Mark Twain, the pen name for Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. Born shortly after a visit by Halley's Comet, he grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which later provided the setting for "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn". Twain's wit and satire earned praise from critics and peers, and he is often called the "father of American literature".
Twain's early experiences on the Mississippi River as a steamboat pilot heavily influenced his writing. His celebrated novels "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876) and its sequel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884), the latter often referred to as the "Great American Novel," provided incisive social commentary on issues such as race and class.
His extensive repertoire also includes "The Innocents Abroad," "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," and the autobiographical "Life on the Mississippi". Twain's travelogues, essays, and speeches demonstrate his keen observations and stand as testaments to his storytelling prowess and deep understanding of human nature.
Despite financial difficulties later in life, Twain's humor and sharp observations kept him in the limelight, and his legacy endures as a cornerstone of American humor and literature.
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