The Diaries of Adam and Eve

With his trademark charm and wit, Mark Twain (1835-1910) tells the Garden of Eden story in the first person, allegedly deciphering the newly discovered diaries of the legendary father and mother of the human race. In Twain’s “translation” Adam comes across as the original couch potato, grumpily uninterested at first in his new female companion who keeps pestering him with her all-too innovative ideas. Eve, by contrast, is the talkative, ever-curious experimenter whose inquisitive nature prompts her to name all the animals in the garden and leads her to the discovery of fire, among other things.

This is a funny and touching retelling of the age-old myth, full of Twain’s sarcastic humor, incisive intelligence, and subtle touches of pathos for the foibles of human nature.