He understands the value of repose in art. One tires
of a page where every sentence sparkles with points, and the author is
constantly attitudinizing for our amusement. We like to be betrayed
into laughter as much in books as in real life. It is the unconscious,
easy, careless gait of Mark Twain that makes his most potent charm. He
seems always to be catering as much to his own enjoyment as to that of
the public. He strolls along like a great rollicking schoolboy, bent on
having a good time, and determined that his readers shall have it with
him."
Mark Twain is the most daring of humorists. He takes his courage in his
hands for the wildest flights of fancy. His humour is the caricature of
situations, rather than of individuals; and he is not afraid to risk his
characters in colossally ludicrous situations. His art reveals itself
in choosing ludicrous situations which contain such a strong colouring
of naturalness that one's sense of reality is not outraged, but
titillated.
Pages:
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112