The Man in the White Suit Speaks from the Grave

Earlier this spring I saw a PBS documentary marking the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain's death. A few days ago I got an invitation to a literary event from UC Berkeley, since they published the three volume set of his autobiography. I imagine the set will be flying off the shelves for Christmas, since most people like to buy what's popular, doesn't matter what, then when they go to a party they have something to discuss that makes them hip and smart, hence a crowd-pleaser is born.

The Twain resurgence reminds me of how laborious it was to read Huck Finn, I guess I'm the only one who remembers that minor literary detail. And while I also read Innocents Abroad and Life on the Mississippi, that were also noteworthy, in my opinion they were a spin-off from his only masterpiece, Huck Finn, something that Twain admitted to. So why all the commotion?


This Twainness everywhere, marks how I would be mentally baffled and question–who says something that causes a trend and drives others? How does the initiator make their word stick and hone into the masses of psyches causing so much excitement? People love to fawn over writers once their dead. But acknowledging them while their alive, that would require a risk that rarely crosses anyone's mind. That's why book clubs like Oprah's are popular–people need and like to be told what to read. They either can't figure it out themselves, are too intellectually boring and robotic or simply don't have the curiosity to assume the task.


Regarding the autobiography, Twain forbid its official publication until 100 years after his death, which turns out to be a marketing ploy, sort of like a book embargo. In America it works, delayed gratification and exaggeration make consumers believe they have lived to see the pot of gold in the Promise Land!


While I admire Samuel Clemens theatrical nature, his prose, his publishing ventures, and jabs at social issues, I wonder if this book has not been rehashed and will it stand the test of time as being worthwhile?