How to Tell a Story and Other Essays
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Narrated by:
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Brian Troxell
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By:
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Mark Twain
About this listen
American writer Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, has given us some literary gems with Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and his travel adventures in 19th-century Europe and to Australia and New Zealand. In How to Tell a Story and Other Essays, Twain discusses the telling of stories, rather than providing more stories. Humor, Twain says, is American while comic is English and witty is French. He follows this typically brilliant essay with examples of storytelling and some intriguing experiences of "mental telegraphy".
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Editorial reviews
One of America's most renowned storytellers, Mark Twain was not stingy with sharing his techniques. In the audiobook How to Tell a Story and Other Essays, Twain delves primarily into how to tell humorous (as opposed to comic or witty) stories, that most difficult of narrative genres.
Voice talent Brian Troxell tells stories like "The Golden Arm" and "The Wounded Soldier" almost as successfully as Twain might have done, while simultaneously delivering Twain's instructions as he proceeds. In other words, Troxell both pauses and ensures that the listener notes the pauses. "The Golden Arm", which sounds like a campfire story supplemented with stage directions, is written in so-called Negro dialect, and is much easier to hear than to read.
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Dreary effort
- By Sharon on 08-03-13
By: Anthony Trollope
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Twelve Years a Slave
- By: Solomon Northup
- Narrated by: Stephen L. Vernon
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Twelve Years a Slave is an account of actual events that took place in the life of Solomon Northup, during the pre-Civil War era of the 1840s. It follows the trials and tribulations of an educated African American man that was born into freedom and later kidnapped, taken away from his family, and forced into slavery.
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What a great book!!!
- By Andrew Robbin on 09-07-14
By: Solomon Northup
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The Birthmark
- By: Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Narrated by: Walter Covell
- Length: 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Hawthorne approached the Romantic notion of the ability of science to destroy art (or beauty) in the form of fictive "horror stories" of biological research out of control. This story is the best of that group. A devoted scientist marries a beautiful woman with a single physical flaw: a birthmark on her face. Aylmer becomes obsessed with the imperfection and his attempts to remove it via his scientific skills, thus rendering his bride perfect.
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Bland uninspired
- By Holcomb on 10-02-12
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Dr Wortle's School
- By: Anthony Trollope
- Narrated by: Timothy West
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Dr Wortle's School introduces the unassuming Mr. Peacocke and his polite, newly-wed bride, as they join the teaching staff of an elite and exclusive Christian boys' school. Dr. Wortle, a devoted English scholar and the headmaster of the seminary academy, welcomes his two new teachers, confident that they will uphold the high standards of education at the school.
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Trollope is amazing, and Timothy West is amazing
- By Claire on 04-18-12
By: Anthony Trollope
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Le Pere Goriot
- By: Honoré de Balzac
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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At the shabby boarding house in the rue Neuve-Sainte-Geneviève, petty Madame Vauquer and her tenants wonder at the plight of the aging resident Goriot. Once a well-heeled merchant, Goriot was, at first, afforded special treatment from the Madame. But now something is clearly amiss in his financial affairs, and his increasingly tawdry appearance makes him a subject of ridicule in the household.
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balzac rocks
- By beatrice on 03-12-10
By: Honoré de Balzac
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Waverley
- By: Sir Walter Scott
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Waverley by Sir Walter Scott is an enthralling tale of love, war and divided loyalties. Taking place during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, the novel tells the story of proud English officer Edward Waverley. After being posted to Dundee, Edward eventually befriends chieftain of the Highland Clan Mac-Ivor and falls in love with his beautiful sister Flora. He then renounces his former loyalties in order actively to support Scotland in open rebellion against the Union with England. The book depicts stunning, romantic panoramas of the Highlands.
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Loved it
- By Tad Davis on 04-12-18
By: Sir Walter Scott
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Felix Holt, The Radical
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Relinquishing thoughts of a materially rewarding life, the respectably educated Felix Holt returns to his native village in North Loamshire and becomes an artisan. He is a forceful young man of honor, integrity, and idealism, burning to participate in political life so that he may improve the lot of his fellow artisans.
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four and a half stars
- By connie on 01-02-08
By: George Eliot
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The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas
- By: Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
- Narrated by: Edoardo Camponeschi
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (1839-1908) was the greatest writer ever to come from Brazil and one of the masters of nineteenth-century fiction. Susan Sontag calls him "the greatest writer ever produced in Latin America", surpassing even Borges. Harold Bloom says that Machado is "the supreme black literary artist to date". And Allen Ginsburg calls him "another Kafka". And The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas is his masterpiece, a dazzling, tragic, and profound novel that belongs next to the greatest works of his contemporaries Melville and Dostoevsky.
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A hidden masterpiece
- By C. Park on 08-09-18
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- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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In one of Mark Twain's most biting social satires, the allegedly pious town of Hadleyburg has its moral character put to the test. When a sack purportedly loaded with gold is offered to one citizen in return for a good deed done long ago, the upright citizens of Hadleyburg learn a lesson in humility as, one by one, their greed bubbles to the surface.
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Twain Uncorrupted
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The Innocents Abroad
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Twain's Hidden Gem
- By Cynthia Franks on 05-08-12
By: Mark Twain
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A Tramp Abroad
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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In April 1878, Mark Twain and his family traveled to Europe. Overloaded with creative ideas, Twain had hoped that the sojourn would spark his creativity enough to bring at least one of the books in his head to fruition. Instead, he wrote of his walking tour of Europe, describing his impressions of the Black Forest, the Matterhorn, and other attractions. Neglected for years, A Tramp Abroad sparkles with Twain’s shrewd observations and highly opinionated comments on Old World culture.
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A hoot
- By Tad Davis on 05-12-11
By: Mark Twain
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Roughing It
- A Personal Narrative
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
"If there is any life that is happier than the life we led on our timber ranch, it must be the sort of life which I have not read of in books or experienced in person," wrote Mark Twain, and now you can share in that experience. The beloved American humorist spent seven years on a "pleasure trip" through the untamed wilderness of Nevada. Twain intended to spend three months touring silver mines, but the lure of rough terrain and comfortable clothes proved irresistible - as will this vibrant travelogue.
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Hilarious
- By Tad Davis on 04-21-08
By: Mark Twain
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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Transported back in time to the regal days of chivalry, the quick-witted, sharp-tongued Connecticut Yankee introduces the legendary King Arthur and his court to some "magic" even the wizard Merlin never dreamed of: the destructive power of gunpowder, and the ability to eclipse the sun itself!
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Funny, Smart, and Timely
- By Randy on 08-21-04
By: Mark Twain
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Sketches New and Old
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Sketches New and Old is a compilation of fictional stories written by Mark Twain. Among them is "A Ghost Story". In each story, one can catch a great sense of Twain's humor and creativity. These classic sketches from Twain are no longer than 10 minutes each, but all show his quick-witted humor in response to the events of the day.
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Enjoyable
- By Tad Davis on 10-29-16
By: Mark Twain
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The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In one of Mark Twain's most biting social satires, the allegedly pious town of Hadleyburg has its moral character put to the test. When a sack purportedly loaded with gold is offered to one citizen in return for a good deed done long ago, the upright citizens of Hadleyburg learn a lesson in humility as, one by one, their greed bubbles to the surface.
-
-
Twain Uncorrupted
- By Charles Floading on 08-23-05
By: Mark Twain
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The Innocents Abroad
- Or, The New Pilgrim’s Progress
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In June 1867, Mark Twain set out for Europe and the Holy Land on the paddle steamer Quaker City. His enduring, no-nonsense guide for the first-time traveler also served as an antidote to the insufferably romantic travel books of the period.
-
-
Twain's Hidden Gem
- By Cynthia Franks on 05-08-12
By: Mark Twain
-
A Tramp Abroad
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 1878, Mark Twain and his family traveled to Europe. Overloaded with creative ideas, Twain had hoped that the sojourn would spark his creativity enough to bring at least one of the books in his head to fruition. Instead, he wrote of his walking tour of Europe, describing his impressions of the Black Forest, the Matterhorn, and other attractions. Neglected for years, A Tramp Abroad sparkles with Twain’s shrewd observations and highly opinionated comments on Old World culture.
-
-
A hoot
- By Tad Davis on 05-12-11
By: Mark Twain
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Roughing It
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- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
"If there is any life that is happier than the life we led on our timber ranch, it must be the sort of life which I have not read of in books or experienced in person," wrote Mark Twain, and now you can share in that experience. The beloved American humorist spent seven years on a "pleasure trip" through the untamed wilderness of Nevada. Twain intended to spend three months touring silver mines, but the lure of rough terrain and comfortable clothes proved irresistible - as will this vibrant travelogue.
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-
Hilarious
- By Tad Davis on 04-21-08
By: Mark Twain
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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Transported back in time to the regal days of chivalry, the quick-witted, sharp-tongued Connecticut Yankee introduces the legendary King Arthur and his court to some "magic" even the wizard Merlin never dreamed of: the destructive power of gunpowder, and the ability to eclipse the sun itself!
-
-
Funny, Smart, and Timely
- By Randy on 08-21-04
By: Mark Twain
-
Sketches New and Old
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sketches New and Old is a compilation of fictional stories written by Mark Twain. Among them is "A Ghost Story". In each story, one can catch a great sense of Twain's humor and creativity. These classic sketches from Twain are no longer than 10 minutes each, but all show his quick-witted humor in response to the events of the day.
-
-
Enjoyable
- By Tad Davis on 10-29-16
By: Mark Twain
What listeners say about How to Tell a Story and Other Essays
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- CourtneyWNY
- 02-09-15
Does not disappoint! Very funny!
Both the storytelling of Mr. Clemens and the reading of Mr. Troxell make this a laugh-out-loud and very fast 47 minutes! Doubtless Mark Twain is one of history's most comic geniuses!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Thomas
- 08-20-12
Great Stuff!!
Would you listen to How to Tell a Story and Other Essays again? Why?
Yes! Timeless and counter-intuitive wisdom from an American Treasure.
What was one of the most memorable moments of How to Tell a Story and Other Essays?
The title essay was very interesting. I had never considered joke telling in this way.
Which scene was your favorite?
NA
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
NA
Any additional comments?
NA
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3 people found this helpful
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- Cynthia
- 02-05-15
nothing beats the down to earth Twain
I only wish it was longer! Narration was excellent, Mr. Troxell brought Twain's words to life!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Roselle White
- 11-09-19
title not descript
Enjoyable but you learn how to tell a story. It starts with a brief overview of humor vs comedy vs wit.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Michael
- 06-05-14
Not impressed at all
I learned very little from this essay except one good joke. To be honest, I don' think this essay is worth the time to listen to or the money spent on it. Never the less, I did and I accept what little I got from it.
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2 people found this helpful
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- chyman38
- 03-15-24
Misleading title
This was not what I expected. I Wasted my time. I do not recommend this
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