Audiobook · read by volunteers
Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories
Mark Twain (1835–1910)
Read by John Greenman · 37 chapters · 13 h 04
About the book
A town that prides itself on its honesty has never been tested, until a mysterious stranger decides to put that reputation to the proof. The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg is one of Mark Twain's sharpest and most mischievous stories, a sly comedy about pride, temptation and the gap between what people say and what they do. It leads this generous collection, which gathers all the stories and sketches in the 1900 volume. Over thirteen hours, John Greenman reads thirty-seven files that range from broad humour to quiet satire, with Twain's famous deadpan always close at hand. Expect tall tales, moral fables and flashes of real anger beneath the jokes. For anyone who loves Twain, or who enjoys short fiction that makes you laugh and then makes you think, this is a rich and generous listening experience.
Introduction
Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), was one of the great American humorists and a keen critic of his society. The title story of this collection first appeared in Harper's Monthly in December 1899 and was published the following year in a volume of stories and sketches. It belongs to the later phase of his career, when the mood of his writing grew darker and his satire more bitter, though the humour never entirely disappears.
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg is a short, tightly constructed tale about a community whose pride in its own incorruptibility is put under pressure. Twain uses a simple situation to ask a large question: how much of what we call virtue depends on never having been tempted? The story has often been read as a comment on hypocrisy and on the weaknesses of small-town life, and it remains one of his most admired pieces of short fiction.
The recording contains all the stories and sketches from the 1900 edition, not only the title piece. The collection reflects the range of Twain's interests, from comedy and parody to moral reflection, and it allows listeners to sample him in many different moods. The title story is divided across several files, and the whole runs to thirty-seven tracks.
John Greenman reads the entire volume, which lasts about thirteen hours. The length of the recording makes it ideal for long journeys or a sustained listening project. Readers who know Twain mainly through his novels may be surprised by how sharp and varied the shorter works can be.
Public domain
Mark Twain died in 1910: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text