Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 - April 21, 1910), better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. Twain is most noted for his novels the ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, which has since been called the Great American Novel, and the ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER. Twain enjoyed immense public popularity, and his keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. American author William Faulkner called Twain 'the father of American literature'.