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EAN: 9780393013788 Edition: 1st ISBN: 0393013782 Label: W W Norton & Co Ltd Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Ltd Number Of Pages: 468 Publication Date: October 06, 1982 Publisher: W W Norton & Co Ltd Studio: W W Norton & Co Ltd Editorial Review: Product Description: When A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court was published in 1889, Mark Twain was undergoing a series of personal and professional crises. In his Introduction, M. Thomas Inge shows how what began as a literary burlesque of British chivalry and culture developed to tragedy and into a novel that remains a major literary and cultural text for generations of new readers. This edition reproduces a number of the original drawings by Dan Beard, of whom Twain said "He not only illustrates the text but he illustrates my thoughts." Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Excellent literature, not a children's bookThis is Twaine at his best. The book provokes thought, draws sympathy, and is downright hilarious. It also reads smoothly and at a brisk pace. It's a quick, fun read. I should also emphasize that while this is frequently labelled as children's literature, I find that label to be completely misleading. While it can no doubt be enjoyed by children at their level, there are a number of subtleties, particularly in the humor, that will be beyond the comprehension of most 13 year olds. Read More Rating:  - Twain pays his debt to Cervantes and SwiftNot quite a classic, Twain pays his debt to Cervantes and Swift in this satiric fable about the collision between the "modern" world (19th Century America) and the world of Arthorian (authorian?) legend (6th century England). Twain gets in some sharp jabs against both time periods, with a deft touch of modern irony that makes the book seem surprisingly fresh at times (Twain even pops a "dudes and dudesses" reference!). He puts his finger on the clear difficulty of interacting with (or ... Read More Rating:  - Anti-Catholic polemic dressed up as a classicI have always loved Mark Twain since reading Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer as a kid. At one point I had even memorized "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" as a seventh-grader in Catholic school. Twain has always held a sentimental place close to my heart, so when our book club chose to read and discuss A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, I was all for it. I had heard vaguely of Twain's atheist mindset and his antagonism toward religion in general. But until I read Connecticut ... Read More Rating:  - Love Twain's writing, but not so much in this one Although I usually enjoy Twain's writing style, and his sense of wry humor, there was something about A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court that was less than satisfying. Some of the situations that the protagonist gets himself into are "classic" Twain. When the narrator is transported back to the time of Camelot, he begins to speculate about rituals, customs and general style of life. There is one part where the townspeople are convinced that he can perform great magical feats (he actually ... Read More Rating:  - Promising premise, disappointing and remarkably dour deliveryTwain spoils a promising premise with bloated preachifying, colorless prose, and an uneven, nigh-absurdist plot arc. |
