MARK TWAIN'S LIBRARY OF HUMOR

We have here selections from Mark Twain's 1888 omnibus by some still familiar writers--Harriet Beecher Stowe, Oliver Wendell Homes, Twain himself--and some once familiar--Artemis Ward, Sam Davis et al. Readers steeped in the popular culture and quotidian life of the second half of the nineteenth century may prefer to read this book than to hear it. But others will appreciate the care with which the director and his cast strive for clarity and comprehension. They splash through the shallows of these pieces with broad strokes, an approach that yields mixed results. And while the talent, like the stories themselves, are unequally funny, they're uniformly energetic and expressive. Y.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 98]