Mark Twain's Autobiography Published a Century After His Death

Mark Twain's autobiography, written between 1870 and 1905, has been published a century after his death as he requested. The work, translated by Bernard Hoepffner, offers a dual perspective on the United States—both timeless and contemporary. Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), recounts his childhood on Missouri farms, his jobs as a courier, typographer, and steamboat pilot on the Mississippi, as well as his later life marked by personal tragedies like the death of his two-year-old son Langdon in 1872, financial debts, and lecture tours in Italy and Vienna. The autobiography covers encounters with General Grant, his stay at Villa di Quarto near Florence, and his battles against censorship. It also reflects on his major works: Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger, which he described as "metaphysical adventures." The review by Jean-Philippe Rossignol in artpress highlights Twain's insolent and visionary writing, his sharp observations of politics and society, and his enduring quest for truth.