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Twain’s Feast

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Twain’s Feast

By: Audible Originals
Narrated by: Nick Offerman
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About this listen

Mark Twain, beloved American writer, performer, and humorist, was a self-proclaimed glutton. With the help of a chef and some friends, Nick Offerman presents the story of Twain’s life through the lens of eight of Mark Twain’s favorite foods. As we explore these foods’ role in Samuel Clemens’ life, we also discover a surprising culinary and ecological history of America. The biggest celebrity of his time, Twain was a witness to a transforming country, and with historian and writer Andrew Beahrs as a guide, Beahrs and Offerman take documentary excursions across America, illuminating each dish and bringing to life a broad sampling of Twain’s writing. Twain’s Feast is a rollicking information-packed journey into the rich culinary history of America, with the sharp eye and unmistakable wit of Mark Twain himself.

Portions of this audiobook contain mature language and themes. Listener discretion is advised.

©2018 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC
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Our favorite moments from Twain's Feast

An epic dinner party for the ages
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Entertaining was in Twain's marrow
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We needed someone fearless…enter Chef Tyler Anderson
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Twain was a long way from his uncle’s farm
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Tyler moved between corn, raccoon and trout with the graceful hand of a poet
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Sitting in Twain’s home we felt his loss
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  • Twain’s Feast
  • An epic dinner party for the ages
  • Twain’s Feast
  • Entertaining was in Twain's marrow
  • Twain’s Feast
  • We needed someone fearless…enter Chef Tyler Anderson
  • Twain’s Feast
  • Twain was a long way from his uncle’s farm
  • Twain’s Feast
  • Tyler moved between corn, raccoon and trout with the graceful hand of a poet
  • Twain’s Feast
  • Sitting in Twain’s home we felt his loss
.

About the Author

Andrew Beahrs loves food and history and has written about both for the Smithsonian. He is the author of multiple novels including Strange Saint and The Sin Eaters. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Gastronomica, The Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Writer's Chronicle, among other publications. He lives in California with his family.

About the Author

Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American novelist, satirist, and social critic. Described by William Faulkner as the “father of American literature,” Twain produced works of timeless humor and enduring social relevance. His novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer remain among the most widely-read books in the American canon. Twain died in 1910, the day after the return of Halley's Comet, which had last appeared shortly before his birth.

About the Performer

Best known as the indomitable Ron Swanson in the popular NBC television series Parks and Recreation, Nick Offerman is an uncommon quadruple threat: carpenter, comedian, actor, and author. Offerman first hit the New York Times bestseller list with the release of his semi-autobiographical work Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living, and followed it up with the best-selling Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers and Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop. Recently he co-wrote The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: An Oral History with wife Megan Mullally. Currently he keeps busy producing and hosting a lighthearted crafting competition, Making It, alongside Amy Poehler for NBC. As an audiobook narrator, Offerman has demonstrated an uncanny kinship with the work of Mark Twain. His narration of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer—which one Audible editor called “one of the best things I have ever listened to”—brought an American classic into the 21st century. Offerman's deadpan humor and delivery keep Twain's writing as fresh as ever.

About the Performer

Wanda Sykes first came to national prominence as a comedian and writer on HBO’s The Chris Rock Show, winning an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special in 1999. She won another three Emmy Awards as a correspondent on Inside the NFL. Entertainment Weekly declared her one of the "25 Funniest People in America" in 2004. Sykes made history in 2009 as the first African-American woman, and first openly gay comedian, to host the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. On television, she has written, produced, and starred in her own comedy specials for Comedy Central, Fox, and HBO, and performed to wide acclaim on Curb Your Enthusiasm, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and black-ish. You can hear her voice in animated features such as Ice Age: Continental Drift, Over the Hedge, and Rio.

About the Performer

Chef Tyler Anderson started his culinary career at 16, working in kitchens throughout California and Chicago alongside some of world’s best chefs. He opened his first restaurant, Millwright’s, in Simsbury, Connecticut in 2012, and has earned accolades from The New York Times, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Magazine. He has since opened another award-winning bistro—this time in collaboration with Pitmaster Jamie MacDonald—and has plans to open a Spanish-inspired restaurant.

Anderson supports many charities and plans to create an accredited hospitality and culinary program to shape young chefs and replicate the experiences that inspired him at 16. He has been nominated as Best Chef-Northeast from the James Beard Foundation for the last five years in a row, and was a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef. He was also a winner on Food Network’s Chopped.

What listeners say about Twain’s Feast

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Pushing a story that isn’t t there

Although based on a real book, this audible story seems quite forced. There is not enough “meat” in it. Parts are slow and belabored as if the writers are trying to create a story that isn’t really there. I would have liked to have heard more of Twain’s writings about food and his experiences around food. Also more of his humor.

Also, there are disconcerting lengthy pauses between sections. Several times I thought the recording was “broken”, but it was just again a too lengthy pause.

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5 people found this helpful

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Delightful

A simply lovely series of meditations using Twain’s dream dinner list (I imagine this is what Sam would have used Pinterest for ;)) as a jumping of point to discuss all sorts of topics related to the dishes in some way as well as giving a potted biography of the man himself.

All strung together by the narration of Offerman.

An absolute delight, add it to your library now!

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a view through a modern lens misses the genius

Offerman as both participant and narrator is confusing. they missed the central theme of Huck Finn totally.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting and fun

This book was fun to listen. The attempt to recreate a XIX century menu led to some interesting and complicated turns as the chefs endeavored to be as faithful to Mark Twain's recipe collection - not easy. The selected readings interspersed throughout were appropriate and typical of Twain. A strong Audible Original.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

Good Twain/history read, doesn't stick to premise

the premise of this book is it they're going to go through a list of Mark Twain's favorite foods and prepare a feast accordingly. they do this while also talking about why these foods are important, and what they have to do with Twain's life and the surrounding events in American history. The stuff about Twain's life in American history is pretty good, my only disappointment is that they started off right away by veering away from what Twain menu would have consisted of, and then at some point they just dropped that idea altogether. I kind of wanted to hear more about the food but they just sort of gave up talking about it. I also would have liked to hear more from Wanda Sykes and the other guests

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An Enjoyable Learning Experience

In retrospect, after listening to a well done Audible book, I can't remember whether I read it or listened to it. Not so with Twain's Feast. This is a remarkable listening experience. I thought I knew about Samuel Clemens... I know more now. I also learned about American history, food history, and endangered species... all while enjoying the experience immensely. #Biography #Humor #food #History #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes

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Love!

I’ve always been a fan of Mark Twain. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the story. Thank you Audible for producing. I didn’t want it to end. Looking forward to more stories like this one.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Misleading title but still very good.

This book/story was very well read and I enjoyed listening very much. However I did enter in to this thinking it was about food but more time was spent on slavery and it's effects than I would have expected. As a history of Mark Twain it spent quite a bit of time apologizing for a man's actions in the past with today's moral compass as a high bar.

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loved it!

wonderful retrospective on Twain with a great cast all tied together with the premise of a meal!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

more about race than Twain or food

The book is more about racial division during the time that Twain lived than food or the man himself. Everytime they bring up a different item on the menu , there is a long, drawn out discussion about how it was cooked by slaves and how bad it was. Yes it was a horrible chapter in our history as Americans. Complaining and anguishing over it will not change the past. If people would put half the effort into stopping the slavery that still exist all around the globe then the world would be a far better place.

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