The Ordeal of Mark Twain

"The Ordeal of Mark Twain" by Van Wyck Brooks is a biography that looks closely at Samuel Clemens, or Mark Twain, especially his troubled later years and the sadness he felt despite being famous. The book looks at Twain's personality, what he thought about people, and how events like losing loved ones and big changes in society affected what he wrote. The book starts by talking about how sad Twain was, which was different from how people saw him as a funny and well-liked author. It talks about Twain's thoughts on his own life, how he was different in public than in private, and the big feeling of worry about life that showed up in his later books. Brooks shows Twain struggling with himself about what kind of artist he was and what he thought about the world, using quotes and stories about his relationships, especially with family who faced terrible events.