In The Objective Standard, I take a look at a new book by Mark Twain. That's almost literally true; this edition of Pudd'nhead Wilson is the original version that Twain radically altered before publication:
what’s remarkable about Pudd’nhead Wilson is that it is still quite enjoyable. Twain’s skill at prose and wordplay, his masterful handling of dialogue, and his comedic timing were so extraordinary that the novel remains entertaining, suspenseful, and at least partly effective in its denunciation of racism. That effectiveness is somewhat improved by this restored version, because the reader can first enjoy the never-before-published original, with the farce and drama blended, and then compare it to Twain’s published version. What’s more, the editors’ meticulous scholarship—tracking down even the minutest differences between the various manuscripts and explaining Twain’s sometimes obscure references with detailed endnotes—add to the enjoyment. (For example, one character refers to Angelo and Luigi as “that phillipene! [sic]”; the note explains that “phillipene” was a 19th-century slang term for a nut with two kernels, such as a peanut.)
Particularly entertaining is the editors’ account of the difficulties Twain encountered getting the book into print. Not only did he wrestle with two different plots, but his European and American publishers’ nitpicking caused him frequent headaches....
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