What do You think about How To Tell A Story And Other Essays (1996)?
Like most essay collections (especially those by Twain, who wrote a good deal of work, so not all of it approaches the greatness of his best known work), this one is uneven. The best moments are when you see Twain defend those who can't speak for themselves (Harriet Shelley, whose husband, Percy Shelley, cheated on her, then left her for another woman); when he defends America against an attack from a French writer (though Twain certainly criticized America when we needed it); and, of course, when he makes fun of Fenimore Cooper's literary offenses. The others are not all that memorable, though they're interesting from an historical sense, and he'll slip in one-liners from time to time, as he was wont to do.
—Kevin Brown
Rather abrupt changes with little to no flow between them, although the anecdotes themselves are fine. It wasn't quite what I was expecting; I had assumed the "other essays" mentioned were essays about writing, when in reality they were just whatever Twain had thought of at the moment, including his views on ESP.This makes sense, however: at the time this was published, Twain was going completely bankrupt. He was churning out piece after piece to make ends meet, these essays among them. The diminishing quality truly does show.
—Jay Stevens
