About Books & Literature: Nom de Plume

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Books & Literature From Erik Wander, your About Books & Literature Editor What would your pen name be if you had to choose one? We learned last week that Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling, whose real name is Joanne, would choose "Robert Galbraith," a revelation that sent sales of Galbraith's "debut" mystery novel, The Cuckoo's Calling, skyrocketing. This week we take a look at some of the best books of all time written under pseudonyms and some of the best-known authors' names that were actually pen names. Samuel Langhorne Clemens as Mark Twain It's tough to choose "Twain's" best. The first impulse would be to go with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). You could even make a sleeper case for A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889). Decide for yourself with this list of some of the best Twain collections, including the novels, but also short stories, essays and other writings. Why 'Mark Twain' as a Pen Name? What Does Mark Twain Mean? Search Related Topics:  mark twain  american literature  collections Mary Ann Evans as George Eliot Silas Marner (1861) comes to mind as one of Eliot's best, or at least among her best (yes, her best), and you can't overlook Middlemarch (1872). But why did Evans, one of the most renowned writers of the Victorian Era when writing as Eliot, use such a masculine pen name? Well, because it was the Victorian Era, and, not unlike the Bronte sisters before her, she didn't believe a woman would be taken seriously as a writer. Jane Eyre by 'Currer Bell' Wuthering Heights by 'Ellis Bell' Anne Bronte, A.K.A. 'Acton Bell' Search Related Topics:  george eliot  english literature  women writers Alice in Wonderland & Charles Lutwidge Dodgson You thought Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) was penned by Lewis Carroll, right? Well, it was, and it wasn't. It seems "Lewis Carroll" was actually the pen name used by the Reverand Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a mathematician and photographer in addition to being an Anglican deacon and, of course, a writer. It's true; go ask Alice. Everything to Know about Dr. Seuss Theodor Geisel, Not the Same Ring Just Who is Lemony Snicket? Search Related Topics:  alice's adventures in wonderland  lewis carroll  fantasy Animal Farm by Eric Arthur Blair I mean George Orwell. Yes, this allegorical, dystopian masterpiece was written under Blair's now legendary pen name. "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself," wrote Blair/Orwell in Animal Farm. 1984 By Definition, Orwellian Search Related Topics:  animal farm  george orwell  banned books Related Searches English Literature Novel Books What Is Literature Books and Authors American Literature Featured Articles Stephen King as Stephen King, Richard Bachman Fifty Shades' E.L. James (Erika Mitchell) The Mission Song by John le Carré (David Cornwell) Michael Crichton's Many Books, Many Names Who Wrote the Nancy Drew Books? Madeleine Wickham as Sophie Kinsella   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement