Project Gutenberg 2004-09-19 Public domain in the USA. 1411 Twain, Mark 1835 1910 Clemens, Samuel Langhorne Twain, Mark (Samuel Clemens) How to Tell a Story, and Other Essays How to tell a story -- The wounded soldier -- The golden arm -- Mental telegraphy again -- The invalid's story. Produced by David Widger "How to Tell a Story, and Other Essays" by Mark Twain is a collection of essays and humorous tales written in the late 19th century. This book primarily explores the intricacies of storytelling, particularly focusing on the American humorous story and its unique characteristics compared to comic and witty storytelling from other cultures. It reflects Twain's observations and insights gained from years of experience with storytelling, providing readers with a blend of humor and valuable narrative techniques. The essays within this collection delve into various storytelling styles and techniques, highlighted by Twain's signature wit. The main essay, "How to Tell a Story," discusses the art of telling humorous stories, emphasizing the importance of the teller's delivery rather than the content itself. It contrasts humorous storytelling with comic and witty tales, illustrating his points with anecdotes, such as "The Wounded Soldier" and "The Golden Arm," which showcase the effectiveness of a slow, engaging buildup leading to a punchline. Other pieces in the collection, like "The Invalid's Story," further exemplify Twain's mastery of humor through irony and situational comedy, depicting the plight of a narrator who mistakes a box of rifles for a coffin and how his imagination spirals into an absurd series of events. Overall, the collection serves as both an exploration of storytelling and a delightful showcase of Twain's literary prowess, charming readers with its humor and insight into the human experience. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 76.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Essays Short stories Storytelling PS Text Category: Humour Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: American Literature 72675 2025-08-02T06:37:19.514934 text/html 71319 2021-01-27T09:41:38 text/html 103691 2025-08-02T06:37:24.533874 application/epub+zip 102395 2025-08-02T06:37:22.252930 application/epub+zip 94463 2025-08-02T06:37:21.190910 application/epub+zip 200654 2025-08-02T06:37:26.259927 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 191509 2025-08-02T06:37:23.890912 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 164632 2022-09-02T08:48:40.447879 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 60281 2025-08-02T06:37:19.262928 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 60290 2021-01-08T17:47:16 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19401 2025-08-02T06:37:26.404889 application/rdf+xml 12823 2025-08-02T06:37:21.683890 image/jpeg 3018 2025-08-02T06:37:21.431892 image/jpeg 24139 2021-01-08T17:47:16 application/octet-stream application/zip 25608 2021-01-27T09:41:38 application/octet-stream application/zip 101601 2025-08-02T06:37:19.522914 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia