The Innocents Abroad » (Reissue)

Riverboat pilot, journalist, failed businessman (several times over): Samuel Clemens -- the man behind the figure of Mark Twain -- led many lives. But it was in his novels and short stories that he created a voice and an outlook on life that will be forever identified with the American character.

Note to Adobe eBook Customers: The Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader version is printable, but there is a known problem printing to printers that do not use the PostScript page description language. This problem occurs with some HP LaserJet, Epson Stylus inkjet, and Epson impact printers. Consult your printer's documentation to find out if it is PostScript compatible. This does not affect your ability to read the book on screen.

The Innocents Abroad is based on correspondence Twain sent to two newspapers recounting his experiences during five months aboard a cruise ship.

Twain's success with this kind of writing stems from his ability to vary the nature and pace of his text so that a great deal of historical and factual information is conveyed, interspersed with highly entertaining accounts of things that Twain himself experienced or witnessed. This blend of material was less tedious than the usual travel guide but more substantial than the typical book of humor; a narrative strategy that was useful to Twain in other kinds of writing as well.