.

And in 1876 the world saw A new book Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", which made the author not only a famous American writer, but also forever brought his name into the history of world literature. After completing the Tom Sawyer book, Sam began work on historical book about the English Middle Ages - “The Prince and the Pauper” (1882).

Needing money, the writer accepted the offer and went with his family to Germany. For almost two years he has been traveling through Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France and England. He will tell about his journey in the book “Walking in Europe.”

In 1883, Mark Twain published the book Life on the Mississippi, in which he plays a leading role central image a free, powerful river that becomes, powerful artistic symbol unlimited freedom. Many sections of this book are devoted to the secrets of this profession, its romance.

Until 1884, the writer was already famous writer and a successful businessman. He created a publishing company, nominally headed by C.L. Webster, the husband of his niece. One of the first books published by this publishing house was his “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The book with which “all American literature came out,” which, according to critics, became the best in the writer’s work, since it was conceived as a continuation of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” Mark Twain created this work for almost 10 years. In this book, for the first time in American literature, he used the colloquial speech of the American outback. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" became a turning point in creative evolution Twain. It was this book that turned the cheerful humorist into a bitter satirist.

In 1889, the satirical masterpiece A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was published. The writer called this work “a parable about progress,” which reflects the painful process of his spiritual search, contradictions and bitterness of insight. It seemed to contemporaries that they were facing a new social utopia. But, for Twain, this was the way for a new genre - dystopia, in which literary parody was combined with philosophical grotesquery, and in form it resembled an adventure novel.

In 1893–1894, during the economic crisis, the writer’s business could not withstand a severe blow and went bankrupt. In 1898, he managed to negotiate with creditors to defer payment of debts. During this time, Mark Twain wrote several works, including historical prose - “Personal Memoirs of Joan of Arc” (1896), as well as “Razziava Wilson” (1894), “Tom Sawyer Abroad” (1894) and “Tom Sawyer -detective" (1896). But none of these works could achieve more success than other books that have been written before.

In 1896, while he and his wife were traveling around the world to write another book, Along the Equator (1897), his beloved daughter Susie died. Soon I became seriously ill youngest daughter, a year later my older brother died.

By the end XIX century In the USA they begin to publish a collection of Mark Twain's works, thereby reducing him to the category of writers of days long past. But, no longer a young writer, he was not going to give up. At the beginning of the 20th century, Samuel published works in which he revealed untruth and injustice: “The Man Walking in Darkness,” “Monologue of the King,” “Monologue of King Leopold, in Defense of His Dominion in the Congo.”

In 1901, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Yale University. He was very proud of this title.

In 1904, Samuel lost his wife.

The writer accepted the blow of fate, responding to it with an avalanche of essays, political and critical articles, numerous speeches and sharp pamphlets.

Among the publications last period The story “The Man Who Corrupted Hedleyburg” (1899) was an impeccable success, filled with evil humor, in which fundamentals being.

Mark Twain had long wanted to write his autobiography, but in 1906 he got a personal secretary, A.B. Payne, who really wants to write a book about the writer. As a result, great writer begins to dictate the story of his life. A year later, Samuel again received an honorary doctorate in writing from Oxford University.

By this time he was seriously ill, most of his family members were dying one after another. The writer suffers from angina pectoris. On April 24, 1910, at the age of 74, the writer’s heart gave out and he died.

The shades of Twain's laughter are rich and changeable. Mark Twain proved his ability comic literature become an epic folk life. He fully deserved the reputation of the “American Voltaire”.

His last work, “The Mysterious Stranger,” was published posthumously in 1916.