4 out of 4 stars
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Mark Twain and the Devil by Wyn is a unique play told in three acts and starring the two famous figures from the title: the great American writer Mark Twain and Satan. The whole play takes place in Twain’s study, where the Devil visits him on three separate occasions. While his ultimate goal is to persuade Twain to spend eternity in Hell rather than Heaven, the two discuss a myriad of topics.
The crux of this play rests on the sharp and witty dialogue between the two main characters. Among the many subjects they discuss are Biblical topics, writing, politics, patriotism, and storytelling. Both consider what it means to lie and how one can recognize the truth. By the end of the play, the Devil has used many different tactics, including flattery and seduction, to try and convince Twain to choose to spend his afterlife in Hell.
One of the things I noticed and liked right off the bat was that Mark Twain’s personality and life shine through his dialogue. I enjoyed the historical and literary references to his books and personal life, including his political and social ideas. It’s clear that Wyn has a thorough grasp of this celebrated author known as the father of the Great American Novel. I also liked the many moments of humor littered throughout the text, which seemed even more appropriate because of Twain’s own mastery of the art of humor.
There were a handful of grammatical mistakes or typos, usually related to punctuation, that didn’t really detract from the play and could be easily corrected. For example, one line has an unnecessary parenthesis at the end where there should instead be end quotation marks. It reads, “Ya-wohl, mein host. As the saying saying goes, ‘Trinken Macht Frei)” (Loc 405). Another line contains a period where there should be a comma. It reads, “be it a he. she or it” (Loc 470). I did not think these few errors merited the loss of a star, however, because there were only several of them. As such, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it, and even the occasional departure from the time period—the Devil has a cell phone even though it’s 1908—seems well placed and intentionally humorous. I believe Mark Twain and the Devil will appeal to readers who love Twain’s work and to those who enjoy plays centered on clever dialogue and characters who ever so often break the fourth wall. Those who don’t enjoy reading about iconic literary figures and sharp-tongued religious discussions need not bother.
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Mark Twain and the Devil
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