Interesting collection of stories and excerpts by Mark Twain. His writing style is easy to read and includes his trademark social commentary that is both insightful and humorous. These are darker stories that I am normally used to from him and, while they are well written and intriguing, they’re also a little strange. Add in the weird AI images added in throughout and this was not my favorite Mark Twain work. (Also, the formatting of the eGalley was all over the place and made it difficult to read, taking away from my enjoyment.)

★★★★

Prior to this collection, the only Twain I’ve read had been A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. I was eager to reread bits of that in this work, but I was also excited to explore beyond that.

This compilation of dark and curious stories is well-constructed, being split into multiple parts defined by individual themes. The beginning of each section and the ending of each tale gave context surrounding the stories and Twain’s motivations for writing them. I really appreciated how the structure of this collection made it so easy to digest and understand, even for a reader like myself.

There were, however, a couple things I didn’t like.

The first is that most of the stories had changed names. As someone who is mostly unfamiliar with Twain’s work, I would’ve enjoyed being initially exposed to his works in their truest forms, original titles and all.

The second is the AI generated images. I’m just not a fan of AI in general, but also I think incorporating hand-illustrated images could’ve allowed for a higher degree of eeriness that matches the dark, creepy natures of these stories. Hand-made art would’ve also matched the classic feel of the cover design.

Overall, this is a great collection of stories that shows off Twain’s skill and is especially perfect to read during fall.


Thank you to NetGalley and Lyons Press for the e-ARC!

Mark Twain's Tales of the Macabre & Mysterious by R. Kent Rasmussen is a collection of psychological horror stories that surprised me, as I didn't expect Twain to write in this genre. While some of the stories successfully evoke an eerie vibe, the overall experience was a bit disappointing. Despite the book's intriguing illustrations, it failed to fully capture my attention. I had high hopes, but this collection didn't quite meet my expectations. I would give only 3 stars.

Read from August 1st, 2024 to ?. Written on August 22nd, 2024.

(NOTE: I HAVE NOT FINISHED THIS BOOK YET BUT I AM CONFIDENT IN WHAT I HAVE READ TO GIVE A TRUTHFUL REVIEW)

Sorry for the delay, but with work I have had almost no time (or the right state of mind) to write this review, but here we go.

Okay. I am going to be brief on this one. I did like what I read, it was all so intriguing though some stories I did enjoy more than others. Honestly, the only reason this doesn't get 5 stars is because the author used AI for the illustrations. Not cool.

Signing off,
B.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Globe Pequot | Lyons Press that I chose to review after reading)

4 stars
Classic Mark Twain writings get a bit of a refresher with this new literary edition that brings together a number of the weirdest and unusual stories he ever wrote. Some are passages from his longer novels, some are simply quick tall tales or macabre musings. It's been a while since I've read anything by Twain and this compilation reminded me that he was actually a pretty great writer in his day. I like that the editor picked a nice variety of stories and ordered the contents in an organic and common-sense way.

(Content Warning: many of Twain's musings wouldn't be considered politically correct in our day and age; he was a product of his time and the language he used sometimes reflects that. Please be aware that the editor kept Twain's original writings almost entirely intact.)

The only parts I actively disliked were the AI generated images throughout the book. Hot take alert - I already don't like where AI tech is going in regards to creating "art" while trawling other artists' works online. And I felt the images that were included in the book didn't add enough value to justify the use of AI; I don't think images are even necessary for these delightfully descriptive stories.

Bottom line, if you're a fan of classic literature and spooky tales you just might get a kick out of this collection of mysterious and sometimes macabre stories.

Thanks to NetGalley, editor R. Kent Rasmussen, and Lyons Press (a branch of Globe Pequot) for providing me this digital ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I grew up right on the Mississippi River, close enough to Twain's Hannibal that we went there on school field trips. And yet, I had never read any of his work until now.

This collection of work by Twain highlight the Macabre and the Mysterious well and would be a great read for a windy, chilly October evening.

Twain's known for his snark and it shines in this collection of writings. I'd highly, highly encourage everyone to read the story 'War Prayer' - it lead to a spirited discussion between my brother in law and myself and continues to occupy space in my mind well after reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for approving me on this title. A very good book that is well worth a read. Highly recommend

The following review is not a criticism of Mark Twain’s writing, but rather the anthology itself.

The title of this collection by Mark Twain is somewhat misleading. If you are expecting, as I was, stories that are akin to Poe, you won’t find that in this volume. To me, the vast majority of the stories are neither macabre or all that mysterious.
This isn’t to say that the tales aren’t enjoyable, and it was nice to see stories I hadn’t read or even knew existed. Be aware that a good deal of material has been taken from novels such as The Prince and the Pauper, and A Connecticut Yankee, and also travel books such as Roughing It and Life on the Mississippi, and not just short stories. Additionally, the AI generated illustrations were, to me, jarring as they didn’t seem to fit the style and age of the stories.

Disappointing.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of the book.

A four-star read, but I had to take away a star for the messy formatting which made my copy very difficult to read. Most of these short stories I'd never read or even heard of before. I loved learning the stories behind them. There's no question Twain was an exceptional author and these display his talent in a darker light which I so enjoyed.

An interesting collection of stories by Twain. The stories are unlike his known works, but still retain his wit and humor. A good read for fans of Mark Twain.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Every typical Mark Twain and yet not at all! Those of us familiar with this great man's writing will recognize the word usuage, the sentence structures, the sarcastic wit and the humor so that we know we are reading Twain even while marveling at how dark some of these stories really are. I've loved Twain all my life, one of my favorite authors for those very things I listed above, but some of these stories, taken out of context, show a much darker side to the man. Each story has a history, some lifted from published works, some previously unpublished, some autobiographical in origin, others straight fiction, but all carry the same vein - a macabre, mysterious, dark, twisted at times, sense to the writing. While I can't say that I enjoyed anthem all, I so appreciate what I was reading and can understand that not everything the author saw and experienced was of a positive nature. And knowing the backstory to some characters, such as Huck Finn's father, made those books all the more cherished and clear. So loved reading something new from one of my all-time favorite authors, you just don't find this style of prose today and I have missed it!

4,5 stars.
I am glad this collection exists now. I have come across some of Twains more macabre or mysterious stories in the past, but not in an edited collection such as this one, This is a great idea.

The stories are engaging. Twain’s usual writing with a unique touch.

While I liked some of the AI-generated images in the book, I do not think they were a good fit for such an important writer’s book. It would have been great to have a human artist do the illustrations or at least a combination between AI and human artwork.

It is totally different from the Twain books I've read so far and I loved it. It's refreshing to see a different side to an already amazing author.
These were wonderful stores

This title is an unexpected delight. I enjoyed Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn as a child, but can’t say I’ve read anything else by Twain since. This collection is a revelation and shows a completely different aspect to his writing. Rasmussen’s introduction sets the background and explains that the selection of tales is roughly split into themes and each tale is a standalone. It’s an outstanding selection of the mysterious and macabre and I’m truly surprised that Twain has not gained a reputation like MR James as an author of creepy horror stories. I’ve visited New Orleans and travelled up the Mississippi at night and it’s very easy to step back in time and imagine some of the settings in these stories. They’re vivid and some quite gory! There are some amazing illustrations throughout, aided by AI that really bring the creepiness alive. Definitely a book to peruse around Halloween and it’s one to dip into. I’ll be looking for the paper version on publication; it’s an exceptional read and one I want on my shelf rather than the electronic version. I hope it leads to a resurgence of interest in his writing. Absolutely brilliant.