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Papa: An Intimate Biography of Mark Twain
A biography of Twain written by his daughter Susy when she was thirteen and he was fifty. Includes correspondence between the two.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
236 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
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About the author
Susy Clemens
4Ìýbooks2ÌýfollowersOlivia Susan Clemens, known as Susy Clemens was the eldest daughter and second child of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and his wife Olivia Langdon Clemens. Susie is said to have inspired some of the character traits for Joan of Arc, in her father's historical novel: Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc.
At the age of thirteen, Susy Clemens began work on a biography of her famous father, Samuel Clemens who wrote under the pen name, Mark Twain. Susie's brief biography of Twain was eventually published as Papa: An Intimate Biography of Mark Twain in 1988. The book includes a brief recollection of young Susie meeting a dying Ulysses S. Grant as the former Civil War General and United States President worked on his personal memoirs for Twain's publishing house. Twain included some passages from his daughter's biographical sketch of him into his own autobiography.
Susie died of spinal meningitis at the age of twenty-four.
At the age of thirteen, Susy Clemens began work on a biography of her famous father, Samuel Clemens who wrote under the pen name, Mark Twain. Susie's brief biography of Twain was eventually published as Papa: An Intimate Biography of Mark Twain in 1988. The book includes a brief recollection of young Susie meeting a dying Ulysses S. Grant as the former Civil War General and United States President worked on his personal memoirs for Twain's publishing house. Twain included some passages from his daughter's biographical sketch of him into his own autobiography.
Susie died of spinal meningitis at the age of twenty-four.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 30, 2019
A charming little bonbon written by Susy Clemens, aged 13, a biography of her father. Bittersweet, too, since Susy died at 24. Clemens interjects comments, explanations and reminiscences of his own into
her text, which makes for a deeper picture of the close relationship between the two. Charles Neider's introduction adds yet another layer to the story. Altogether a wonderful book about a fascinating man.
her text, which makes for a deeper picture of the close relationship between the two. Charles Neider's introduction adds yet another layer to the story. Altogether a wonderful book about a fascinating man.
February 11, 2018
Fascinating read--both Susy's biography and Samuel L. Clemens' commentary on it. A look at Mark Twain the family man.
March 8, 2017
Infinitely charming. Twain has always known how to capture the magical blend of innocence, ignorance, and insight that characterizes children, and his daughter's writing sheds some light on the likely source of that wisdom. A lot of the humor comes from Twain's commentary, but even more, his love and admiration for Susy shines through.
That's not to discount the actual biography, which obviously lacks the polish of an older and more experienced writer. Even so, the portrait she paints of her family life is actually a lot more evocative than many more "serious" biographies. The details she chooses to focus on are revelatory, all the more so because they would mostly be ignored by any serious scholar. Yet those little nuances are what really make the Clemens family come to life, from the descriptions of their leisure activities to the way the youngest daughter mangles her retellings of the stories made up by her father.
The introduction, on the other hand, is a total waste of time. I have no idea why that guy's picture is on the dust jacket for his nigh-on incomprehensible ramblings. He focuses, for reasons beyond my ken, on several people who would figure in Susy's later life but play no part at the time she was writing the biography.
That's not to discount the actual biography, which obviously lacks the polish of an older and more experienced writer. Even so, the portrait she paints of her family life is actually a lot more evocative than many more "serious" biographies. The details she chooses to focus on are revelatory, all the more so because they would mostly be ignored by any serious scholar. Yet those little nuances are what really make the Clemens family come to life, from the descriptions of their leisure activities to the way the youngest daughter mangles her retellings of the stories made up by her father.
The introduction, on the other hand, is a total waste of time. I have no idea why that guy's picture is on the dust jacket for his nigh-on incomprehensible ramblings. He focuses, for reasons beyond my ken, on several people who would figure in Susy's later life but play no part at the time she was writing the biography.
August 16, 2015
The actual biography from his daughter is short and written when she was very young. Yet it showed Twain's family life. Mr. Clemen's comments on what she wrote is also fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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