Mark Twain: A Biography. Volume II, Part 2: 1886-1900

In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the celebrated humorist turned his keen intellect toward the demanding verses of Robert Browning. He gathered a small circle of friends for Saturday‑morning readings, dissecting each line with the precision of a scholar and the flair of a storyteller. His notes reveal a mind that treated poetry like a telescope, searching dark spaces for sudden flashes of brilliance that he eagerly shared with his listeners.

Beyond Browning, he scrutinized the works of George Meredith, William Makepeace Thackeray and Thomas Carlyle, often re‑reading them as his own views evolved. His candid commentary—ranging from gentle amusement at Meredith’s characters to fiery self‑reflection after revisiting Carlyle’s history—offers a vivid portrait of a man constantly reshaping his own ideas. Interwoven with these literary pursuits are glimpses of his domestic life, the challenges of managing a farm, and the financial strains that began to surface, all painting a richly textured portrait of Twain’s final, introspective years.