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丕爻讴賳丕爻 蹖讴 賲蹖賱蹖賵賳 倬賵賳丿蹖
=鈥淓skenas鈥� a million pounds
First published January 1, 1893
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About the author
Mark Twain
8,300听books18.2k听followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the 欧宝娱乐 database.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
July 1, 2020
3.5 stars. Who knew that Mark Twain wrote a Victorian era version of the Eddie Murphy movie Trading Places ... or at least half of it? This novella is an amusing, quick read.
Henry Adams, a young man working a clerking job in San Francisco, is lost at sea, picked up by another ship and taken to London. When he arrives he is ragged and penniless. It just so happens that a couple of rich brothers have bought up a one-of-a-kind bank note for a million pounds. They make a bet about whether, if they give the bank note to a destitute stranger, he will be able to make something of it, or will be arrested or refused if he tries to cash in or use the money. Henry Adams happens to walk by their window, and becomes the subject of their human nature experiment.
It's a humorous story (of course, it's Mark Twain) with a can-do main character and just a little romance (instalove, more for smiles than feelz). My favorite passage:
Henry Adams, a young man working a clerking job in San Francisco, is lost at sea, picked up by another ship and taken to London. When he arrives he is ragged and penniless. It just so happens that a couple of rich brothers have bought up a one-of-a-kind bank note for a million pounds. They make a bet about whether, if they give the bank note to a destitute stranger, he will be able to make something of it, or will be arrested or refused if he tries to cash in or use the money. Henry Adams happens to walk by their window, and becomes the subject of their human nature experiment.
It's a humorous story (of course, it's Mark Twain) with a can-do main character and just a little romance (instalove, more for smiles than feelz). My favorite passage:
I handed the note to him, and said:Free to read online .
"Oh, very well; I apologize."
He received it with a smile, one of those large smiles which goes all around over, and has folds in it, and wrinkles, and spirals, and looks like the place where you have thrown a brick in a pond; and then in the act of his taking a glimpse of the bill this smile froze solid, and turned yellow, and looked like those wavy, wormy spreads of lava which you find hardened on little levels on the side of Vesuvius.
October 15, 2015
Imagine for a second that you have accidentally acquired an object of immense value, or a stash of immense wealth; a fortune that is not legally yours and one you can only admire privately; a fortune, which you cannot personally sell or encash for the fear of getting caught up in legal muddles; a fortune that will have no takers even if donated freely; then what will be this fortune to you? It will be an immense burden, right? Nah鈥� Not for Harry Adams.
So who is 鈥�Harry Adams鈥�? Well, he is the hero of our story, 鈥�The Million Pound Bank Note鈥� written by Mark Twain originally in 1893; an old fashioned tale, which inspects the real meaning of money and fairness in one鈥檚 character over the possession of wealth narrated with a fair dosage of Twain鈥檚 signature satire. The story is set in London and we can glimpse the realistic nature with which the author represent the social and economic thoughts of the time in the characters that he create, in 鈥�The Million Pound Bank Note鈥� too.
In the beginning of the story we meet a young Harry Adams - who was a clerk with a mining-broker at San Francisco 鈥� walking penniless and in rags through the streets of Victorian London as the victim of a freak boat accident, which took him away from his comparatively comfortable job and life in America. We meet him as an absolute stranger in town with no money desperately fighting against hunger pangs when he gets acquainted with two immensely rich eccentric brothers.
These brothers were arguing about 鈥�what will happen to a honest & intelligent person when he comes in custody of a million pound bank note, with nothing else in his possession鈥�. One brother was the opinion that such a man, with no way to prove the manner in which he came into possession of such a heavy value bank note, will die of hunger, while the other brother was of the opinion that such a man will survive on the mere symbolic ownership of such a vast wealth. To settle their argument they decide on a wager and it was in these circumstances that our hero meets them. They gift him with an envelope and sends him away asking him to open the envelope once he is back at his place of residence.
Finding a bank note within the envelope Harry decides to have a square meal at a dining place and gets the shock of his life when he finds that the bank note that was given to him was actually of the value of one million pounds. When the owner of the diner finds that Harry is in possession of such a heavy denomination bank note, he refuse to take money from him thinking of Harry as a millionaire and beg him to dine at his establishment during his stay in the town with an infinitely extended credit. From the letter Harry learns about the bet between the brothers and that he has to meet them exactly after one month and then they will reward him with a job on the successful completion of the bet.
From a man who was longing for a discarded pear at the gutter for satisfying his hunger, the possession of the bank note changes things drastically for Harry. Overnight he becomes the 鈥�notoriety of the metropolis 鈥� and 鈥�the eccentric foreigner鈥� who carries million pound bank notes in his pocket, and every establishment in town was extending Harry with unlimited credits. In the society columns of newspapers he becomes the 鈥�vest pocket million pounder鈥� and even the Punch magazine celebrates him with a caricature within their magazine. The mere possession of this million pound bank note opens every door for Harry. And when he gets invited to a dinner party featuring the cream of London鈥檚 social circles, he meets the beautiful Portia Langham and it is there the real story of Harry鈥檚 success begins. Twain鈥檚 narrative is slick and is loaded in humor as he presents the reader with the rest of the story about Harry鈥檚 life and his success in gaining wealth, social acceptance and love of a beautiful girl all leading to a surprising climax.
Did the Million Pound Bank note really exist?
The plot of the story of 鈥楾he Million Pound Bank Note鈥� revolves around the sheer impossibility of encashing a heavy value bank note by a common man. Within this story it is narrated that only two such notes were ever issued and any one who walks into a bank to cash that note will be walking himself into a legal tangle with the prospect of jail term. So, does such million pound bank notes really exist? Lets do a bit of digging around for the purpose of satisfying the curiosity over this question.
Such Higher value pound bank notes do exist, and they were usually used for transactions within the banks. The Bank of England uses the 鈥�one million鈥� and 鈥�hundred million鈥� pound bank notes to maintain the parity with bank notes issued by Scottish and Northern Irish bank notes. These notes 鈥� the one million ones are called 鈥�giants鈥� and comes in A5 size and the hundred million ones are the 鈥�titans鈥� having an A4 size - are more like IOU documents and they are special issues from Bank of England to meet the requirement of backing pound for pound the notes issued by banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
One of the nine one-million pound notes issued in connection with the Marshall Plan on August 30, 1948
Nine such one-million pound notes were issued in connection with the 鈥�Marshall Plan鈥�, corresponding to the loan from US after the World War II in 1948. After cancellation, of these nine only seven were destroyed and two survived with private collectors. Such high value notes are not usually found in the normal transactional scenes and it is believed that notes worth eight billion pounds were printed in these heavy denominations in total.
Back to our story鈥�
Twain can generate humor from narrations of unrealistic and often absurdly simple situations and 鈥�The Million Pound Bank Note鈥� is a nice example for his storytelling abilities. Even though personally I have a lot of objections towards many of the viewpoints that Mark Twain held in his personal life and his outlook towards many worldly matters, I admire him as a narrator who can keep the readers engaged using clever plots and witty situations. The way in which he reflects the time period of the narrative within his narrative is another applaudable factor. 鈥楾he Million Pound Bank Note鈥� can be a delight for those who love charming stories.
Side Note: 鈥楾he Million Pound Bank Note鈥� by Twain was made into a number of movie and TV show adaptations, and I have really enjoyed the 1954 鈥�Ronald Neame鈥� adaptation starring 鈥�Gregory Peck鈥�.
Actual Rating: 3.5/5 Review added on Oct-14, '15
So who is 鈥�Harry Adams鈥�? Well, he is the hero of our story, 鈥�The Million Pound Bank Note鈥� written by Mark Twain originally in 1893; an old fashioned tale, which inspects the real meaning of money and fairness in one鈥檚 character over the possession of wealth narrated with a fair dosage of Twain鈥檚 signature satire. The story is set in London and we can glimpse the realistic nature with which the author represent the social and economic thoughts of the time in the characters that he create, in 鈥�The Million Pound Bank Note鈥� too.
In the beginning of the story we meet a young Harry Adams - who was a clerk with a mining-broker at San Francisco 鈥� walking penniless and in rags through the streets of Victorian London as the victim of a freak boat accident, which took him away from his comparatively comfortable job and life in America. We meet him as an absolute stranger in town with no money desperately fighting against hunger pangs when he gets acquainted with two immensely rich eccentric brothers.
These brothers were arguing about 鈥�what will happen to a honest & intelligent person when he comes in custody of a million pound bank note, with nothing else in his possession鈥�. One brother was the opinion that such a man, with no way to prove the manner in which he came into possession of such a heavy value bank note, will die of hunger, while the other brother was of the opinion that such a man will survive on the mere symbolic ownership of such a vast wealth. To settle their argument they decide on a wager and it was in these circumstances that our hero meets them. They gift him with an envelope and sends him away asking him to open the envelope once he is back at his place of residence.
Finding a bank note within the envelope Harry decides to have a square meal at a dining place and gets the shock of his life when he finds that the bank note that was given to him was actually of the value of one million pounds. When the owner of the diner finds that Harry is in possession of such a heavy denomination bank note, he refuse to take money from him thinking of Harry as a millionaire and beg him to dine at his establishment during his stay in the town with an infinitely extended credit. From the letter Harry learns about the bet between the brothers and that he has to meet them exactly after one month and then they will reward him with a job on the successful completion of the bet.
From a man who was longing for a discarded pear at the gutter for satisfying his hunger, the possession of the bank note changes things drastically for Harry. Overnight he becomes the 鈥�notoriety of the metropolis 鈥� and 鈥�the eccentric foreigner鈥� who carries million pound bank notes in his pocket, and every establishment in town was extending Harry with unlimited credits. In the society columns of newspapers he becomes the 鈥�vest pocket million pounder鈥� and even the Punch magazine celebrates him with a caricature within their magazine. The mere possession of this million pound bank note opens every door for Harry. And when he gets invited to a dinner party featuring the cream of London鈥檚 social circles, he meets the beautiful Portia Langham and it is there the real story of Harry鈥檚 success begins. Twain鈥檚 narrative is slick and is loaded in humor as he presents the reader with the rest of the story about Harry鈥檚 life and his success in gaining wealth, social acceptance and love of a beautiful girl all leading to a surprising climax.
Did the Million Pound Bank note really exist?
The plot of the story of 鈥楾he Million Pound Bank Note鈥� revolves around the sheer impossibility of encashing a heavy value bank note by a common man. Within this story it is narrated that only two such notes were ever issued and any one who walks into a bank to cash that note will be walking himself into a legal tangle with the prospect of jail term. So, does such million pound bank notes really exist? Lets do a bit of digging around for the purpose of satisfying the curiosity over this question.
Such Higher value pound bank notes do exist, and they were usually used for transactions within the banks. The Bank of England uses the 鈥�one million鈥� and 鈥�hundred million鈥� pound bank notes to maintain the parity with bank notes issued by Scottish and Northern Irish bank notes. These notes 鈥� the one million ones are called 鈥�giants鈥� and comes in A5 size and the hundred million ones are the 鈥�titans鈥� having an A4 size - are more like IOU documents and they are special issues from Bank of England to meet the requirement of backing pound for pound the notes issued by banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
One of the nine one-million pound notes issued in connection with the Marshall Plan on August 30, 1948
Nine such one-million pound notes were issued in connection with the 鈥�Marshall Plan鈥�, corresponding to the loan from US after the World War II in 1948. After cancellation, of these nine only seven were destroyed and two survived with private collectors. Such high value notes are not usually found in the normal transactional scenes and it is believed that notes worth eight billion pounds were printed in these heavy denominations in total.
Back to our story鈥�
Twain can generate humor from narrations of unrealistic and often absurdly simple situations and 鈥�The Million Pound Bank Note鈥� is a nice example for his storytelling abilities. Even though personally I have a lot of objections towards many of the viewpoints that Mark Twain held in his personal life and his outlook towards many worldly matters, I admire him as a narrator who can keep the readers engaged using clever plots and witty situations. The way in which he reflects the time period of the narrative within his narrative is another applaudable factor. 鈥楾he Million Pound Bank Note鈥� can be a delight for those who love charming stories.
Side Note: 鈥楾he Million Pound Bank Note鈥� by Twain was made into a number of movie and TV show adaptations, and I have really enjoyed the 1954 鈥�Ronald Neame鈥� adaptation starring 鈥�Gregory Peck鈥�.
Actual Rating: 3.5/5 Review added on Oct-14, '15
July 12, 2021
I absolutely love this story. It felt very familiar to me, so I think I've read it before, but I enjoyed it immensely. It's so cleverly written, and you find yourself rooting for the protagonist while wanting to be him at the same time. Brilliant story.
July 1, 2020
A very short and delightful novella that plays around with the concept of perceived wealth and how it can literally change your life. Twain is great with getting into the foibles and weakness of society at the time, and in this case, not much has changed now. The story is set in London during Victorian times (of course!).
Henry Adams has just got off the boat and wonders how he is going to make ends meet in this most expensive city. But while he is foraging for food in the dustbin, his life changed in a second as he was summoned inside a house by two men. They offer him a million pound bank note as a social experiment to see if he could survive with it or not. I wonder where all these eccentric rich people are today! I wouldn't mind being offered a million pound note ... I am quite willing to be that sort of guinea pig.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. As Henry takes full advantage of his wealth and quickly claws his way up the ladder, the story gets more exciting. And of course, he gets the girl too! Very well-written and fun, my only grump is that it was too short.
Henry Adams has just got off the boat and wonders how he is going to make ends meet in this most expensive city. But while he is foraging for food in the dustbin, his life changed in a second as he was summoned inside a house by two men. They offer him a million pound bank note as a social experiment to see if he could survive with it or not. I wonder where all these eccentric rich people are today! I wouldn't mind being offered a million pound note ... I am quite willing to be that sort of guinea pig.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. As Henry takes full advantage of his wealth and quickly claws his way up the ladder, the story gets more exciting. And of course, he gets the girl too! Very well-written and fun, my only grump is that it was too short.
October 20, 2022
7.2/10
Henry Adams had nothing, then he got one million pounds, but still owned nothing?
Two brothers from the high society, had an argument about whether someone with just a million pound bank note in his possession and nothing else, could actually make a living for a month. When a perfect subject appears they decide to put the argument to a test and make a bet.
Enter Henry Adams, a newcomer in town with no acquaintances and no possessions. Will he make it or does a million pound note worhts as mucha as a penny.
Twain with this short story, seems to make some criticism on how the socioeconomic status affects the way people treat someone.
He does so though, in a light and fun way and the result is a pleasant read.
Henry Adams had nothing, then he got one million pounds, but still owned nothing?
Two brothers from the high society, had an argument about whether someone with just a million pound bank note in his possession and nothing else, could actually make a living for a month. When a perfect subject appears they decide to put the argument to a test and make a bet.
Enter Henry Adams, a newcomer in town with no acquaintances and no possessions. Will he make it or does a million pound note worhts as mucha as a penny.
Twain with this short story, seems to make some criticism on how the socioeconomic status affects the way people treat someone.
He does so though, in a light and fun way and the result is a pleasant read.
April 23, 2019
The Story Bounces
Written in Florence in 1893, The 拢 1,000,000 Bank-Note may well be said to rank among Mark Twain鈥檚 best-known works, but I鈥檇 say it is hardly one of its best works. Not anywhere near the mark.
The story of an honest, plucky American castaway who ends up in London, with not a penny in his pocket, and is made the subject of a bet by two eccentric millionaire brothers is really lame for mark Twain鈥檚 standards. Considering that he could have used the idea to point out how all the world, or most of it, fawns upon those who know how to create the impression of wealth and power, his story turned out a rather toothless tiger. Instead of choosing an honest young man as protagonist and inserting a love story, it would have been more effective to pick a shifty adventurer as the main character, to focus more on how he interacts with people in the business world, and to leave the love stuff out of it altogether.
There are some moments of fine irony, but on the whole, this story has a far better reputation than it deserves.
Written in Florence in 1893, The 拢 1,000,000 Bank-Note may well be said to rank among Mark Twain鈥檚 best-known works, but I鈥檇 say it is hardly one of its best works. Not anywhere near the mark.
The story of an honest, plucky American castaway who ends up in London, with not a penny in his pocket, and is made the subject of a bet by two eccentric millionaire brothers is really lame for mark Twain鈥檚 standards. Considering that he could have used the idea to point out how all the world, or most of it, fawns upon those who know how to create the impression of wealth and power, his story turned out a rather toothless tiger. Instead of choosing an honest young man as protagonist and inserting a love story, it would have been more effective to pick a shifty adventurer as the main character, to focus more on how he interacts with people in the business world, and to leave the love stuff out of it altogether.
There are some moments of fine irony, but on the whole, this story has a far better reputation than it deserves.
January 18, 2019
"I had nothing in the world but a million pounds."
Henry Adams winds up in Victorian London completely broke and with his clothes in tatters. With nothing to his name, he is on the streets hoping to find a morsel of food when he is spotted by two wealthy and eccentric brothers. The brothers have in their possesion a rare one million pound bank note and decide to place a wager. They pick Henry and give him the note. One brother wages that Henry will be at loss at what to do with the note and find himself in trouble. The other says that Henry will be astute and live well with the note. Henry needs to report back in one month and if he is successful, he will be rewarded.
Originally written in 1893, this short story was a delight to read. The one million pound note is worth everything and nothing (for reference, 1,000,000 British pounds is equal to about 1,285,200 US dollars as of 2019). As it will cause a barrage of questions and cast quite a shadow of doubt on Henry, he can not exchange it at a bank. Nor can any regular business change it for him due to the vast value of the note. Essentially, Henry has money that he can not touch or use. He has to rely on his ingenuity and find the right opportunities if he is to win this bet. With humour and heart, this was a much more complex read than I expected. The prose was well rendered and fun to read as well. I came upon this work by chance while browsing for books and I am glad I did. Though its a short read and a simple concept, its one that leaves a good impression.
Henry Adams winds up in Victorian London completely broke and with his clothes in tatters. With nothing to his name, he is on the streets hoping to find a morsel of food when he is spotted by two wealthy and eccentric brothers. The brothers have in their possesion a rare one million pound bank note and decide to place a wager. They pick Henry and give him the note. One brother wages that Henry will be at loss at what to do with the note and find himself in trouble. The other says that Henry will be astute and live well with the note. Henry needs to report back in one month and if he is successful, he will be rewarded.
Originally written in 1893, this short story was a delight to read. The one million pound note is worth everything and nothing (for reference, 1,000,000 British pounds is equal to about 1,285,200 US dollars as of 2019). As it will cause a barrage of questions and cast quite a shadow of doubt on Henry, he can not exchange it at a bank. Nor can any regular business change it for him due to the vast value of the note. Essentially, Henry has money that he can not touch or use. He has to rely on his ingenuity and find the right opportunities if he is to win this bet. With humour and heart, this was a much more complex read than I expected. The prose was well rendered and fun to read as well. I came upon this work by chance while browsing for books and I am glad I did. Though its a short read and a simple concept, its one that leaves a good impression.
May 18, 2019
Just great! Reminiscent of the film "Trading Places", starting out about money but ending as a love story. A bit of humor... a bit of depth... and an unexpected twist at the end; like a fairy tale! Lovely stuff from the great Mark Twain.
.
.
June 18, 2018
丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丕夭 27 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 讴賵鬲丕賴 鬲卮讴蹖賱 卮丿賴 亘毓囟蹖 丕夭 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕 禺蹖賱蹖 禺賳丿賴 丿丕乇 賵 亘毓囟蹖 賴丕 胤賳夭 鬲賱禺蹖 丿丕卮鬲
亘賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕賵賱 禺賳丿蹖丿賲 ( 丕爻讴賳丕爻 蹖讴 賲賱蹖賵賳 倬賵賳丿蹖)
亘乇丕蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 *讴鬲丕亘 卮賳丕爻蹖 亘賱賳丿 賳馗乇蹖*賯賴賯賴 夭丿賲 貙 鬲丕 亘賴 丨丕賱 丿丕爻鬲丕賳蹖 丕蹖賳 趩賳蹖賳 禺賳丿賴 丿丕乇 賳禺賵賳丿賴 亘賵丿賲
乇賵丨 丕蹖賳 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賮讴丕賴蹖 賳賵蹖爻 卮丕丿 ...
亘賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕賵賱 禺賳丿蹖丿賲 ( 丕爻讴賳丕爻 蹖讴 賲賱蹖賵賳 倬賵賳丿蹖)
亘乇丕蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 *讴鬲丕亘 卮賳丕爻蹖 亘賱賳丿 賳馗乇蹖*賯賴賯賴 夭丿賲 貙 鬲丕 亘賴 丨丕賱 丿丕爻鬲丕賳蹖 丕蹖賳 趩賳蹖賳 禺賳丿賴 丿丕乇 賳禺賵賳丿賴 亘賵丿賲
乇賵丨 丕蹖賳 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賮讴丕賴蹖 賳賵蹖爻 卮丕丿 ...
July 17, 2018
"Il denaro, senza l'onore, 猫 una malattia."
February 23, 2025
The Million Pound Bank Note by Mark Twain
Another version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
-
Mark Twain is traversing a period of unfavorable reviews.
He is included (still) on the Norwegian Book Club list of best books ever written, available on the Guardian site at:
-
But in the past period, the acclaimed author is experiencing severe drawbacks.
Because of the language used in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this title has been dropped by schools in America.
Indeed, even the comedian Louis C.K. was talking about it on one of his shows.
He was reading to his daughters form Huckleberry Finn...
When he reached the passages with the N. word he had to stop.
But this word was so frequently used that the actor had to stop.
Mark Twain is not the only one to be left on the side.
Harper Lee is in a similar situation with To Kill a Mocking Bird.
The Million Pound Note does not suffer from the same problems.
It is however a premise that seems, if not altogether ridiculous, at least very unlikely.
We are supposed to know what the denominations of bank notes are.
If anyone comes with to pay with $ 10,000 on a single paper, most of the people would reject that, knowing it is a false pretense.
It could be argued that we have much more information today.
People did not know much about the world at the time of Mark Twain.
Still, I find it a bit preposterous to accept that a note for one million pounds exists.
Especially since that amount would actually translate into a half a billion dollars in the currency of this day, more or less.
But, since this is a comedy and the purpose is to laugh and expose some bad behavior, the narrative works very well.
If the protagonist is despised when he looks like he is destitute and in rags, once he takes out the incredible denomination everything changes.
He is warning clerks:
- You will not be able to give me change
- Of course we will
- But once he takes a million out, they get blown away鈥ll the service or goods providers
This has reminded me of Trading Places, with Eddie Murphy.
That comedy can be very well based on The Million Pound Bank Note, for it has a similar plot, with elderly men taking a bet.
In the film, we have a begging man placed in a CEO鈥檚 chair while in the Mark Twain account there is an implausible amount of cash.
One of the gentlemen bets on the huge denomination having a tremendous, positive impact, while the other risks against it.
It turns out that people treat millionaires in a very different way.
Indeed, in a way it makes sense, once you see someone has a fortune, you can trust him to be solvent and able to pay.
Except in this case that person has an improbable amount.
All on a paper that nobody questions鈥�
- Why?
- Well, this is a million dollar (or pounds) question!
Another version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
-
Mark Twain is traversing a period of unfavorable reviews.
He is included (still) on the Norwegian Book Club list of best books ever written, available on the Guardian site at:
-
But in the past period, the acclaimed author is experiencing severe drawbacks.
Because of the language used in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this title has been dropped by schools in America.
Indeed, even the comedian Louis C.K. was talking about it on one of his shows.
He was reading to his daughters form Huckleberry Finn...
When he reached the passages with the N. word he had to stop.
But this word was so frequently used that the actor had to stop.
Mark Twain is not the only one to be left on the side.
Harper Lee is in a similar situation with To Kill a Mocking Bird.
The Million Pound Note does not suffer from the same problems.
It is however a premise that seems, if not altogether ridiculous, at least very unlikely.
We are supposed to know what the denominations of bank notes are.
If anyone comes with to pay with $ 10,000 on a single paper, most of the people would reject that, knowing it is a false pretense.
It could be argued that we have much more information today.
People did not know much about the world at the time of Mark Twain.
Still, I find it a bit preposterous to accept that a note for one million pounds exists.
Especially since that amount would actually translate into a half a billion dollars in the currency of this day, more or less.
But, since this is a comedy and the purpose is to laugh and expose some bad behavior, the narrative works very well.
If the protagonist is despised when he looks like he is destitute and in rags, once he takes out the incredible denomination everything changes.
He is warning clerks:
- You will not be able to give me change
- Of course we will
- But once he takes a million out, they get blown away鈥ll the service or goods providers
This has reminded me of Trading Places, with Eddie Murphy.
That comedy can be very well based on The Million Pound Bank Note, for it has a similar plot, with elderly men taking a bet.
In the film, we have a begging man placed in a CEO鈥檚 chair while in the Mark Twain account there is an implausible amount of cash.
One of the gentlemen bets on the huge denomination having a tremendous, positive impact, while the other risks against it.
It turns out that people treat millionaires in a very different way.
Indeed, in a way it makes sense, once you see someone has a fortune, you can trust him to be solvent and able to pay.
Except in this case that person has an improbable amount.
All on a paper that nobody questions鈥�
- Why?
- Well, this is a million dollar (or pounds) question!
November 18, 2024
This short tale reminded me of 'Kleider machen Leute' - appearances are more important than reality. The story is cheery and entertaining, worth reading if you are bored, miserable or looking for something old-fashioned that keeps your spirits up!
June 20, 2020
3.5 stars
A very interesting look at how perceived wealth and the idea of high monetary status can impact societal structure. Would have loved if the idea was sketched out into a longer story. Full review to come.
A very interesting look at how perceived wealth and the idea of high monetary status can impact societal structure. Would have loved if the idea was sketched out into a longer story. Full review to come.
August 23, 2021
In seguito ad uno sfortunato evento, un giovane americano, onesto ed intelligente, si trova a Londra senza un soldo. Viene notato da due ricchi fratelli che fanno una scommessa: potr脿 egli sopravvivere un mese intero avendo con s茅 solamente una banconota da un milione di sterline?
In questo gustoso racconto, Mark Twain d脿 prova di tutta la sua ironia (con qualche stilettata al popolo inglese), mostrandoci i punti di forza e di debolezza del denaro, come esso pu貌 influenzare le vite degli uomini, ma anche come non sia l'unica cosa che conta per il successo e per una vita felice. Una critica, velata di fine umorismo, al materialismo senza anima. Leggendolo, si pu貌 facilmente intuire come questo racconto abbia ispirato 鈥淯na poltrona per due鈥�, film degli anni '80 diventato di culto.
Ancora pi霉 breve, ma altrettanto spassoso e brillante, 猫 il racconto 鈥淚l mio orologio鈥�, in cui vengono narrate le disavventure e gli inconvenienti del proprietario di uno splendido orologio che, in seguito ad una distrazione, smette di funzionare a dovere.
Splendida e curatissima l'edizione ABEditore, con materie di alta qualit脿 e grafiche deliziose che fanno di questo libretto una chicca per bibliofili, un vero gioiellino da collezione.
In questo gustoso racconto, Mark Twain d脿 prova di tutta la sua ironia (con qualche stilettata al popolo inglese), mostrandoci i punti di forza e di debolezza del denaro, come esso pu貌 influenzare le vite degli uomini, ma anche come non sia l'unica cosa che conta per il successo e per una vita felice. Una critica, velata di fine umorismo, al materialismo senza anima. Leggendolo, si pu貌 facilmente intuire come questo racconto abbia ispirato 鈥淯na poltrona per due鈥�, film degli anni '80 diventato di culto.
Ancora pi霉 breve, ma altrettanto spassoso e brillante, 猫 il racconto 鈥淚l mio orologio鈥�, in cui vengono narrate le disavventure e gli inconvenienti del proprietario di uno splendido orologio che, in seguito ad una distrazione, smette di funzionare a dovere.
Splendida e curatissima l'edizione ABEditore, con materie di alta qualit脿 e grafiche deliziose che fanno di questo libretto una chicca per bibliofili, un vero gioiellino da collezione.
March 18, 2018
I've always been a big fan of Twain, his writing style and ability to tell a story, especially witty ones. Man was no stranger to humor. Having read most of his writing, The Million Pound Bank Note remained on my to-be-read list until tonight. Got into a short-story frame of mind. This...mmm, yeah, it's one of Twain's weaker stories. It's short, so the dryness doesn't get too bothersome. Meh, read it if you're like me and a bit OCD in that you have to read everything someone you admire as a writer put to paper.
January 29, 2023
I listened to this short story as an audiobook, and was picturing Gregory Peck all along.
The 1954 movie follows the beginning of the story faithfully, but towards the end it makes a few changes: there is no fall out of favor from society in the novella, this was included for added drama. There is also a reveal at the end of the novella which is not in the movie.
The 1954 movie follows the beginning of the story faithfully, but towards the end it makes a few changes: there is no fall out of favor from society in the novella, this was included for added drama. There is also a reveal at the end of the novella which is not in the movie.
August 26, 2016
O povestire anecdotic膬 despre un t芒n膬r b膬rbat american, cinstit 葯i inteligent, de origine modest膬, f膬r膬 avere sau nume cu tradi葲ie, care 卯葯i c芒葯tig膬 p芒inea de zi cu zi strict prin puterea eforturilor sale intelectuale. Din p膬cate, la un moment dat t芒n膬rul pleac膬 pe mare 卯ntr-o scurt膬 expedi葲ie de pl膬cere, 卯ns膬 vremea rea 卯l poart膬 tot mai departe de 葲膬rm, a葯a c膬 ajunge s膬 naufragieze pe teritoriu englez. V膬z芒ndu-se 卯n Londra, cu un singur dolar 卯n buzunar, acesta reu葯e葯te s膬 m膬n芒nce 葯i s膬 fac膬 rost de un acoperi葯 deasupra capului pentru o singur膬 zi, dup膬 care practic ajunge s膬 fie om al str膬zii. 脦ns膬 soarta are alte planuri pentru el. Pic膬 卯n mijlocul unui pariu pus de doi fra葲i 卯n v芒rst膬, putred de boga葲i, care implic膬 葯i o bancnot膬 de un million de lire. Doar dou膬 fuseser膬 emise vreodat膬, 葯i 卯n timp ce prima fusese deja anulat膬, a doua r膬m膬sese la Banca Angliei a葯tept芒ndu-葯i r芒ndul s膬 fie folosit膬. 脦n ce const膬 pariul 葯i dac膬 t芒n膬rul nostru reu葯e葯te s膬 ias膬 la liman cu bine, v膬 las pe voi s膬 afla葲i.
December 19, 2016
3.5 stars!
What a clever man :D Simple but great story!
What a clever man :D Simple but great story!
December 3, 2017
Henry Adams was alone in the world and regularly enjoyed a sail in the bay when one day he was carried out to sea in a storm and feared that his life would be lost. However, a sailing boat picked him up and he worked his passage until the boat docked in London. He had only one dollar in his pocket so for 24 hours he went without food and shelter.
Then one day as he walked along Portland Place he followed a child and its nanny because the child had dropped a pear and he longed to pick it up and eat it. For various reasons he was unable to do so and just as he was despairing, a window behind him opened and he was called into the house. He was admitted to a gorgeous room where two elderly gentlemen were seated, who were preparing to have a bet to resolve an argument.
The gents told Henry that he would answer their purpose and they proceeded to hand him an envelope and told him not to open until later. When he did so he discovered a 拢1,000,000 bank note and he was perplexed. He returned to the house to clarify the position with the two gents only to discover that they had gone abroad and would not be back for a month. He then realised there was a letter accompanying the bank note and when he read it he realised that he had a loan of the money until the men returned, when he had to present himself to them once more.
The letter also told him that there was a bet on him and if the writer won the bet, Henry could have any situation that was in his gift to give him. Henry went away and enjoyed the ensuing month; he was unable to spend the 拢1,000,000 note because nobody would accept it from him. But the fact that he had it as security stood in his stead and he was feted and indulged wherever he went.
He met an old friend who was surprised to see him apparently so affluent and he used Henry's name to further his own investment opportunities, in which Henry joined. Then Henry meets a young lady, Portia Langham, with whom he falls in love. They have a variety of exciting adventures before the time is due for him to visit the gentlemen once more and he asks Portia to accompany him.
She duly does so and a surprise awaited him because the respective gent had won his bet; at least it allowed Henry to state that there was a situation open that he would like and it was ... oh, well it's a real surprise and it is in the book ...!
As a footnote I should warn prospective readers that there are two serious typographical errors in this edition. On page one, turning to page two there are words (presumably a line, working it out from the dialogue) missing and on the penultimate page turning to the final page, a sentence ends on the former and on the latter page one begins mid-sentence. Both of them make that part of the tale rather nonsensical.
Then one day as he walked along Portland Place he followed a child and its nanny because the child had dropped a pear and he longed to pick it up and eat it. For various reasons he was unable to do so and just as he was despairing, a window behind him opened and he was called into the house. He was admitted to a gorgeous room where two elderly gentlemen were seated, who were preparing to have a bet to resolve an argument.
The gents told Henry that he would answer their purpose and they proceeded to hand him an envelope and told him not to open until later. When he did so he discovered a 拢1,000,000 bank note and he was perplexed. He returned to the house to clarify the position with the two gents only to discover that they had gone abroad and would not be back for a month. He then realised there was a letter accompanying the bank note and when he read it he realised that he had a loan of the money until the men returned, when he had to present himself to them once more.
The letter also told him that there was a bet on him and if the writer won the bet, Henry could have any situation that was in his gift to give him. Henry went away and enjoyed the ensuing month; he was unable to spend the 拢1,000,000 note because nobody would accept it from him. But the fact that he had it as security stood in his stead and he was feted and indulged wherever he went.
He met an old friend who was surprised to see him apparently so affluent and he used Henry's name to further his own investment opportunities, in which Henry joined. Then Henry meets a young lady, Portia Langham, with whom he falls in love. They have a variety of exciting adventures before the time is due for him to visit the gentlemen once more and he asks Portia to accompany him.
She duly does so and a surprise awaited him because the respective gent had won his bet; at least it allowed Henry to state that there was a situation open that he would like and it was ... oh, well it's a real surprise and it is in the book ...!
As a footnote I should warn prospective readers that there are two serious typographical errors in this edition. On page one, turning to page two there are words (presumably a line, working it out from the dialogue) missing and on the penultimate page turning to the final page, a sentence ends on the former and on the latter page one begins mid-sentence. Both of them make that part of the tale rather nonsensical.
November 24, 2022
Il primo e principale racconto, che d脿 di fatto il
nome al breve testo, 猫 assolutamente brillante.
Incredibilmente scorrevole, eccentrico e pregno di umorismo. La struttura seppur concentrata in poche pagine da prova di ingegno creando piccoli colpi di scena costantemente fino alla fine.
Il secondo 猫 brevissimo, un鈥檃llegoria irriverente e allo stesso tempo pi霉 profonda di quanto non appaia.
Non conoscevo l鈥檃utore, o meglio conosco altri suoi titoli di maggior fama ma senza averlo mai letto. Assolutamente da approfondire.
nome al breve testo, 猫 assolutamente brillante.
Incredibilmente scorrevole, eccentrico e pregno di umorismo. La struttura seppur concentrata in poche pagine da prova di ingegno creando piccoli colpi di scena costantemente fino alla fine.
Il secondo 猫 brevissimo, un鈥檃llegoria irriverente e allo stesso tempo pi霉 profonda di quanto non appaia.
Non conoscevo l鈥檃utore, o meglio conosco altri suoi titoli di maggior fama ma senza averlo mai letto. Assolutamente da approfondire.
January 18, 2024
This was my first time reading Mark Twain's work.
It was a delightful read.
4 猸愨瓙猸愨瓙
It was a delightful read.
4 猸愨瓙猸愨瓙
April 6, 2012
Have anyone heard of the saying "To get a loan you first need to prove that you don't need one" ?
This story by Twain emphasizes this fact more than ever.
I was waiting for some ironical situation to emerge or some tragedy to befall the protagonist. But it never happened.
Twain could have gained some brownie points by providing some more twists and turns. The ending is a little drab for a reader who has been hooked for the entire story just to see how things would pan out in the end.
An ironical story indeed!
This story by Twain emphasizes this fact more than ever.
I was waiting for some ironical situation to emerge or some tragedy to befall the protagonist. But it never happened.
Twain could have gained some brownie points by providing some more twists and turns. The ending is a little drab for a reader who has been hooked for the entire story just to see how things would pan out in the end.
An ironical story indeed!
April 14, 2023
4.5 stars
Read this story in my 11th grade Honors English class as a part of our short story unit. I thoroughly enjoy Twain's writing in this story, an opinion that I probably wouldn't have while reading Huck Finn. I did not expect the twist in the end, and I enjoyed seeing a bit of a sociological experiment done in such an early time period. Half a star taken off for the way Portia is portrayed in this story.
Read this story in my 11th grade Honors English class as a part of our short story unit. I thoroughly enjoy Twain's writing in this story, an opinion that I probably wouldn't have while reading Huck Finn. I did not expect the twist in the end, and I enjoyed seeing a bit of a sociological experiment done in such an early time period. Half a star taken off for the way Portia is portrayed in this story.
June 4, 2017
"Could I afford it? No; I had nothing in the world but a million pounds."
July 31, 2017
Money, money, money.
Must be funny.
In a rich man's world.
-ABBA
Must be funny.
In a rich man's world.
-ABBA
June 1, 2022
I read the whole thing in Tahani's voice from The Good Place and it was incredible.
January 12, 2021
Original of a much-beloved story.
Brewster's Millions. Gregory Peck. There's even a recent children's book my son is enjoying - all based on this short Twain story.
I had to give it a go. At less than an hour long, I found a Librivox recording, and had a (quick) listen.
At less than an hour (and around 50 pages), there's a slight story here, though complete in its structure and even characterisation. A stranger to London is given a million pound note by strangers, who unknown to him are betting on whether he can live on this piece of paper, that cannot be cashed or spent.
What happens next happens all too quickly, and the conclusion arrives almost before you've had a chance to enjoy the prospect of enticing adventures.
While it makes a great short story, anyone who has seen or read a longer version of this on screen or on the page will possibly feel as I do - that the depths of the idea are not explored as much as they could be in this very brief length.
The narrator tells us his own story, and he's a likeable character left at the whim of two rich men to determine his own fate with his wiles. I'm glad this original has been mined for its possibilities as it's a story I've enjoyed several times as a moral tale and romantic/comic adventure.
Enjoyable to see the period and idea of such an object, quite unheard of today. Worth a look.
Brewster's Millions. Gregory Peck. There's even a recent children's book my son is enjoying - all based on this short Twain story.
I had to give it a go. At less than an hour long, I found a Librivox recording, and had a (quick) listen.
At less than an hour (and around 50 pages), there's a slight story here, though complete in its structure and even characterisation. A stranger to London is given a million pound note by strangers, who unknown to him are betting on whether he can live on this piece of paper, that cannot be cashed or spent.
What happens next happens all too quickly, and the conclusion arrives almost before you've had a chance to enjoy the prospect of enticing adventures.
While it makes a great short story, anyone who has seen or read a longer version of this on screen or on the page will possibly feel as I do - that the depths of the idea are not explored as much as they could be in this very brief length.
The narrator tells us his own story, and he's a likeable character left at the whim of two rich men to determine his own fate with his wiles. I'm glad this original has been mined for its possibilities as it's a story I've enjoyed several times as a moral tale and romantic/comic adventure.
Enjoyable to see the period and idea of such an object, quite unheard of today. Worth a look.
April 23, 2019
Ah, the good fortune of rich - a satire on how world perceives the poor carrrying a rich note!
June 29, 2024
We'll call it the Bestest 3 I can give it
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