The Mysterious Stranger

The Mysterious Stranger published posthumously in 1916 and belonging to Twain's dark period belies the popular image of the affable American humorist. At the time this work was written Twain had suffered a series of painful physical economic and emotional losses.In this antireligious tale he denies the existence of a benign Providence a soul an afterlife and even reality itself. As the Stranger in the story asserts nothing exists; all is a dream.