Rating: 
Summary: A Rich History told by the Master
Review: Buy this book, kick back in your easy chair and be prepared to take a journey with the Master of American Literature himself as he lies near death. From the Mighty Mississippi to the latter days of the Gold Rush; to the lecture (lyceum) circuit of his thirties-forties; and on to a family life of tragedy after tragedy and finally triumph, Mr. Twain will take you, the reader, into his mind where you'll share his wit, wisdom, and secrets. A must buy for any Twain lover or anyone interested in the 19th Century from a man who lived it. Lived it indeed!
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Summary: A good book about a great man
Review: Firstly, the bad news: this is not the complete autobiography, but only a selection. Twain's entire manuscript for the autobiography seems to be about 400,000 to 500,000 words, so an editor must pick and choose to compile a single-volume edition. Neider has arranged his selections in roughly chronological order. One can only hope someone will undertake the monumental task of compiling the complete autobiography, in the order Twain desired it, soon.
Secondly, more bad news: in the Introduction, Neider takes snide swipes at previous editors. He also makes a hubristic statement about excluding some material because, "I do not believe that it would do justice to Mark Twain's literary reputation to publish these sections."
Finally, the good news: once you get past Neider's rant of an introduction, you get Twain himself. This book is very satisfying because, as you read, you feel as though you are becoming acquainted with the man, Samuel Clemens. By so doing, you also share some of his insight into human nature. Twain says, "I have found that there is no ingredient of the human race that I do not possess in either a small way or large way....As a result, my private and concealed opinion of myself is not of a complimentary sort. It follows that my estimate of the human race is the duplicate of my estimate of myself". The value of this book is that, after reading it, you want to get to know Twain even better. Now, if only the same could be said of more particular examples of the human race.
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Summary: twain's autobiography
Review: For all people who like twain this is a must!
Rating: 
Summary: Melancholic and humorous...
Review: I recommend reading this autobiography, although I do think it is too long and certain sections could have been eliminated.
There are some extremely funny episodes, but for me the most powerful writing was the last chapter about the death of his daughter Jean. It is an extremely moving glimpse into Twain's heartfelt pain. Reading this life story has made me want to revisit the high school classics of Huck Finn and Mark Twain.
4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a look
Review: If you like Twain this is a must. Others may find it laborious in spots. However, the last chapter, "The death of Jean", is alone worth the purchase price. It is the most vivid, honest and heart-wrenching writing on the death of a loved one that I have ever read.
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Summary: Twain own thoughts
Review: In this book, written as a diary in different periods of time, Twain thinks of his whole life, thus showing an amazingly interesting environment: a man of literature, pretty lazy, living on his own ability to write, to be bright, to exploit situations and friends, to lose the money he earns. A wonderful picture of a life in a time is not today any more.
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Summary: Life in the 1800's and early 1900's A Humorist view
Review: It is one of the more interesting autobiographys that I have read. The author Charles Neider has taken a confusing pile of writings and has assembled them into a more streamline reading and a timeline of Samuel Clemen's (Mark Twain's) life.
This book has given me a yearning to read more books by Neider on Mark Twain and reread some of Twain's classic's like Huckberry Finn.
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Summary: Briliant Father of American Humor
Review: One of my favorite five books in the last five years, and I read a lot of books! I'm going to try to be brief, which will be a challenge, because I loved it.
First, the concept behind this book is pure genius, especially for an autobiography. Because he didn't release his life story until he died, Twain was able to be completely honest. It's true- everyone on earth must restrain their tongue somewhat. But when we read about a great person from the past, we want to know the real deal.
I won't go too much into how great Mark Twain was. I'm sure that subject has been covered quite well. But as a public speaker, writer, and fledgling humorist myself, I found many of the vignettes priceless. He tells us what the 'Lycium',the 19th American speaking circuit, was like, how one good writer failed miserably in front of an audience, how he (Twain) turned an old tired joke into a new exciting one... and on the subject of fame, he talks about how inconsequential was a particular woman who had become famous simply for having opinions (and because she happened to be the wife of a newspaper man). Indeed, except for Twain's ridicule, this woman has been utterly and appropriately neglected by history. We are thereby warned of the worthlessness of fame without substance or purpose.
At times Twain sounds pompuous or narcissistic, but it fits his humorous style. We forgive him because we know he was great and because condescension is a great position from which to heap ridicule and satire. And you have to wonder- don't some great men know they're great even while they live?
Twain had the fortune to be celebrated within his lifetime, and remains one of the most important Americans. He is the deep root from which modern humorists such as Garrison Keillor and Dave Barry spring forth. He is an example of the gruff and almost crotchety American intellect.
His story also demonstrates how not to run your writing business (by letting suspicious character run it for you and steal your money).
And he provides touching accounts of both his awkward courtship, and the exceptional character and intelligence of one of his daughters.
What else? They say in public speaking: Begin with a laugh, end with a tear. Twain's autobiography does the latter - it's sad to see how quickly he went from the apex of life to lonely grief as most of his family died within little more than a year.
Before we know it, before we want it, the book is over, and the great life is done. We are reminded of the temporary nature of life, and as this famous and delightful personality recedes again from our consciousness, perhaos at least for a little while, because of his example, we seize life with more vigor.
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Summary: A unique autobiography from an American legend
Review: The Autobiography of Mark Twain is somewhat biographical but mostly philisophical, with Twain using assorted tales from his past to ruminate on more profound aspects of life. This book, dictated by Twain when he was near the end of his life, covers a wide range of emotions. Twain explains at the start of the book that he approached his auto-biography as though he were composing it posthumously in order that he might loose himself of normal inhibitions which would otherwise force him to hold back on his opinions of certain people and beliefs. The result of this style is a very witty and frank retelling and analysis of many private and not-so-private moments from Twain's amazing life. This book obviously took Twain on an emotional journey of many highs and lows. These range from the hilarious scene in which he tries to reassure his wife that they are safe, even as a burglar rummages around in the lower portion of their house one night, to the extremely sad, but boldly colorful accounts of the deaths of several people very close to Twain. In the end, though I enjoyed the book, I have to say I felt sad for Mark Twain. While I love his writing and think he is unfairly persecuted and misunderstood in today's politically correct world, Twain was not a very happy man at the end of his life, despite being at the pinnacle of his artistic field. His candor about his lack of faith in man or God is very honest but ultimately disappointing as it offered him, admittedly, no personal hope in anything greater than his difficult end to a very full life. I definitely recommend this book though for a look at an American icon that only could have been relayed by Twain himself.
Rating:
Summary: A unique autobiography from an American legend
Review: The Autobiography of Mark Twain is somewhat biographical but mostly philisophical, with Twain using assorted tales from his past to ruminate on more profound aspects of life. This book, dictated by Twain when he was near the end of his life, covers a wide range of emotions. Twain explains at the start of the book that he approached his auto-biography as though he were composing it posthumously in order that he might loose himself of normal inhibitions which would otherwise force him to hold back on his opinions of certain people and beliefs. The result of this style is a very witty and frank retelling and analysis of many private and not-so-private moments from Twain's amazing life. This book obviously took Twain on an emotional journey of many highs and lows. These range from the hilarious scene in which he tries to reassure his wife that they are safe, even as a burglar rummages around in the lower portion of their house one night, to the extremely sad, but boldly colorful accounts of the deaths of several people very close to Twain. In the end, though I enjoyed the book, I have to say I felt sad for Mark Twain. While I love his writing and think he is unfairly persecuted and misunderstood in today's politically correct world, Twain was not a very happy man at the end of his life, despite being at the pinnacle of his artistic field. His candor about his lack of faith in man or God is very honest but ultimately disappointing as it offered him, admittedly, no personal hope in anything greater than his difficult end to a very full life. I definitely recommend this book though for a look at an American icon that only could have been relayed by Twain himself.
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