ABSTRACT
IneversawMarkTwain.PersonallyIamconvincedthathisbest workistobefoundinthefirsthalfofLife011theMississippi.The secondhalfisnotonthesameplane.Episodically,bothHuckleberry FimtandTomSawyeraremagnificent,butascompleteworksofart theyareofquiteinferiorquality.MarkTwainwasalwaysadivine amateur,andheneverwouldornevercouldappreciatethefact(to whichnearlyallAnglo-Saxonwritersarehalfortotallyblind),that themostimportantthinginanyworkofartisitsconstruction.He hadnonotionofconstruction,andverylittlepowerofself-criticism. Hewasgreatinthesubordinatebusinessofdecoration,asdistinguished fromconstruction;buthewouldmingletogethertheverybestand theveryworstdecorations.Thepraisepouredoutonhisnovelsseems tomeexceedinglyexaggerated.Ilikehistravel-sketches;bytheir direct,disdainfulnaivetetheyremindmeofStendhal's.Ishouldbe disposedtoarguethathehasleftstuffwhichwillliveforalongtime amongusAnglo-Saxons,butnotthathewascompleteenoughto captureEurope.
