The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg and other stories is a collection of the main story of Hadleyburg and a couple of other short stories written later in Mark Twain’s career. The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg is the story of a town who prides itself on its honesty and “incorruptible reputation.” An aggrieved stranger decides to expose town's hypocrisy, vanity, and misplaced pride through an ingenious prank involving a sack of gold coins and a reformed gambler. The stranger manages to expose the nineteen elite head families of Hadleyburg as the greedy liars they are. Unlike Twain’s earlier work which has a softer touch and a bit more humor—this story has more of a bitter and cynical edge to it (this could be the result of the financial troubles Twain had experienced by now, as well as the death of his wife and daughter). Though there are other works that I have enjoyed more (particularly the Diaries of Adam and Eve & Pudd'nhead Wilson), this novella is a classic. The other two stories in this collection, The Stolen White Elephant and The Invalid's Story were unremarkable. Overall 3 out of 5 stars. ( )