Nearly 99 years after Mark Twain's death, an unpublished short story found in his archives will be published in The Strand mystery magazine. The story, The Undertaker's Tale, will also be included in a new book "Who Is Mark Twain?," a collection of his unpublished short works, which will include 24 stories and essays. As we know, Mr. Twain was no fan of Jane's, and included in this new compilation will be his thoughts about her. Known for his ascerbic wit, he famously said: "Jane Austen? Why I go so far as to say that any library is a good library that does not contain a volume by Jane Austen. Even if it contains no other book." Although Mr. Twain was fascinated enough with Jane's novels to read them several times, some of his remarks are downright mean spirited. Read his observation to Joseph Twitchell in a letter written in 1898: "I haven't any right to criticise books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticise Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read 'Pride and Prejudice' I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone." (Image taken at the Mark Twain house, Connecticut, which is in danger of closing - read the post in Austenprose.)
Let's just say that if you're no fan of Jane's I'm no fan of yours. I can't say I don't like Mr. Twain's writing, but I can state most emphatically: The man's no gentleman.
Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World
