TROUBLE BEGINS AT 8 A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West

Starting with the author's childhood, author Sid Fleischman looks at Samuel Clemens's life. He concentrates on the development of the writer, relating people and places—and the delivery style Mark Twain developed in lectures—to the elements in Twain's novels. Joe Barrett's narration isn't flashy—the anecdotes must have been funnier in Twain's lectures—but he gets the information across well. At the same time, Barrett gives the biography a warm, nostalgic tone that helps listeners relate to the legendary American author. The book also includes a short story and a time line (with a few wry asides). This well-written history of Twain makes a good introduction for those who've read his stories but know little about the man. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2012]