This is Mark Twain. You can expect that he's writing tongue in cheek about things he likes. Look at this speech he gave in Vienna (apparently completely fluent

This is Mark Twain. You can expect that he's writing tongue in cheek about things he likes. Look at this speech he gave in Vienna (apparently completely fluent in German). https://resources.german.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/TwainSchrecken.pdf https://resources.german.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/20... "I am indeed the truest friend of the German language - and not only now, but from long since - yes, before twenty years already. And never have I the desire had the noble language to hurt; to the contrary, only wished she to improve - I would her only reform. [...] After all these reforms established be will, will the German language the noblest and the prettiest on the world be." It would be very strange if he learned this language for his whole life and would despise it. But Mark Twain wouldn't be himself if he couldn't mock a thing he loved.