Such is the title BR has, wittily, given my review of The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol.1, which you can read here. The full quotation is well-known but deserves to be repeated, this election season: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

The more I read Twain the more fascinated I am by him and the more enigmatic he seems, like the greatest of writers, among whom he definitely takes his place. He's more: The walking embodiment of the American spirit at its best. Hilarious, insightful, generous, sympathetic, and doomed. I'm looking forward to reading Vols. 2 and 3.