Following the Equator - Mark Twain

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Résumé :
Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it. -Mark Twain, Following the Equator (1897) Following the Equator-A Journey Around the World (1889), a travel book about Mark Twain's lecture tour in the British Empire, undertaken late in his life to repay his debts after becoming nearly broke. This book describes Twain's fascinating experiences in Australia, India, South Africa, and elsewhere. It offers Twain's quintessential mix of irony, humor, and social criticism of white man's behavior towards the indigenous populations around the world. This replica of the original 1897 edition of Following the Equator, containing 192 illustrations by multiple illustrators, including Daniel Beard, C. Allan Gilbert, F.M Senior, and C.H. Warren, is one hundred and twenty years after its initial publication still a highly entertaining read.

Biographie:
Mark Twain (1835-1910) A legendary American writer and humourist, Mark Twain authored twenty eight books and many sketches and short stories. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910). He was born and brought up in the American state of Missouri. He left school to earn his living when he was only twelve following the death of his father. He was a great adventurer and travelled around America. He returned to his native place to become a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. The Civil War put an end to steam-boating and Clemens joined the Confederate army. He was already engaged in newspaper reporting and became a successful journalist. He started to use the alias Mark Twain during the Civil War and this pen name made him a famous travel writer. Mark Twain was nostalgic about his childhood and in 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published, based on his own experiences. The book was soon recognised as a work of genius. Mark Twain was soon famous all over the world. He earned money from writing and lost it on a typesetter he invented. He then made another fortune and lost it on a bad investment. He was an impetuous, hot-tempered man but was also quite sentimental and superstitious. Twain was born when Halley's Comet was passing the Earth and he always believed he would die when the comet returned - the same happened exactly....

Sommaire:
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist, born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. Twain is widely regarded as the greatest humorist the United States has produced, with renowned author William Faulkner calling him the father of American literature. Twain's works, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, have earned him international acclaim, and his unique blend of humor, social criticism, and storytelling left an indelible mark on American literature. He was also known for his wit and satirical commentary on society, race, and human nature. Twain married Olivia Langdon in 1870, and together they had four children: Clara, Jean, Susy, and Langdon. He passed away on April 21, 1910, at the age of 74 in Stormfield, Redding, Connecticut. Twain's legacy continues to influence writers and humorists around the world, and his works remain central to American literary studies....