Characters Drawn... Life to Fiction?

Mark Twain is famously associated with the grand Mississippi, as a riverboat pilot and writer. On May 12, 1883, Life on the Mississippi was first published, in all its unforgettable wit and wisdom. Read more about Mark Twain and his adventures on the Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain wrote: "When I find a well-drawn character in fiction or biography I generally take a warm personal interest in him, for the reason that I have known him before--met him on the river."

What do you think of fiction that is so obviously drawn from "real" life? Is it inevitable? Is it good? Bad? Does the translation make a huge difference to you?

Cover Art © Library of America.