Twain, aware of his reputation as a comic, asked that each installment appear anonymously so that readers will treat the piece seriously.
The novel is presented as a translation (by "Jean Francois Alden") of memoirs by Louis de Conte, a fictionalized ver.
Regardless, his authorship soon became known and the book edition published by Harper and Brothers in May 1896 credited Mark Twain.
Originally, this novel was published as a serialization in Harper\'s Magazine beginning in April 1895.
Twain, aware of his reputation as a comic, asked that each installment appear anonymously so that readers will treat the piece seriously