Twain, Mark

Twain, Mark, pseud. of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835–1910, American author, b. Florida, Mo. As humorist, narrator, and social observer, Twain is unsurpassed in American literature. His novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a masterpiece of humor, characterization, and realism, has been called the first (and sometimes the best) modern American novel.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Twain's Masterpiece: <italic>Huckleberry Finn</italic>
• Later Life and Works
• Mature Works
• Early Life and Works
• Bibliography

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