The Unknown Writer: Chapters from My Autobiography

Fabulous Performance AND Read
Book Review: Audible.com version of Mark Twain's Chapters from My Autobiography

I have to admit I was a tad put off that "Cousin Balky" was the narrator, until I began to listen, and without exaggeration, this has to be about the best, most consistent long-term performance I've ever heard. This is probably as close as currently possible to actually sitting down in Samuel Clemens' presence and hearing him humorously relate hitherto unknown details of his life. Bronson Pinchot is that good in his reading. Remarkable feat. The southern-fried accent is never overdone, but more growled and grumbled in a lovable singularity (you can almost smell the cigar smoke). Mark Twain's material is wonderful, as always, but Bronson Pinchot's performance is what both seals and steals this production as an Audible.com classic (and it should win many awards). Heart-breaking in parts (Twain remembering his beloved daughter, years after her death), laugh-out-loud-funny in many parts (and that's not the usual review hyperbole), and always historically engrossing, I highly recommend Chapters from My Autobiography (and keep your eyes, especially ears, on Bronson Pinchot).

Art et Amour Toujours
Douglas Christian Larsen