Who said “Biographies are but clothes and buttons of the man — the biography of the man himself…”?

Verified

Mark Twain. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceMark Twain's Autobiography (1924), Vol. I, p. 2

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“Biographies are but clothes and buttons of the man — the biography of the man himself cannot be written.”
— Mark Twain
VerifiedMark Twain's Autobiography (1924), Vol. I, p. 2 · evidenceBiography

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Mark Twain's Autobiography (1924), Vol. I, p. 2.

APA

Twain, M. (n.d.). Biographies are but clothes and buttons of the man — the biography of the man himself cannot be written. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8315-biographies-are-but-clothes-and-buttons-of-the/

MLA

Twain, Mark. “Biographies are but clothes and buttons of the man — the biography of the man himself cannot be written.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8315-biographies-are-but-clothes-and-buttons-of-the/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Twain, Mark. “Biographies are but clothes and buttons of the man — the biography of the man himself cannot be written.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8315-biographies-are-but-clothes-and-buttons-of-the/.

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“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”
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