{"product_id":"sketches-new-and-old","title":"Sketches: New and Old","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in late 1875 under the formal title Mark Twain's Sketches, New and Old, this monumental humor compilation gathers sixty-three of the author's earliest short stories, newspaper satires, travel vignettes, and outrageous character profiles written between 1863 and 1875. Sold exclusively via door-to-door subscription, the text acts as a vital historical archive documenting the birth of traditional Western realism and vernacular wit. The chapters track classic sketches like The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, a detailed account of trying to get a broken pocket watch properly repaired by corrupt jewelers, and sharp critiques of small-town courtrooms, pretentious journalists, and systemic government bureaucracy. Richly illustrated with dozens of comic woodblock engravings by artist True Williams, this large square octavo volume functions as an indispensable reference tool capturing the unvarnished skepticism and foundational folk realism that defined early American literature.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mark Twain","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49696062505210,"sku":"NEE3\/13\/07122026","price":299.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0635\/3387\/5450\/files\/IMG_3224_56df08e8-479d-449a-912a-0edc7895b209.jpg?v=1784033271","url":"https:\/\/flippedpages.com\/products\/sketches-new-and-old","provider":"Flipped Pages","version":"1.0","type":"link"}