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Mark Twain

American humorist (1835-1910)

About Mark Twain

One of America's foremost writers, Mark Twain got his start writing short pieces for newspapers and magazines. While only a few of his novels were serialized, Twain's travel writing proves that he understood how to fit a compelling narrative into short installments.

Twain also serialized his one serious novel, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, which he serialized in Harper's under the pseudonym "Sieur Louis de Conte," out of fear that audiences would not take it seriously if published under his more famous pseudonym.

Mark Twain Novels Available at Mousehold Words

Pudd'nhead Wilson (1893-94)
7 parts of 5,000-10,000 words each.

Part morality tale, part legal thriller, Pudd'nhead Wilson is one of Twain's few serial novels. Twain explores issues of race, class, and justice through a series of unlikely events in a small Missouri town. Both fingerprinting and palmistry play a role in Twain's take on classical tragedy.
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc (1895-96)
13 parts of 7,000-14,000 words each.

Twain published this, his only serious novel, under the pseudonym "Sieur Louis de Conte," out of fear that audiences would not take it seriously if it were published under the name "Mark Twain".

He also omitted an entire section of the novel, dealing with the trial of Joan of Arc, from the serial publication. It can be downloaded and read separately in RTF format or in HTML format.

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