Roughing It: Original Illustrations

I'd never read any of Mark Twain's writings and decided upon 'Roughing It' as a primer. What an extraordinary book! His style of writing is so very accessable, as though he were relating his experiences, his travels and the people he encountered directly to you, the reader - personally. From St. Jo, Missouri to the Silver Mines of Nevada by Stagecoach, (and even if you've seen hundreds of films involving travel by stagecoach, you've never experienced the ride as Twain does in this book!). To Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and eventually Hawaii. The sites, experiences, the sensory delights are so lively and detailed, you feel as though you are there with him. Laugh-out-loud passages are all through the book as well. I have to say that the countless, wonderful illustrations in this Sea Wolf Press edition are beyond belief! I loved all the illustrations in this edition, make certain you purchase this version, and it will be money well spent!

I'm reading Twain's book 'Roughing It' and it's hysterical. It's about his trip west and how everything that could go wrong goes wrong. The book could easily have been titled "Murphy's Law". The stagecoach ride west to Nevada where he survived a stint in silver mining, and the trips on horseback under blizzard conditions offer adventures you've never imagined. One of the characters in his entourage throws in fifty-dollar words when he speaks that no one understands and that have nothing to do with the situation they're in at the time. This goes on throughout the book getting funnier each time.Originally, each chapter was a separate installment that was mailed out monthly to those who were subscribed. Later, the chapters were cobbled into this book. Because of this, every chapter is a short adventure and stands up well on its own two feet. This authentic reproduction features hundreds of original drawings, nearly one on each page and believe me, these ostentatious, illuminating illustrations are equal to the flamboyant, cantankerous, rambunctious and pungent words in this book. Your neighbors will hear you laughing and your dog barking.

It has been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a book this much. This is a classic and I highly recommend it.

Well printed. The illustrations are a little grainy but otherwise it is a good facsimile. The story is wildly entertaining.

Learned much about Mark Twain and the cross country travel in the 1800s and life in the gold country of Nevada and other fascinating places.

I got this book because I heard on me tv that Chuck Jones was inspired to create Wile E Coyote after reading it. This book could inspire anybody with it's true life rendering of going out West and even to Hawaii (then known as Sandwich Islands) where he even tried to surf.

This is the 3rd time that I have read this book in the last 20 years and I still enjoy it!

Great book about traveling across America during the Civil War