“The Diaries and Adam and Eve” by Mark Twain was originally published as two separate stories and were later combined at Twain’s request. “Extracts from Adam’s Diary” was published as a stand-alone book in 1904. In 1905, “Eve’s Diary” was published in the Christmas issue of “Harper’s Bazaar” and then as a book in 1906. With his signature wit and charm, Twain tells the separate stories of humanity’s biblical ancestors from the perspective of each in the form of diary entries. As one would expect from one of America’s greatest humorist, Adam and Eve’s diaries are funny and clever interpretations of these classic biblical tales. Adam is portrayed as lazy, cranky, and disinterested in the new, long-haired creature he suddenly finds with him in the Garden of Eden. Eve, in contrast, is enthusiastic, chatty, and brimming with curiosity about the enchanting and abundant life around them. The couple’s children, Cain and Abel, also make a brief appearance, though Adam is characteristically uninterested and Eve is left to the do all the hard work. Twain’s retelling of this classic and ancient myth is touching, funny, and an essential addition to the library of anyone who appreciates one of America’s best storytellers. This edition includes a biographical afterword and the original illustration of F. Strothmann and Lester Ralph.
