Chasing the Last Laugh: Mark Twain's Raucous and Redemptive Round-The-World Comedy Tour (2024)

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From Richard Zacks, bestselling author of Island of Vice and The Pirate Hunter, a rich and lively account of how Mark Twain’s late-life adventures abroad helped him recover from financial disaster and family tragedy—and revived his world-class sense of humorMark Twain, the highest-paid writer in America in 1894, was also one of the nation’s worst investors. “There are two times in a man’s life when he should not speculate,” he wrote. “When he can’t afford it and when he can.” The publishing company Twain owned was failing; his investment in a typesetting device was bleeding red ink. After losing hundreds of thousands of dollars back when a beer cost a nickel, he found himself neck-deep in debt. His heiress wife, Livy, took the setback hard. “I have a perfect horror and heart-sickness over it,” she wrote. “I cannot get away from the feeling that business failure means disgrace.” But Twain vowed to Livy he would pay back every penny. And so, just when the fifty-nine-year-old, bushy-browed icon imagined that he would be settling into literary lionhood, telling jokes at gilded dinners, he forced himself to mount the “platform” again, embarking on a round-the-world stand-up comedy tour. No author had ever done that. He cherry-picked his best stories—such as stealing his first watermelon and buying a bucking bronco—and spun them into a ninety-minute performance. Twain trekked across the American West and onward by ship to the faraway lands of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, India, Ceylon, and South Africa. He rode an elephant twice and visited the Taj Mahal. He saw Zulus dancing and helped sort diamonds at the Kimberley mines. (He failed to slip away with a sparkly souvenir.) He played shuffleboard on cruise ships and battled captains for the right to smoke in peace. He complained that his wife and daughter made him shave and change his shirt every day. The great American writer fought off numerous illnesses and travel nuisances to circle the globe and earn a huge payday and a tidal wave of applause. Word of his success, however, traveled slowly enough that one American newspaper reported that he had died penniless in London. That’s when he famously quipped: “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Throughout his quest, Twain was aided by cutthroat Standard Oil tycoon H.H. Rogers, with whom he had struck a deep friendship, and he was hindered by his own lawyer (and future secretary of state) Bainbridge Colby, whom he deemed “head idiot of this century.” In * Chasing the Last Laugh, author Richard Zacks, drawing extensively on unpublished material in notebooks and letters from Berkeley’s ongoing Mark Twain Project, chronicles a poignant chapter in the author’s life—one that began in foolishness and bad choices but culminated in humor, hard-won wisdom, and ultimate triumph. *

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Includes bibliographical references and index.

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Chasing the last laugh : how Mark Twain escaped debt and disgrace with a round-the-world comedy tour

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Chasing the last laugh : Mark Twain's raucous and redemptive round-the-world comedy tour

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Anchor Books a division of Penguin Random House

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First Anchor Books edition, New York, 2017

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First edition., New York (State), 2016

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1st, 2016

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From Richard Zacks, bestselling author of Island of Vice and The Pirate Hunter, a rich and lively account of how Mark Twain’s late-life adventures abroad helped him recover from financial disaster and family tragedy—and revived his world-class sense of humor Mark Twain, the highest-paid writer in America in 1894, was also one of the nation’s worst investors. “There are two times in a man’s life when he should not speculate,” he wrote. “When he can’t afford it and when he can.” The publishing company Twain owned was failing; his investment in a typesetting device was bleeding red ink. After losing hundreds of thousands of dollars back when a beer cost a nickel, he found himself neck-deep in debt. His heiress wife, Livy, took the setback hard. “I have a perfect horror and heart-sickness over it,” she wrote. “I cannot get away from the feeling that business failure means disgrace.” But Twain vowed to Livy he would pay back every penny. And so, just when the fifty-nine-year-old, bushy-browed icon imagined that he would be settling into literary lionhood, telling jokes at gilded dinners, he forced himself to mount the “platform” again, embarking on a round-the-world stand-up comedy tour. No author had ever done that. He cherry-picked his best stories—such as stealing his first watermelon and buying a bucking bronco—and spun them into a ninety-minute performance. Twain trekked across the American West and onward by ship to the faraway lands of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, India, Ceylon, and South Africa. He rode an elephant twice and visited the Taj Mahal. He saw Zulus dancing and helped sort diamonds at the Kimberley mines. (He failed to slip away with a sparkly souvenir.) He played shuffleboard on cruise ships and battled captains for the right to smoke in peace. He complained that his wife and daughter made him shave and change his shirt every day. The great American writer fought off numerous illnesses and travel nuisances to circle the globe and earn a huge payday and a tidal wave of applause. Word of his success, however, traveled slowly enough that one American newspaper reported that he had died penniless in London. That’s when he famously quipped: “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Throughout his quest, Twain was aided by cutthroat Standard Oil tycoon H.H. Rogers, with whom he had struck a deep friendship, and he was hindered by his own lawyer (and future secretary of state) Bainbridge Colby, whom he deemed “head idiot of this century.” In Chasing the Last Laugh, author Richard Zacks, drawing extensively on unpublished material in notebooks and letters from Berkeley’s ongoing Mark Twain Project, chronicles a poignant chapter in the author’s life—one that began in foolishness and bad choices but culminated in humor, hard-won wisdom, and ultimate triumph.

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From Richard Zacks, bestselling author of Island of Vice and The Pirate Hunter, a rich and lively account of how Mark Twains late-life adventures abroad helped him recover from financial disaster and family tragedyand revived his world-class sense of humor
Mark Twain, the highest-paid writer in America in 1894, was also one of the nations worst investors. There are two times in a mans life when he should not speculate, he wrote. When he cant afford it and when he can. The publishing company Twain owned was failing; his investment in a typesetting device was bleeding red ink. After losing hundreds of thousands of dollars back when a beer cost a nickel, he found himself neck-deep in debt. His heiress wife, Livy, took the setback hard. I have a perfect horror and heart-sickness over it, she wrote. I cannot get away from the feeling that business failure means disgrace.
But Twain vowed to Livy he would pay back every penny. And so, just when the fifty-nine-year-old, bushy-browed icon imagined that he would be settling into literary lionhood, telling jokes at gilded dinners, he forced himself to mount the platform again, embarking on a round-the-world stand-up comedy tour. No author had ever done that. He cherry-picked his best storiessuch as stealing his first watermelon and buying a bucking broncoand spun them into a ninety-minute performance.
Twain trekked across the American West and onward by ship to the faraway lands of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, India, Ceylon, and South Africa. He rode an elephant twice and visited the Taj Mahal. He saw Zulus dancing and helped sort diamonds at the Kimberley mines. (He failed to slip away with a sparkly souvenir.) He played shuffleboard on cruise ships and battled captains for the right to smoke in peace. He complained that his wife and daughter made him shave and change his shirt every day.
The great American writer fought off numerous illnesses and travel nuisances to circle the globe and earn a huge payday and a tidal wave of applause. Word of his success, however, traveled slowly enough that one American newspaper reported that he had died penniless in London. Thats when he famously quipped: The report of my death was an exaggeration.
Throughout his quest, Twain was aided by cutthroat Standard Oil tycoon H.H. Rogers, with whom he had struck a deep friendship, and he was hindered by his own lawyer (and future secretary of state) Bainbridge Colby, whom he deemed head idiot of this century.
In * Chasing the Last Laugh, author Richard Zacks, drawing extensively on unpublished material in notebooks and letters from Berkeleys ongoing Mark Twain Project, chronicles a poignant chapter in the authors lifeone that began in foolishness and bad choices but culminated in humor, hard-won wisdom, and ultimate triumph. *

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From Richard Zacks, Bestselling Author Of The Pirate Hunter And Island Of Vice, A Rich And Lively Account Of Mark Twain's Late-life Adventures Abroad In 1895, At Age Sixty, Mark Twain Was Dead Broke And Miserable--his Recent Novels Had Been Critical And Commercial Failures, And He Was Bankrupted By His Inexplicable Decision To Run A Publishing Company. His Wife Made Him Promise To Pay Every Debt Back In Full, So Twain Embarked On An Around-the-world Comedy Lecture Tour That Would Take Him From The Dusty Small Towns Of The American West To The Faraway Lands Of India, South Africa, Australia, And Beyond. Richard Zacks' Rich And Entertaining Narrative Provides A Portrait Of Twain As Complicated, Vibrant Individual, And Showcases The Biting Wit And Skeptical Observation That Made Him One Of The Greatest Of All American Writers. Twain Remained Abroad For Five Years, A Time Of Struggle And Wild Experiences -- And Ultimately Redemption, As He Rediscovered His Voice As A Writer And Humorist, And Returned, Wiser And Celebrated. As He Said In His Famous Reply To An Article About His Demise, The Report Of My Death Is An Exaggeration. Weaving Together A Trove Of Sources, Including Newspaper Accounts, Correspondence, And Unpublished Material From Berkeley's Ongoing Twain Project, Zacks Chronicles A Chapter Of Twain's Life As Complex As The Author Himself, Full Of Foolishness And Bad Choices, But Also Humor, Self-discovery, And Triumph-- Joys Of Self-publishing -- Printing Mogul -- Safe Eggs And Broken Eggs -- The Trials Of Paige And Joan Of Arc -- An Odd Homecoming -- Not Enough Time To Curse -- Twain Grilled, Livy Burnt -- America: Dry Run For The World -- Traveling With A Volcano -- Separation -- At Sea -- Greetings, Mate -- Cashing In On The Platypus -- Maoriland -- Birthdays And Longing -- To India -- Bombay! -- Eyes Wide -- Rails, Riches And Elephants -- Holy Cities -- The Heart Of The British Raj -- Himalayan Joy Ride -- Mutiny On The Ganges -- Feverish In The Pink City -- Dreams At Sea -- Africa -- Reuniting The Family -- Alone In London -- Helen Keller -- A London Revival -- Charitable Schemes -- Joys Of Payback -- Back In The Game -- Homecoming. Richard Zacks. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

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"From Richard Zacks, bestselling author of The Pirate Hunter and Island of Vice, a rich and lively account of Mark Twain's late-life adventures abroad In 1895, at age sixty, Mark Twain was dead broke and miserable--his recent novels had been critical and commercial failures, and he was bankrupted by his inexplicable decision to run a publishing company. His wife made him promise to pay every debt back in full, so Twain embarked on an around-the-world comedy lecture tour that would take him from the dusty small towns of the American West to the faraway lands of India, South Africa, Australia, and beyond. Richard Zacks' rich and entertaining narrative provides a portrait of Twain as complicated, vibrant individual, and showcases the biting wit and skeptical observation that made him one of the greatest of all American writers. Twain remained abroad for five years, a time of struggle and wild experiences -- and ultimately redemption, as he rediscovered his voice as a writer and humorist, and returned, wiser and celebrated. As he said in his famous reply to an article about his demise, "the report of my death is an exaggeration." Weaving together a trove of sources, including newspaper accounts, correspondence, and unpublished material from Berkeley's ongoing Twain Project, Zacks chronicles a chapter of Twain's life as complex as the author himself, full of foolishness and bad choices, but also humor, self-discovery, and triumph"-- Provided by publisher

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2021-01-22