How to Tell a Story and Other Essays Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

Preview

$0.00 for first 30 days

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

How to Tell a Story and Other Essays

By: Mark Twain
Narrated by: Brian Troxell
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $6.95

Buy for $6.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

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".

Public Domain (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
Classics Drama & Plays United States World World Literature Witty Nonfiction Funny
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro805_stickypopup

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.

All stars
Most relevant  
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!

Does not disappoint! Very funny!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I loved the writing, and the humanity in Mark Twain’s words. What is more, I believe the narrator had decent timing.

Mark Twain’s Disbelief in his Writing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

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

Great Stuff!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I only wish it was longer! Narration was excellent, Mr. Troxell brought Twain's words to life!

nothing beats the down to earth Twain

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Enjoyable but you learn how to tell a story. It starts with a brief overview of humor vs comedy vs wit.

title not descript

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

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.

Not impressed at all

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This was not what I expected. I Wasted my time. I do not recommend this

Misleading title

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.