Roughing It (eBook)
“The Father of American literature.” —William Faulkner
First published in 1872, ‘Roughing It’ is Mark Twain’s spirited and humorous memoir of his adventures in the American West during the early 1860s. Following a young Samuel Clemens as he travels from Missouri to Nevada and California, the book vividly captures the excitement and hardships of frontier life.
Through lively storytelling, Twain recounts his experiences as a miner, journalist, and observer of Western society. From bustling mining camps and gambling halls to encounters with Native Americans and territorial politics, ‘Roughing It’ offers a rich and entertaining portrait of the Wild West. Twain’s trademark wit and sharp social commentary bring both humor and insight to this colorful journey.
Celebrated as a classic of American travel literature, ‘Roughing It’ reveals the myths and realities of a transformative era. With its engaging narrative and irreverent tone, the book remains a timeless exploration of adventure, resilience, and the pioneering spirit.
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About the Author
Mark Twain is the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910). He was born and brought up in the American state of Missouri and, because of his father's death, he left school to earn his living when he was only twelve. He was a great adventurer and travelled round America as a printer; prospected for gold and set off for South America to earn his fortune. He returned to become a steam-boat pilot on the Mississippi River, close to where he had grown up. The Civil War put an end to steam-boating and Clemens briefly joined the Confederate army - although the rest of his family were Unionists! He had already tried his hand at newspaper reporting and now became a successful journalist. He started to use the alias Mark Twain during the Civil War and it was under this pen name that he became a famous travel writer. He took the name from his steam-boat days - it was the river pilots' cry to let their men know that the water was two fathoms deep.
Mark Twain was always nostalgic about his childhood and in 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published, based on his own experiences. The book was soon recognised as a work of genius and eight years later the sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was published. The great writer Ernest Hemingway claimed that 'All modern literature stems from this one book.'
Mark Twain was soon famous all over the world. He made a fortune from writing and lost it on a typesetter he invented. He then made another fortune and lost it on a bad investment. He was an impulsive, hot-tempered man but was also quite sentimental and superstitious. He was born when Halley's Comet was passing the Earth and always believed he would die when it returned - this is exactly what happened.