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Summary: A hidden treasure revealed!
Review: Mark Twain remains the foremost writer in North America's literary scene. Widely imitated but never equaled, his perception and wit gave him mastery over nearly every topic. Although derided for it in his own time, his stature derives from his audience: he wrote for everyone, excluding none. Those who know Twain will find this collection a decorative capstone to works published a century ago. Nearly every work of social commentary [and few of his works miss that definition] touched on the topics presented here. But he harboured deeper feelings on many subjects, particularly the sham of Christianity, noting them down and hiding them away. Two world wars and world depression shattered many illusions and changed attitudes. Finally, this wonderful collection was released to be joyfully received by Twain fans. One can only wonder what he would have thought of the reaction.The commonalty among the essays is man's place in the universe. The title is invoked in a series of letters from a banished archangel. It's a cold-water bath for the new Twain reader. How many Christians have truly considered what awaits them in their "heaven"? An earlier essay, Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven suggested Twain's thinking on the subject, but the Letters From the Earth is a raw inquiry into what environment "paradise" holds for the unthinking. Other aspects of Biblical teachings are covered in the Papers of the Adams Family. What society developed in those centuries between Genesis and The Deluge? Twain surveys the vagaries of his contemporary scene and projects them backward to that early age. It's an hilarious review of human frailty well suited to modern outlook. It's also a cry from heart at the realization of little humans change over time. It's noteworthy that Twain would notice Alfred Russell Wallace, who produced a nearly identical theory of evolution to Charles Darwin's. Darwin would have secretly admired the essays comprising The Damned Human Race. After a gentle acknowledgment to Wallace's suggestion that the heavens and earth were purposely designed for man, Twain utterly demolishes the idea. That he used evidence only beginning to be understood is a tribute to his genius. The essay should be read by every churchgoer [and not a few science teachers] living today. The clarity of his logic, presented with the wit only Twain could present, makes this subset one of the highlights of the book. Twain remained interested in everything he encountered in his lifetime. He maintained a fine balance between castigating unsupported revelations and applauding scientific progress. The Great Dark is a venture into the microscopic world through the mechanism of a dream. The dreamer is drawn into a droplet of water, sailing an endless ocean with his family and the crew of an unsuspecting ship. It's a tale that worthy of comparison with any fantasy of Jules Verne. Why there are so few reviews of this book here is disturbing. More people need to read this collection and understand its importance and value. Twain was North America's greatest Renaissance Man. He traveled the planet, observed and assessed with insight and precision. Nothing he wrote is obscure and little of his work is outdated. Take yourself beyond the boyhood memories of Tom Sawyer and the horrible film productions of his writings. Meet the man at his honest best in this book. Rejoice in the knowledge he was, and is, among us.
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Summary: Bitter, but funny, on-the-nose cynicism
Review: Mark Twain shows his dark side in this book of short stories that was not published until years after his death. It was thought by his family that his fans would be disturbed by the absolute departure from the usual topics and flavor of his work. It is definitely worth reading. "Letters From the Earth", the title story, (and my favorite) is witty and observant but disturbing in it's darkness. If Mark Twain was alive now he would have a field day with the current social moral standards and hypocrisy.
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Summary: LFTE opened my 13 year-old eyes to a new world perspective.
Review: Mark Twain's cynicism toward religion was an eye opening experience to me as a naive 13 year-old. After being raised with a strong Protestant background, to be presented with the notions that 1) God and His angels were uncaring entities who weren't even aware of our existence, and 2) that we humans were laughably stupid to think that we were God's chosen ones in all the Universe were shocking blasphemies! But many of Twain's comments, speaking as Satan, became grist for my teenage brain; the brain that was beginning to look outward toward the world and wonder about my place in it. I am now 48 years-old. In thinking back to my first reading of LFTE, I have come to realize that this book might well have represented the first step in shaping the beliefs I hold today. I eagerly await my second reading of Twain's "Letters" to see, at mid-life, how they settle in my heart and brain now that I have married and have two children (ages 10 and 14). I believe I'll read them some of the more delicious passages!
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Summary: Five stars if you are an avid Twain reader
Review: Not surprising that Mark Twain had some things to say about religion and society that were censored until the 60's! That is why finding this book feels like finding a well-kept secret - because it was! For Twain enthusiasts, the fairly candid writing will help complete your picture of the great American author. Comparatively unpolished (parts were unfinished works), Twain uses a bit of a sledge hammer to get the reader thinking about some fairly sensitive topics. However, its all presented in Twain's normal style - I couldn't help but laugh out loud somewhere in every chapter. For those that are not big Twain fans, it is not a book you'll probably read from cover to cover, but there are unforgettable pieces of cunning satire.
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Summary: Not everyone was religious in the old days
Review: The final two-thirds of this book is made up of bits and pieces from Twain's unpublished tinkerings, some fairly interesting (such as the hallucinatory novella that concludes the volume) and some pretty dull. Of course, the main reason to check out this book is the white-hot assault on organized religion, "Letters From The Earth", that opens things up and from which this volume draws its title. Agree or disagree, you won't soon forget Twain's memorable tirade. No wonder, though, that he chose to keep it to himself while still nurturing his publishing career.
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Summary: Pleasantly Disturbing
Review: The first time I read this, I had just finished The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I was in for a surprise! Had I just read the Innocents Abroad, it may have prepared me better, but I think most people will be reading this book from a Tom Sawyer mindset, and it will shatter your belief about Mark Twain. It's a classic, well worth a read, and a good study of human nature.
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Summary: I wish this was required reading in high school.
Review: There is a ying and yang for everything, but unfortunately they only teach the ying in school, you must find out the yang on your own. This book is refreshing to the person who has always questioned religious fairy tales, and it also puts perspective on religion in regards to its function for humanity. I now want to read Mark Twain as I have never read him before! Where has he been all my life! Hidden in the shadows of fear?
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Summary: A Mixed bag
Review: This book is probably not what you are expecting. If you are looking for a free-wheelin' adventure story along the lines of Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, you will not only be disappointed, but most probably shocked. However, if you are looking for an entire book of irrevent writings - as I was - then that's not what you're getting, either. Something less than half of the book (say, roughly, 1/3) consists of deliciously irrevent writings, drained from Mark Twain's pen of bitter ink. The best among these is the title section, "Letters From The Earth", in which Satan writes back to archangels Gabriel and Michael about his visit to earth and the "human race experiment", after his banishment from heaven. In these letters, Mark Twain points out various absurtities and illogical assertions and beliefs about human religions, and unflinchingly describes the vanity and hypocrisy of many of its adherents. I was under the impression that the entire book consisted of these letters; however, I was wrong. It is merely the first section of the book, occupying some 30-50 pages. For people who are highly into this kind of writing, however - as I am - it is worth the price of admission alone. There are several other pieces in the book along this line - including the famous essays Was The World Made For Man? and The Lowest Animal - which display not only Mark Twain's essential pessimism, but his very rational mind and hilarous wit. These pieces are an absolutely essential read for the lover of satire: few better examples are to be found anywhere in literature. The rest of the book, however, is a mixed bag. It consits of various pieces from the "Mark Twain Papers" - a collection of his writings (mostly unfinished) the he decreed to have published sometime after his death. Among these are a few interesting pieces (most of them various satires, several on religious topics), while others are more broadly ranging: everything from a completely improvised tale that he used to put his two children to bed to an unfinished fantasy piece that the editor seems to attach rather a lot of importance to, but whose actual virtue is somewhat more questionable. These pieces range from vaguely interesting to mildly funny to downright boring. Several would've probably been better served by being included in other volumes, while several should probably have been left unpublished. Still, there are definitely some essential writings in this volume that any fan of Mark Twain - or satire, or irrevent writings, for that matter - will want to read.
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Summary: twain sees the world as it should be seen: clearly
Review: This book was a wonderful critique of religion. More people should read this maybe they will begin to think for themselves.
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Summary: BIBLE BEATERS BEWARE!
Review: Truly, Mark Twain is one of the greatest American writers. And without a doubt, Huck Finn is among the few candidates for "The Great American Novel." However, one cannot completely understand Twain without reading LFTE. This is the work of the TRUE Twain.(The one that will never be loudly applauded) His appraoch towards organized religion is without restraint, and his mockery is often hilarious. Please read this if you want to learn the inner- workings of America's greatest satirist.
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