Mark Twain's autobiography came with a stipulation that it not be published until a hundred years after he died. The Mark Twain Project released Volume One in 2010 with two more to come. I highly recommend it.

Twain would be tickled if he knew how much has been published about him. This volume weighs in at over 700 pages. The University of Windsor library has a rather impressive amount of shelf space dedicated to Twain. Twain-mania is understandable, he's a remarkable man, full of genius. He has plausible claims at being the founding father of American literature and the best American satirist ever.

I've finally tackled this mammoth and I've encountered Twain more deeply than every before. There's good humour here, brilliant character sketches, insights on human nature, and further evidence of genius. The interactions with literary and political figures as well as the recollections of his daughter are delightful.

My only qualification is that this book is not for the faint of heart. If you're less than heavily interested in Twain or unprepared to get into this for the long haul, you'll be overwhelmed. If you aren't cut out for it, you'll likely choke on the super-sized editor introduction.