A review by traciemasek
A Murder, a Mystery, and a Marriage by Mark Twain

3.0

On the back of this book it says it's "must read for any Twain enthusiast" and that's totally accurate, but it's also should probably say "ONLY read this if you are a Twain enthusiast." Twain is a sentimental favorite of mine mostly because I didn't realize that people told fart jokes in the 19th century until I got to him. The story itself "A Murder, A Mystery, and A Marriage" is shorty short short (I read it over half a cup of coffee), and it's cute and cynical and full of local color the way Twain's best stuff is, but this is not his best stuff. The version I read has an indepth foreward and an even indepthier afterward written by Roy Blount Jr. and without the context he provides this is a total throw away story. Okay, even with the context he provides, it's a bit of a throw away, but the bit about his grudge against Jules Verne is delightful and something I will remember for always.

Also the skeleton novellette competition idea was super awesome and I wish it would have been realized as Twain planned.

The short story gets two stars, but the foreward/afterward get three. So I'll round up.