Mark Twain (1835-1910)

His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He spent his boyhood in the small town of Hannibal, on the Mississippi River. The waters of the great river were his playground. When fishing and swimming with his friends, he used to shout to the boats passing by. Sometimes he even climbed aboard and stayed with the bargemen, listening to the adventure stories that they told. He was a bright, lively boy who could easily swim across the Mississippi and was the leader in all the boys’ games.

In 1847, his father died, and it became necessary for twelve-year-old Samuel to leave school and go to work. For about ten years he worked as a printer in many different towns and cities of America. Later, he decided to become a pilot on the Mississippi River.

Once he walked into the pilot-house of Captain Bixby's boat.

“Do you need a hand on this ship?” said Sam Clemens. “I want to be taken on as an apprentice pilot.”

“You?” Captain Bixby shouted. “A pilot? What do you know about this river?”

“It has been my life,” Sam Clemens answered.

He became a very skilled pilot. Many boats moved up and down the river, carrying all kinds of people. This work gave Samuel Clemens the opportunity to learn much about life. He worked as a pilot for more than four years.

Later, he described his days on the Mississippi as the happiest period of his life, and much of his experience was recorded in his book Life on the Mississippi.

Sam did not have a formal education, but he knew well the folklore and stories of the communities living along the Mississippi River where he grew up.

His first short story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, was published in 1867 under the pen-name “Mark Twain.” This name came from the call of Mississippi pilots when they measured the depth of the river, meaning “the boat has twelve feet of water under her and a safe channel.”

Soon after, Mark Twain’s stories began to appear regularly, and he was acknowledged as one of the best short story writers in America.

In 1876, he published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, describing the life of a boy in a Mississippi town during his own boyhood. In 1884, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published. Since then, these books have been among the most beloved works for children all over the world.

Mark Twain is acknowledged as America’s greatest humorist, and his works are full of humor, ranging from playful jokes to funny adventures. Many American critics, however, note that his stories also show keen observation of people and life.

A few words must be said about Mark Twain’s style. For many years, he was a lecturer and a very witty one. He could make people laugh until they cried. He was always a good storyteller and wrote as he spoke, for the ear more than for the eye.

Mark Twain was a great realist, a skilled storyteller, and a writer with a fine sense of humor. He belongs to those authors whose works never age and continue to be read and loved around the world.