Mark Twain A-Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Writings (Literary A to Z's) - Softcover

Rasmussen, R. Kent

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195110285 ISBN 13: 9780195110289

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Until now, tracking down information on Mark Twain's complex life and numerous works was arduous at best. The Mark Twain A to Z has virtually eliminated such time-consuming tasks. With over 1,200 entries and more than 130 illustrations, this remarkable guide includes detailed analyses of the
plots, characters, and places in Mark Twain's writings, as well as thousands of precise chapter citations and cross-references to related subjects. Also included are biographies of people whom he knew and descriptions of events that affected his life, places that he visited, steamboats he piloted,
newspapers and journals for which he wrote, and more. A browser's delight, Mark Twain A-Z is an essential guide for every Mark Twain fan.

About this title

About the Author:

R. Kent Rasmussen is a former associate editor of the Marcus Garvey Papers at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned a Ph.D. in History. He is the author of several acclaimed reference books on Africa, and editor of Mark Twain's Book for Bad Boys and Girls.

From Booklist:

As the excitement generated by the recent publication of a previously unknown episode written for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn demonstrates, Samuel Langhorne Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) continues to enjoy a wide and devoted audience. The proliferation of Twain sources on the Internet further reflects the intensity of contemporary scholarly and popular interest in this colorful, intriguing, and enigmatic writer.

Obviously a labor of love (Rasmussen indicates that he has read each of Twain's works at least four times), this compilation covers Twain's life and publications in painstaking detail, beginning with the steamboat A.B. Chambers, which Twain once piloted, and ending with the French novelist Emile Zola, on whom Twain penned a critical essay. Rasmussen, formerly an associate editor of the Marcus Garvey papers at UCLA, notes that his intention is to provide factual information rather than analysis and interpretation. Consequently, the nearly 1,300 entries are devoted primarily to proper names relating to Twain, including titles of all of his major and many of his minor works; characters and fictional locales; his family, friends, and associates; places he lived or visited; publishers and illustrators of his works; and periodicals in which he published. Only a small percentage of entries is more general in nature, such as those pertaining to motifs in Twain's works (Dueling, Haunted Houses), literary devices (Frame-Story, Soliloquy), or subjects that had a significant impact on Twain's life (Cholera, Steamboats). The most extensive entries are those devoted to Twain's more widely read works. Each of these provides an introduction to the work (including a word count), a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, and a publication history. Cross-references within entries guide users to other pertinent articles.

Approximately 130 black-and-white illustrations, including photographs of Twain and illustrations from his works, appear near relevant entries throughout the text. Among other useful features are a full-page map of the U.S. that reflects the places where Twain lived and traveled, an extensive chronological chart that juxtaposes personal and professional details about each year of Twain's life with major historical and literary events, and bibliographies of first editions of Twain's works and selected secondary sources.

The 21-page index is remarkable for its degree of detail and its precision. Not only does it include the customary entries for titles, names, and subjects, but it also provides access to a variety of collective categories. For example, the heading trial scenes lists characters involved in such scenes and works in which they appear, while the heading unfinished works lists all titles that fall into that category. This is a particularly valuable feature since the entry headers in the encyclopedia itself are so specific.

In his introduction, Rasmussen observes that a single reference book about Mark Twain "cannot encompass everything about him that one might wish to know." Ostensibly, he is explaining any omissions in his own work, but he could also be rationalizing its publication so soon after the well-received Mark Twain Encyclopedia [RBB O 15 93]. While there is considerable overlap between the two works, each has its own unique features and strengths. Containing fewer entries, but offering a more integrated approach, the MTE is particularly valuable for its inclusion of numerous topical essays that address such matters as Twain's literary style, his political and social views, and recurrent themes in his works. On the other hand, Mark Twain A^-Z provides more thorough coverage of specific works and of both fictional and real people and places. Large libraries will want both volumes, but smaller libraries may need to choose which approach would better serve the needs of their users.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0195110285
• ISBN 13: 9780195110289
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 576