Perhaps more than any other classic American writer, Mark Twain (1835-1910) is seen not only as an author, but also as a personality who defined an era. Highly sensitive to the sound of language, Twain introduced colloquial speech into American fiction and is considered by most scholars to be the first American humorist. The product of both the preindustrial, pre-Civil War Mississippi Valley and the receding Western frontier, he attracted a worldwide audience for his clever and universally appealing tales of camaraderie and adventure. Punch, Brothers, Punch, a Book-of-the-Month Alternate Selection, contains both lesser-known writings and perennial favorites that reveal and celebrate Twain's genius as a satirist. Selections from The Innocents Abroad, Life on the Mississippi, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and several other works are included. Meticulously restored from a variety of original sources, this text is the first to adhere to Twain's wishes in thousands of details of wording, spelling, and punctuation. Renowned Twain expert Charles Neider lovingly pared away the substandard writing and padding demanded of Twain by his publishers in order to craft the definitive collection of Twain's finest and most beloved comic pieces. Book jacket.