The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain




First Published in Harper's Monthly in 1899.

For being such a short story, I found The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg to be a slow, fairly tedious morality story that just did not do it for me. This was disappointing because I had just read two Twain essays that I enjoyed thoroughly for their sarcasm and wit. This one was, in the end, just a story with about as much humor and interest for me as The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. A morality play, nothing more, nothing less.

Mark Twain (1835-1910)
The story is set in the town of Hadleyburg - a town known far and wide for its impeccable honesty. But, a stranger passing through was offended at some point in time by the residents of Hadleyburg and decides to ruin their reputation with an elaborate plot and the promise of a fortune. Hidden truths are exposed as the town falls for the trap.

I rate this short story 3 stars out of a possible 5 stars.

 It can be found on Amazon.com here: The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg.

 Reviewed July 12, 2010.

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