The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain initially peaked my interest. Prior to receiving the book in the mail, I did not know what to expect of these quotes from Mark Twain. Having not read many of his works, I honestly imagined another book, similar to Morreal's, in which I would struggle to read; however, this was not the case. I quite enjoyed this last piece of literature that we read. To my surprise, it was much funnier than I imagined. I really enjoyed the mixture of profound and thought provoking quotes and those that made you laugh quietly under your breath. I particularly liked the fact that most of the quotes were short and simple. That feature of the book provided for a quick and enjoyable read, similar to The Tales of Juha. In fact, I found a few similarities between this book and The Tales of Juha. Some of them include:
1. The formatting of the book- Both of the books included short little stories, or quotes. While Juha contained some longer stories, the books as a whole were easier to read than a extensive novel or long-winded article. In addition, the pairing of similar stories/ quotes in different sections provided the reader an easy transition while the different plots and overall quote ideas kept the reader interested and engaged the entire time.
2. The mixture of humor and insightful thoughts- Juha and Mark Twain both gave the reader a mixture of quotes with different end results. For examples, some quotes were simply there just to make you think, while others provided a chuckle or two. While Juha contained some short stories that seemed to only provide laughs, all of Mark Twain's humorous quotes that I can think of, had a more profound thought behind it. This is shown in the quote of page 101, in which Twain responds to the question "What are the sweetest words in the world?" with "Not guilty". At first, this quote made me laugh at the simplicity and primary strangeness of it. However, after further thinking about his answer, the sweet sound of freedom is probably the most relieving words to be heard. From his quotes, one can tell that Mark Twain thought before he wrote or spoke, even in his joking.
3. Some of the quotes/stories went over my head- While Mark Twain's quotes were more relatable due to the culture and time period similarities, I still didn't understand some of his quotes. This may be due to the fact that I simply am not on the same wisdom level of Mark Twain and the authors of Juha stories. While reading each of the books, I would have to stop and reread some of the ideas several times in an attempt to understand. This happened mostly in the sections On Law and Politics and In America and Abroad.
Needless to say, I enjoyed both Tales of Juha and The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain. I appreciated having to read these books because it allowed me a small outlet from my other more tedious schoolwork. This last book reflects this class as a whole; it made you think and work hard, but allowed you to laugh throughout.
Kristin:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the comparisons you made between Tales of Juha and the Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain. I made many of the same connections and experienced many of the same emotions throughout my readings. As I'm sure many could not help but notice, the formatting of the two books was very similar. Like you stated above, the stories were much easier to read through than a more normal novel progression. It was easy to read through stories and quotes, and allow your mind to dabble in a variety of different commentary, many accompanied with a joke. The mixture of humor and insightful thoughts (2) makes the reader think a little more than a joke with a simple punchline solely for the reason of producing laughter. As many short stories in Tales of Juha, Mark Twain's quotes revealed an aspect of paradox. For example on page 161 in the "N" section, it reads, "Names are not always what they seem. The common Welsh name Bzjxxlwcp is pronounced Jackson." The first sentence provides a foundation of logic. It also can be seen as a setup for the punchline. The second line creates an inconsistency because the two words are not nearly alike in writing. A main reason why these stories and quotes are so entertaining is that many times the reader can see a truth in the statement made. These sentences comment on how many times names are not pronounced as they appear on paper. The punchline is a paradox that makes you think and produces an entertaining shift in thought.