Mark Twain

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Barbara J. Feldman

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens 1835 - 1910) is one of America's greatest authors and humorists. He was celebrated in his time, and despite being frequently banned, is still read on campuses today. Of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Ernest Hemingway said, ". ...all American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since."

BoonDocksNet: Mark Twain

5 stars

"Jim Zwick is an American Studies scholar whose specialties include Mark Twain, U.S. social and political history, and educational uses of the Internet." His Mark Twain site is chock full of original commentary and links to a wide variety of external sites. The site's twenty-one sections include Biography, Criticism, Banned Books, Quotes, Study Guides and Teaching. My favorite clicks are found in Pop Culture. Don't miss "The Tom Sawyer Approach," a look at how Tom got paid to let other kids do his work for him.

The Complete Works of Mark Twain

4 stars

There are quite a few websites where you can read Mark Twain's books, but I chose this one because of its clean navigation and lack of ads that pop, jump, wiggle or shout. Visit when you've left your copy of "Huckleberry Finn" in your locker, or want to explore Twain's other works without a trip to the library. The site also has a Twain biography, a small picture gallery, and a selection of Twain quotations. The publisher has created similar sites for a handful of other authors. Look in the bottom right-hand corner for links.

Mark Twain in His Times

5 stars

From the English department of University of Virginia, Stephen Railton publishes an "interpretative archive" of Mark Twain's works, focusing on what we can learn about the times he lived in, and his relevance today. The site is built around the full text of six of Twain's books, listed on the front page. For a quick start, visit "Sample this Site" where you'll be introduced to the illustrations, interactive exhibits, and other features of the site.

PBS: Mark Twain

5 stars

You can meet the filmmakers and go behind the scenes of Ken Burns' PBS Mark Twain television special, but the best reason to visit is the Interactive Scrapbook. Mark Twain was a lifelong scrapbook fan. He carried one with him wherever he went. In fact, he invented a self-sticking scrapbook that actually made him a bit of money. "Inspired by his invention, this interactive scrapbook tells Twain's life story through a collection of texts, photos, illustrations, and clippings from his day."

Quotations Page: Mark Twain Quotes

5 stars

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." "Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." Twain's quotations are perennial favorites. I chose this collection because of its size, excellent navigation, and related features such as author biographies and book lists. Free registration allows you to collect your favorite quotes on a customized My Page.