RaveWashington Independent Review of BooksIt’s hard to imagine a biography proving more useful to Twain lovers and bashers alike. In examining the art and life of a man both adored and reviled, Chernow has presented the case without romanticizing or (it must be said) bowdlerizing ... It took a Mississippi River’s worth of pages for Chernow to bring us this thorough look at a life filled with many triumphs but also numerous body blows — most of them self-inflicted — without causing us to forget how much fun Twain can be to read ... Chernow brings him to life with empathy but not indulgence. It’s the book Twain deserves and also the book deserved by both his fans and his detractors. Twain would surely wrestle over which group deserves it most.
