The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Stories

Written by Mark Twain

Narrated by Norman Dietz

Jim Smiley was a betting man. He bet on horse races, dog-fights, cat-fights, even how long it took a straddle-bug to cross the border into Mexico. If there was a bet to be made, chances were the "uncommonly lucky" Smiley was behind it. So it seemed life easy money when a gullible stranger came to town and Smiley boasted to him that his pet frog-Dan'l Webster-could "outjump any frog in Calaveras County." But while Smiley was out scouting for the competition, the stranger came up with a plan to stop Dan'l-and Smiley-in their tracks. The publication of "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" in the Saturday Press in 1865, marked the beginnings of Mark Twain's remarkable literary career. This collection of eight stories upholds his title as America's greatest humorist and storyteller. Includes these stories; "A True Story"; "Jim Baker's Blue-jay Yarn"; "The Private History of a Campaign that Failed"; "Extracts from Adam's Diary"; "Eve's Diary"; "The 1,000,000 Bank-Note"; and "How to Tell a Story."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 10, 2008
• ISBN: 9781449800642

Mark Twain

Mark Twain (1835-1910) was an American humorist, novelist, and lecturer. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, he was raised in Hannibal, Missouri, a setting which would serve as inspiration for some of his most famous works. After an apprenticeship at a local printer’s shop, he worked as a typesetter and contributor for a newspaper run by his brother Orion. Before embarking on a career as a professional writer, Twain spent time as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi and as a miner in Nevada. In 1865, inspired by a story he heard at Angels Camp, California, he published “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” earning him international acclaim for his abundant wit and mastery of American English. He spent the next decade publishing works of travel literature, satirical stories and essays, and his first novel, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873). In 1876, he published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a novel about a mischievous young boy growing up on the banks of the Mississippi River. In 1884 he released a direct sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which follows one of Tom’s friends on an epic adventure through the heart of the American South. Addressing themes of race, class, history, and politics, Twain captures the joys and sorrows of boyhood while exposing and condemning American racism. Despite his immense success as a writer and popular lecturer, Twain struggled with debt and bankruptcy toward the end of his life, but managed to repay his creditors in full by the time of his passing at age 74. Curiously, Twain’s birth and death coincided with the appearance of Halley’s Comet, a fitting tribute to a visionary writer whose steady sense of morality survived some of the darkest periods of American history.

Reviews for The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Stories

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This collection of short stories includes The notorious jumping frog of Calaveras county, A true story, Jim Baker's blue-jay yarn, The private history of a campaign that failed, Extracts from Adam's diary, Eve's diary, The £1,000,000 bank-note, and How to tell a story. The title story was not among my favorites in the collection. I loved “A true story”, told largely in the voice of a former slave separated from her children. It's a sad story with an unexpectedly happy ending, and I hope it really is a true story. I also enjoyed “The £1,000,000 bank-note”. I don't think I had read the story before, but it seems like I might have seen a movie or two with a similar plot. “Extracts from Adam's diary” is much more entertaining than “Eve's diary”. All public speakers would benefit from “How to tell a story”. Norman Dietz is the perfect reader for this collection. His voice makes it easy to close your eyes and imagine yourself gathered with an intimate group of family and friends on a lazy summer evening. Recommended.

[sandsing7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hilarious!! Every time I read it, I laugh more than the time before.

[readafew · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A small book of smaller stories, by Mark Twain. A couple used a lot of slang and was irritating to read but the whole book was a humorous read.