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Roughing It.
Mark Twain's uproarious account of his years in the American West, from stagecoach and silver mine to newspaper desk. Tall tales, hard luck, and frontier characters, delivered with his incomparable comic timing.
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Edition details
- Mark Twain
- DotBooks
- DotBooks
- Paperback
- Standard white
- 596
- en
About this book
Setting out west as a young man in search of adventure and fortune, Mark Twain found instead a rich harvest of experience, disappointment, and absurdity, and turned it all into one of the funniest travel books ever written.
What it's about
Roughing It is Twain's semi-autobiographical account of his journey to and through the Far West, taking in the overland stagecoach, the mining camps of Nevada, the silver rush, frontier journalism, and a memorable excursion further afield. Fact and exuberant exaggeration blend into a portrait of a raw and restless region.
Themes
The lure and folly of get-rich-quick dreams, the collision of tenderfoot and frontier, the tall-tale spirit of the West, and the making of a writer out of failure and observation. Comedy and keen social eye go hand in hand.
Why it still matters
Both a comic classic and a vivid historical record, the book captures the American West at a formative moment while showing Twain's genius in full flower. Its humour has aged remarkably well.
Who it's for
Readers who love Twain, American history and the frontier, and anyone in want of travel writing that makes them laugh out loud.
Sources and references
Verified references for this edition: Open Library, WorldCat, Mark Twain on Wikipedia.
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Roughing It
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