A Double Barrelled Detective Story

"A Double Barrelled Detective Story" by Mark Twain is a novel written in the late 19th century. The narrative intertwines themes of love, revenge, and detection, presenting the tumultuous relationship between Jacob Fuller and his beautiful young wife, culminating in a dark setup for revenge through the eyes of their son. The story opens with intense marital conflict, setting the stage for an intricate detective plot where familial bonds clash with notions of justice. The opening of the book introduces us to the unfolding drama in Virginia, highlighting the tumultuous marriage between Jacob Fuller and his bride, who soon faces betrayal and humiliation. After an unsettling confession from her husband, she becomes a victim of his cruel schemes meant to avenge the disapproval of her father. The narrative swiftly transitions to their son, Archy, who inherits a unique talent akin to a bloodhound. As Archy matures into a young man, his mother’s secretive past engulfs him, leading him on a quest that invokes themes of vengeance against his father’s wrongdoings, setting a dramatic tone for the unfolding detective story. The juxtaposition of personal trauma with the promise of justice weaves an engaging tension that draws readers into the world Twain has crafted. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." Twain's novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." He also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894) and cowrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.