In "The Ordeal of Mark Twain" Van Wyck Brooks delves deep into the life and works of one of America's most beloved literary figures. Brooks provides a comprehensive examination of Twain's struggles with fame, success, and personal tragedy, painting a vivid portrait of a complex man who grappled with profound inner turmoil.

Through meticulous research and insightful analysis, Brooks reveals the depths of Twain's creative genius and the contradictions that plagued him throughout his life. From his humble beginnings in Missouri to his rise to literary fame, Twain's journey is a fascinating exploration of the American Dream and the price of achieving it.

Brooks' writing is engaging and thought-provoking, offering readers a nuanced understanding of Twain's legacy and the timeless relevance of his work. As a biographer, Brooks brings empathy and insight to his subject, illuminating the man behind the legend and shedding light on the personal struggles that shaped his writing.

Overall, "The Ordeal of Mark Twain" is a compelling and illuminating exploration of one of America's most iconic literary figures. Van Wyck Brooks' meticulous research and insightful analysis make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the life and works of Mark Twain.

Book Description:
The Ordeal of Mark Twain analyzes the literary progression of Samuel L. Clemens and attributes shortcomings to Clemens' mother and wife. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says, Brooks' work "was a psychological study attempting to show that Twain had crippled himself emotionally and curtailed his genius by repressing his natural artistic bent for the sake of his Calvinist upbringing." Also, Brooks says, his literary spirit was sidelined as "...Mark Twain was inducted into the Gilded Age, launched, in defiance of that instinct which only for a few years was to allow him inner peace, upon the vast welter of a society blind like himself, like him committed to the pursuit of worldly success." And, still more disturbingly, Brooks maintains... "We shall see that in the end, never having been able to develop, to express itself, to fulfill itself, to air itself in the sun and the wind of the world, it turned as it were black and malignant, like some monstrous, morbid inner growth, poisoning Mark Twain's whole spiritual system. We have now to note its constant blind efforts to break through the censorship that had been imposed on it, to cross the threshold of the unconscious and play its part in the conscious life of this man whose will was always enlisted against it." The implication of all this begs the question, "What might a truly unleashed Mark Twain have produced?" For a recording of a New York Times review of this book, go this link: Review