Mark Twains legendary insight and wit shine throughout this new selection of his writings; the first to focus on California. As a young man; the celebrated author of Huckleberry Finn; Tom Sawyer; and other classics spent the mid-1860s in California. In this collection of essays; newspaper articles; fiction; speeches; and letters; Twain presents his notoriously unconventional views on a state booming in the wake of the gold rush. His wry humor and irreverent social commentary illuminate everything from fashion; politics; and art to earthquakes; religion; and urban crime. Drawn from hard-to-find sources as well as his ever-popular books; Gold Miners and Guttersnipes: Tales of California by Mark Twain is a fresh and distinctive assortment by one of Americas favorite authors.
#4446164 in eBooks 2009-08-31 2009-08-31File Name: B00C78Y0TK
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A 2000 play mixed with his first play from 1957By Christopher CulverThis book; published in 2001 around the time of the playwrights 70th birthday and a bit of a retrospective; contains two plays by Harold Pinter. The first is "Celebration"; first presented in 2000; and the second is Pinters first play "The Room"; dating from 1957.The comedy "Celebration" comes as a bit of a change of pace after the very intense "political" plays Pinter wrote from 1985 to the turn of the millennium. Riotously funny; it is set in "the best restaurant in Europe" with the stage divided into two tables. At one; Lambert and his brother Matt dined with their wives; Julie and her sister Prue; celebrating the anniversary of Julie and Lambert. At the second table; Suki chats with his wife Russell. As the play progresses; the characters get progressively more drunk; make appalling revelations without realizing it; divulge their infidelities; and yet stay oddly content and glad-hearted. Among the tables roam Richard and Sonia; the owners; and a hilarious intrusive waiter. It has been a long time since I read a Pinter play that made me laugh out loud (unless it was the laugh of shock and outrage at revelations in his political works); and enjoyed "Celebration" immensely."The Room" was written when Pinter was still squarely in the genre of theatre of the absurd. Rose; a sixty-something housewife; muses about whos living in the basement flat of her building; talks incessantly to her taciturn husband; and encounters a young couple interested in the room to let. At the end of the play Riley; a "blind negro" enters and brings a surprising message to Rose; resulting in the plays shocking ending. While I found the ending compelling; most of the play is fairly tedious; the very length of the play is a mark of the young writers immaturity; since mature Pinter is quite compressed. Still; worth checking out as the beginning of a very entertaining career.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Dont Count Him OutBy David SchweizerAmerican playwrights have a tendency to fizzle out. Miller; Albee; Williams fit the bill. Their best work came early on; and they spent the rest of their lives trying to earn enough to maintain the lifestyle. Pinter looked ready to join the ranks of the has-beens. After a dazzling start; his work began to grow more obscure; perhaps more precious. Pinters claim to fame; after all; came with his ability to capture the stark brutality of the English working class; his ear for the obscene banter of everyday life made him a stand out in the era of kitchen sink drama. Then came years of elite living and an increasingly T.S. Eliot-like metaphysical tone. "Celebration" takes one back to the old Pinter. It is quite simply the most beautifully wrought piece of satire to appear since Oscar Wildes "The Importance of Being Earnest." It is; as they say; wickedly funny. It is published here for sentiment; one supposes; along with an early piece; where one gets the old Pinter: kitchen sink all right; but lots of menace and mystery. Its a nice juxtaposition and a fine intro to Pinters world; old and new.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. An Instant Classic!By Chiang Hai TatIf you are a follower of Pinter; you will love this book because it contains both the first and latest Pinters plays. Celebration is written this year (2000) while The Room was written way back in 1957. For the new Pinters fan; this is also an ideal book to be introduced to the great playwright of our time. Like most of his plays; these two plays should be read slowly; paying close attention to their witty dialogues. This is definitely one of the best drama book to come out this year.