Reviews

An American Master: Mark Twain
by Marilyn Green Faulkner

Mark Twain is as colorful a figure in our collective consciousness as any of the characters he created. This is because the man we remember as Mark Twain was himself a character, carefully created and promoted by the brilliant Samuel Clemens. Clemens was born in 1835, the son of a genteel but unsuccessful father who died when he was eleven. He was raised on the banks of the Missouri River in a tiny town called Hannibal, later to be immortalized through his fiction. His early years were spent as a printer, a journalist, and as a pilot on a Missouri steamboat. He was always writing, and had his first story published while still a teenager. Around 1865, when his story about the mining towns of the west was published and circulated in newspapers throughout the country, Clemens realized that he could make a living through his humorous accounts of his travels. He adopted the name Mark Twain and followed the example of Artemus Ward, a famous humorist of the time, giving lectures on his experiences in the west.

Twain found a popular subject in the strange new sect of Mormonism. He had visited Salt Lake City and poked fun at polygamists, the Book of Mormon, and the curious rituals practiced by the new faith. Three chapters of Twain’s autobiographical account, Roughing It, deal with his “experiences” in Utah, though much of his information is taken from Ward’s earlier lectures. (If you would like to know more about Twain and the Mormons, Dr. Richard Cracroft has written two fascinating articles on the subject, available through BYU Studies.) His most famous passage explains how he intended to expose the evils of polygamy until he got a look at the women involved:

“I was touched. My heart was wiser than my head. It warmed toward these poor, ungainly, and pathetically homely creatures, and as I turned to hide the generous moisture in my eyes, I said, “No – the man that marries one of them has done an act of Christian charity which entitles him to the kindly applause of mankind, not their censure – and the man that marries sixty of them has done a deed of openhanded generosity so sublime that the nations should stand uncovered in his presence and worship in silence.” (101)

Twain’s success as a lecturer kept him busy, but he continued to write. His first real novel was serialized in the Atlantic Monthly in 1876. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is remarkable in many respects. Here we see the world through the eyes of a boy, and what a boy he is. I love to think about the first lines of novels, and try to imagine how the author selected the words which would begin the long narrative. The first line of this book is the shortest first line in all of literature, and a pure stroke of genius. Here it is: “Tom!” In one word Twain lets us know that our hero is no hero, he’s a boy who gets yelled at – a lot. Tom is always in trouble, always has a new angle, and is the kind of kid you don’t want your child to play with. You have to love him. Don’t be fooled by the subject matter – this is a book for adults, with themes of death, religious faith vs. true goodness, and the natural honor that exists in man before civilization corrupts him.

These themes continue in the sequel, Huckleberry Finn, with the added theme of racial harmony, a courageous move on Twain’s part and one that caused the book to be banned in many places. The irony of political correctness is such that the book has become controversial again in our time for the opposite reason, in response to Twain’s use of the offensive word, “nigger.” It is a jarring word, but, as Toni Morrison so brilliantly asserts, the word is inextricable from the novel, since Huck would not have referred to a black man in any other term. Morrison makes the point that Huck’s love for the runaway slave Jim represents racial harmony, but not racial equality. Neither Huck, nor Twain, could truly conceive of the black man as an equal. That Twain portrays Jim as human, fallible and with the same emotional complexity as his white characters, is a great leap forward in literature.

If I had to summarize these two books, I would say that Tom Sawyer has a better plot and Huck Finn is a greater book. If you haven’t read Tom Sawyer in the last decade, read it by all means. You will find so much there that you missed as a child. Then, go on to Huck Finn for a deeper, more moving experience. Norman Mailer described the image of Huck and Jim, floating down the great river on a raft, as an image that had haunted him all his life. There are moments of pure hilarity, such as the doctrinal discussion of “King Sollerman,” and moments of pure descriptive power, such as Huck’s picture of the sudden storm in Chapter Nine:

“It would get so dark that it looked all blue-black outside, and lovely; and the rain would thrash along by so thick that the trees off a little ways looked dime and spider-webby; and here would come a blast of wind that would bend the trees down and turn up the pale underside of the leaves; and then a perfect ripper of a gust would follow along and set the branches to tossing their arms as if they was just wild; and next, when it was just about the bluest and blackest – fst! It was as bright as glory and you’d have a little glimpse of tree tops a plunging about, away off yonder in the storm, hundreds of yards further than you could see before; dark as sin again in a second, and now you’d hear the thunder let go with an awful crash and then go rumbling, grumbling, tumbling down the sky towards the under side of the world, like rolling empty barrels downstairs, where it’s long stairs and they bounce a good deal, you know.” (113)

Twain manages the impossible task of preserving Huck’s dialect, mannerisms and vocal style while tackling themes that range from abuse to integrity, and from democracy to religious faith. I’ll be interested to hear your comments as you re-discover Mark Twain, the man William Dean Howells referred to as “the Lincoln of our literature.”

Readers respond to July’s selection, The Keys of the Kingdom, by A.J. Cronin:

Our July book posed a special challenge to our erstwhile club members, since it is out of print! But readers found it in local libraries, used bookstores, and in the used book section at Amazon.com. Here is a sampling of their comments:

I really enjoyed “The Keys of the Kingdom” by A. J. Cronin. I had never read any of his books before. It is refreshing to read a book that is profoundly uplifting without glossing over the harsh realities of life. Father Chisholm worked his way into my heart with his simple faith in God and in the redeeming qualities of his fellow man. He gives us a glimpse of what the world could be like if people would put aside the things which separate us, and focus on those things that join us together. Brotherhood and unity is a message woven through every part of this book, even while the characters deal with extreme physical hardships, bigotry, abuse, war, etc. Father Chisholm faces disappointments and difficulties with sadness, of course, but also with a practicality and optimism that allows him to pull himself back from the depths, lift himself above the tragedies, and go on. We can all learn a lesson from him. This book has definitely found a place on my list of favorites.

As a former Catholic and LDS convert of two years, I found this book to have a very realistic portrayal of that church. I was also pleased to see Father Chisholm bring forth a few of the best, but frequently overlooked, teachings of the Catholic Church. Things like tolerance for people of all religions for the good they do, and the belief that all who follow the best light they are given, including non-Christians, will somehow be saved. I was definitely taught these things in the Catechism classes I attended. This was a big difference between the Catholic and Protestant doctrines that I studied in a 27-year search for a church I could believe in 100%. (Admittedly, I did not study every sect.) It is also something shared with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but here I see how that can be accomplished through temple work.

-Kitty

I finished The Keys of the Kingdom last night and I absolutely loved it. The most moving parts for me were when Sister Mary Veronica had to leave, when Mr. Chia decided to convert due the example of Father Chisholm, and of course when he finally left China after 36 years of missionary work. (I wished he could have somehow met with Sister Mary Veronica again, but that was only a mild disappointment). We only went on missions for 2 years, imagine 36. I loved how he always had doubts and questions about his religion but they never stopped him for serving the people around him. I was forced to reflect on my own faith and how often I rationalize my way out of helping others because of the challenges I am dealing with in my personal life. It’s easy to do.

I want to thank you for starting the book club. It has started me reading again and I have enjoyed all the books I’ve read so far this summer. So far I have read, A Room with a View, The Chosen, Fried Green Tomatoes, Midwives (which I loved) The Accidental Tourist, Christy (another book with strong religious themes) Snow Falling on Cedars, and Keys of the Kingdom all since June 1st.

-Steve

I enjoyed this book and thought Father Chisolm was an example of an IDEAL Christian. While all the other characters were like most of us, struggling to do better, he was the example of how we all should be (but won’t because perfection is not obtainable in this life). The book should be viewed in that light as a teaching story, rather then a realistic story. However, the book helped me reflect on areas in my life where I can improve and in that sense is a wonderful book. I have also read “The Citadel” by Cronin, it is a wonderful account of how physicians should be. Thanks for introducing me to such a thought-provoking book.

“millrum”

I reread “Keys of the Kingdom” a couple of years ago and found it wonderful (as was the movie adaptation with Gregory Peck). As a former Catholic, I knew a few priests like the father in the book; men who were very simple and so very, very, kind and spiritual but badly treated by the Church hierarchy because they dared to march to a different drummer.

Valerie

I’ve read nearly all of Cronin’s novels. My favorite is “The Citadel” although every woman I know who has read it has hated it. Every man has loved it. “Keys of the Kingdom”, “Shannons Way” and “The Green Years” are all excellent. I love Cronin’s writing style. His earlier books are better than his later books as his later books included some sexual content.

I assume as he became more successful, he thought adding that stuff would give it realism or something. This of course, disappointed me. Stick with his earlier works. “The Citadel” is semi-autobiographical. AJ Cronin wrote an autobiography that is in fact better than them all: “Adventures in Two Worlds” The chapter of his experience on a ship in this book is one of the greatest things ever written.

Wes

It’s easy to join the Best Books Club. Just click on [email protected] and I’ll put you on our mailing list. Read along with us and send your comments, and I’ll share them with the group in these articles. Here is our reading list for the next few months:

August: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and/or Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

September: Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen

October: How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewelyn

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