A review by bargainsleuth
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

4.5

 

Thanks to Edelweiss and Penguin Press for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Holy moly, I finished a 1200-page book! I’ve been a fan of Ron Chernow’s works for a long time. This was before his fame as the author of Hamilton, which inspired the Broadway musical. Once in a while, I just love to sit down and read a meticulously prepared tome about fascinating figures of history.

I have already seen the Ken Burns documentary on Twain. I also read the companion book. So, I wondered how much more I could learn about Samuel Clemens. First off, Chernow provides a cultural backdrop to Twain’s life. He explores some complex issues like race relations and power. Who had it? Who wanted it? Who could never have it?

Second, the author does a deep dive into how Mark Twain couldn’t hold onto his fortune. The ridiculous amount of money he made during his lifetime slipped through his fingers. He was not a good judge of character when it comes to investing in hair-brained schemes and ideas. As the Bargain Sleuth, it was actually quite frustrating to read about these spendthrift ways! Twain’s experiences with money and how he frittered it away seemed to take of a big portion of the book.

Also touched on is the personal grief Sam Clemens suffered through his life. Each time he lost a loved one, he blamed himself, from his brother to his children. Chernow explores the psychological effect these losses had on Twain and spends a lot of time focusing on them. Another subject that was explored was Mark Twain’s grappling with the legacy of slavery in the United States.

As with many larger-than-life figures of history, the man known as Mark Twain had adversities and successes, and this biography does a great job of putting Sam Clemens in a more nuanced light.