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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
informative
informative
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death
It’s easy to read and well-researched. I only intended to take notes from one section of book:)
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This was good, but just too much. Kudos to Ron Chernow for the untold hours that went into this, but a layperson just doesn’t need to know THIS much about Mark Twain.
I had the audio book, and I do have to give it to Chernow and the narrator; it didn’t feel like a chore to get through because the writing was good and it presented like a podcast you can pick up and put down as your leisure.
But again, Mark Twain is interesting but not EVERY aspect of a person’s life is notable. Some sections you read and think, “Wait, didn’t this happen already?”, but no, it’s just that you’re going to have some remarkably repetitive seasons when you live into old age.
I had the audio book, and I do have to give it to Chernow and the narrator; it didn’t feel like a chore to get through because the writing was good and it presented like a podcast you can pick up and put down as your leisure.
But again, Mark Twain is interesting but not EVERY aspect of a person’s life is notable. Some sections you read and think, “Wait, didn’t this happen already?”, but no, it’s just that you’re going to have some remarkably repetitive seasons when you live into old age.
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I love Mark Twain and many of his sayings and found him even more interesting, flaws and all.
Ron Chernow is a master of biography, and his newest treatise on Mark Twain is a must read.
It's pretty hard to summarize a 1039-page, 44.5-hour book, so bear with me if the following thoughts are little disjointed.
First let me say, though Chernow's work is scholarly, his writing style is far from the lecture hall and is very accessible. He smoothly incorporates direct quotes and firsthand observations into his running commentary, making the autobiography easy to read. He's a master at showing us how a single event, remark, or decision had broad implications, sometimes by revisiting that event in a different context or time period.
Twain himself was a complicated man. He was a child of the South, but his attitudes on race and gender grew and changed throughout his life, and not always in a linear manner. He truly loved his wife, but his relationships with his daughters and other young women and girls could be controversial (though there was never a hint of scandal). He was generous with his friends, until they crossed him, and then Twain could be harsh, sometimes airing his thoughts in public. He was a horrible businessman, and it's a wonder the Clemens family didn't sink fully into poverty.
Although he was one of the first worldwide celebrities and beloved by millions, true peace and happiness eluded him. Twain's life, blessed on many levels, was punctuated by sorrows and losses.
Twain crossed the continent in the mid-1800s and eventually became a world traveler. He had many varied experiences and met or came in contact with a vast range of people. He kept copious notes and used everything to inform his writing.
As I often do with nonfiction, I followed along in a print copy while listening to the audiobook. I enjoy seeing the photographs and other visuals as well as double-checking names and dates while listening to the book.
Jason Culp took on the huge task of performing the biography. His delivery is expressive and engaging and kept my attention for the entire production.
Note that Culp made the decision to use voices and accents to bring the direct quotes alive. I think this approach will appeal to quite a lot of listeners. I, however, am on the fence. While I appreciate his differentiating between Chernow's words and the quotes and extracts, I'm not sure I needed to hear Culp's interpretation of how Twain may have spoken. Still, I wasn't pulled out of the biography and wasn't at all bothered by Culp's characterizations. I noticed he mispronounced a couple of place names I'm familiar with, but overall his work is solid.
Thanks to PRH Audio for the review copy; the hardcover edition is in my personal library.
It's pretty hard to summarize a 1039-page, 44.5-hour book, so bear with me if the following thoughts are little disjointed.
First let me say, though Chernow's work is scholarly, his writing style is far from the lecture hall and is very accessible. He smoothly incorporates direct quotes and firsthand observations into his running commentary, making the autobiography easy to read. He's a master at showing us how a single event, remark, or decision had broad implications, sometimes by revisiting that event in a different context or time period.
Twain himself was a complicated man. He was a child of the South, but his attitudes on race and gender grew and changed throughout his life, and not always in a linear manner. He truly loved his wife, but his relationships with his daughters and other young women and girls could be controversial (though there was never a hint of scandal). He was generous with his friends, until they crossed him, and then Twain could be harsh, sometimes airing his thoughts in public. He was a horrible businessman, and it's a wonder the Clemens family didn't sink fully into poverty.
Although he was one of the first worldwide celebrities and beloved by millions, true peace and happiness eluded him. Twain's life, blessed on many levels, was punctuated by sorrows and losses.
Twain crossed the continent in the mid-1800s and eventually became a world traveler. He had many varied experiences and met or came in contact with a vast range of people. He kept copious notes and used everything to inform his writing.
As I often do with nonfiction, I followed along in a print copy while listening to the audiobook. I enjoy seeing the photographs and other visuals as well as double-checking names and dates while listening to the book.
Jason Culp took on the huge task of performing the biography. His delivery is expressive and engaging and kept my attention for the entire production.
Note that Culp made the decision to use voices and accents to bring the direct quotes alive. I think this approach will appeal to quite a lot of listeners. I, however, am on the fence. While I appreciate his differentiating between Chernow's words and the quotes and extracts, I'm not sure I needed to hear Culp's interpretation of how Twain may have spoken. Still, I wasn't pulled out of the biography and wasn't at all bothered by Culp's characterizations. I noticed he mispronounced a couple of place names I'm familiar with, but overall his work is solid.
Thanks to PRH Audio for the review copy; the hardcover edition is in my personal library.
slow-paced
After 6 hours of the audiobook I decided I just didn’t feel like learning anymore about Twain.
challenging
informative
slow-paced