Proper Mark Twain by Leland Krauth (review)

BOOK REVIEW S Proper M ark T w a i n . B y L e l a n d K r a u t h . A t h e n s: U n iv e r sit y o f G e o r g ia P r e ss, 1 9 9 9 . 2 9 6 p a g e s, $ 2 9 .9 5 . R e v i e w e d b y N an cy Cook U n iv e r sit y o f R h o d e Isla n d , K in g st o n I f t h e p e n d u lu m o f M a r k T w a in st u d ie s c a n b e sa id t o sw in g b e t w e e n t h e t r a n sg r e ssiv e T w a in a n d t h e c o n v e n t io n a l o n e , t h e n L e la n d K r a u t h ’s in fo r m e d st u d y p u lls u s b a c k t o w a r d t h e p o le o f o r t h o d o x y . W h ile K r a u t h jo in s a lo n g list o f c r it ic s w h o e x a m in e T w a in ’s c o n se r v a t ism , h is so p h ist ic a t e d a n a ly sis o f T w a in ’s lo n g c a r e e r in c lu d e s m u c h t h a t h a s b e e n o v e r lo o k e d . A lt h o u g h b io g r a p h ic a lly b a se d , K r a u t h w o r k s t o fo r e g r o u n d t h e lit e r a r y a sp e c t s o f t h e b io g r a p h ic a l, b e lie v in g t h a t sin c e “a u t h o r s im a g in e t h e m se lv e s t o t h e m se lv e s,” it is fit t in g fo r t h e c r it ic t o “ p e e r n o t o n ly in t o t h e t e x t s b u t a lso in t o t h e p r e c o n c e p t io n s o f t h e w r it e r ’s a u d ie n c e a n d in t o t h e w r it e r ’s o w n se lf- c o n c e iv in g ” ( 8 ) . T h i s p o sit io n a llo w s K r a u t h t o r e sit u a t e t h e p r iv a t e w r it in g s o f S a m u e l C l e m e n s so t h a t t h e y w o r k t o in fo r m t h e p u b lic w r it in g s o f M a r k T w a in . I n so d o in g , K r a u t h fin d s c o m p e llin g...