Eve's Diary
Encyclopedia
Eve's Diary is a comic short story by Mark Twain
.
It was first published in the 1905 Christmas issue of the magazine Harper's Bazaar
, and in book format in June 1906 by Harper and Brothers
publishing house. It is written in the style of a diary kept by the first woman in the Judeao-Christian creation story, Eve
, and is claimed to be "translated from the original MS." The "plot" of this novel is the first-person account of Eve from her creation up to her burial by, her mate, Adam, including meeting and getting to know Adam, and exploring the world around her, Eden
. The story then jumps 40 years into the future after the Fall and expulsion from Eden. It is one of a series of books Twain wrote concerning the story of Adam and Eve
, including 'Extracts from Adam's Diary
,' 'That Day In Eden,' 'Eve Speaks,' 'Adam's Soliloquy,' and the 'Autobiography of Eve.' Eve's Diary has a lighter tone than the others in the series, as Eve has a strong appreciation for beauty and love. The book may have been written as a posthumous love-letter to Mark Twain's wife Olivia Langdon Clemens
, or Livy, who died in June 1904, just before the story was written. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "Eve's Diary is finished — I've been waiting for her to speak, but she doesn't say anything more." The story ends with Adam's speaking at Eve's grave, "Wherever she was, there was Eden."
banned the book for the depictions of Eve in "summer costume."
When contacted Twain replied:
Two weeks later, after testifying before Congress, he elaborated as reported in the Washington Herald
,
In a letter to a friend, Harriett E. Whitmore, he commented:
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
.
It was first published in the 1905 Christmas issue of the magazine Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, and in book format in June 1906 by Harper and Brothers
Harper & Brothers
Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins.-History:James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishing business J. & J. Harper in 1817. Their two brothers, Joseph Wesley Harper and Fletcher Harper, joined them...
publishing house. It is written in the style of a diary kept by the first woman in the Judeao-Christian creation story, Eve
Eve (Bible)
Eve was, according to the creation of Abrahamic religions, the first woman created by God...
, and is claimed to be "translated from the original MS." The "plot" of this novel is the first-person account of Eve from her creation up to her burial by, her mate, Adam, including meeting and getting to know Adam, and exploring the world around her, Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
. The story then jumps 40 years into the future after the Fall and expulsion from Eden. It is one of a series of books Twain wrote concerning the story of Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
, including 'Extracts from Adam's Diary
Extracts from Adam's Diary
Extracts from Adam's Diary is an 1904 comic short story by American humorist and writer Mark Twain.-Plot:In the form of a diary, Adam describes how Eve gets introduced into the Garden of Eden, and how he has to deal with "this new creature with the long hair" The piece gives a humorous account...
,' 'That Day In Eden,' 'Eve Speaks,' 'Adam's Soliloquy,' and the 'Autobiography of Eve.' Eve's Diary has a lighter tone than the others in the series, as Eve has a strong appreciation for beauty and love. The book may have been written as a posthumous love-letter to Mark Twain's wife Olivia Langdon Clemens
Olivia Langdon Clemens
Olivia Langdon Clemens was the wife of the famous American author, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.-Early life:...
, or Livy, who died in June 1904, just before the story was written. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "Eve's Diary is finished — I've been waiting for her to speak, but she doesn't say anything more." The story ends with Adam's speaking at Eve's grave, "Wherever she was, there was Eden."
Illustrations
The book version of the story was published with 55 illustrations by Lester Ralph, on each left hand page. The illustrations depicted Eve and Adam in their natural settings. The depiction of an unclothed woman was considered pornographic when the book was first released in the United States, and created a controversy around the book. One library in Charlton, MassachusettsCharlton, Massachusetts
Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,981 at the 2010 census.- History :Charlton was first settled in 1735. It was established as a District separated off from Oxford on January 10, 1755, and became a Town in 1775 by a law that made all...
banned the book for the depictions of Eve in "summer costume."
When contacted Twain replied:
Two weeks later, after testifying before Congress, he elaborated as reported in the Washington Herald
Washington Herald
The Washington Herald was an American daily newspaper in Washington, D.C., from October 8, 1906, to January 31, 1939. The Herald merged with the Washington Times on February 1, 1939, to become the Washington Times-Herald, which was purchased and merged with The Washington Post in 1954....
,
In a letter to a friend, Harriett E. Whitmore, he commented:
External links
- Full text of book, without illustrations
- Full text of book, with all of Lester Ralph's illustrations (Project Gutenberg)
- http://librivox.org/eves-diary-by-mark-twain-2/Librivox-audiobookLibriVoxLibriVox is an online digital library of free public domain audiobooks, read by volunteers and is probably, since 2007, the world's most prolific audiobook publisher...
] - New York Times article on Massachusetts banning
- Michael Waisman webpage on book, including one illustration and excerpt
- Review of reprint of Excerpt of Adams Diary and Eve's Diary
- Excerpt form Washington Herald article
- Excerpt from letter to Harriett E. Whitmore