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pizzamyheart's review against another edition
3.0
Main character was insufferable and has superiority complex. Just because he was from a different time did not make him smarter or better than the other characters. Still, there were some humorous bits, like trying to travel on a hot day in armor and having the sweat build up inside the suite.
Note: I listened to the version narrated by Nick Offerman. He was the best narrator they could have chosen and make this book more enjoyable. Picture Ron Swanson in Camelot. It was fun.
Note: I listened to the version narrated by Nick Offerman. He was the best narrator they could have chosen and make this book more enjoyable. Picture Ron Swanson in Camelot. It was fun.
arthurian's review against another edition
4.0
more of a 3.5 stars but going to round it up to 4 because I'm impressed this plot managed to keep my attention for 400+ pages.
this criticism of the chivalric society and romance is actually a criticism of much that is wrong with the 19th century (or today too) and a praise of developments twain viewed as important. for those of me who are more interested in the arthurian legend aspect of it, i think despite his harsh criticisms it is entertaining and informed about at least malory's le morte.
also sandy, my bestie.
this criticism of the chivalric society and romance is actually a criticism of much that is wrong with the 19th century (or today too) and a praise of developments twain viewed as important. for those of me who are more interested in the arthurian legend aspect of it, i think despite his harsh criticisms it is entertaining and informed about at least malory's le morte.
also sandy, my bestie.
aragornsteiger's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mjeaton's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
5.0
“A democracy will survive until it has an established church.” ~Mark Twain
I sometimes have a hard time getting fired-up over literary fiction unless I can find elements of nonfiction within the story to engage with. Twain, one of my favorite authors, always delivers ample engagement.
“I was training a crowd of ignorant folk into experts, experts in every sort of handiwork and scientific calling. These nurseries of mine went smoothly and privately along undisturbed in their obscure country retreats for nobody was allowed to come into their precincts without a special permit for I was afraid of the church…” (chapter 10, The Beginnings of Civilization)
If you are familiar with the 1949 film adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, yada, yada, yada) but haven’t yet read the novel you are in for a surprise. The film is a whimsical, musical, technicolor romp. The novel is not.
“…I was afraid of a united church, it makes a mighty power, the mightiest conceivable. And then when it by and by gets into selfish hands, as it is always bound to do, it means death to human liberty and paralysis to human thought.” (ibid)
Published in 1889, Twain’s novel chronicles the adventures of a 19th century engineer who somehow gets transported back to the 6th century. Finding himself amidst the likes of King Arthur and Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere, he decides, after a little thought, to take full advantage of his situation. Twain’s Yankee sets himself up as an incredibly talented wizard and then proceeds to introduce 1880’s technology to a population of knights, serfs and feudal lords.
“It being my conviction that any Established Church is an established crime, an established slave-pen…” (chapter 16, Morgan Le Fay)
Twain’s reiterations are indicative of his commitment to the separation of church and state. It is a blatantly obvious theme but one that is seldom discussed and often overlooked. Why?
"Concentration of power in a political machine is bad; and an Established Church is only a political machine; it was invented for that; it is nursed, cradled, preserved for that; it is an enemy to human liberty, and does no good which it could not better do in a split-up scattered condition." (chapter 18, The Queen’s Dungeons)
Mark Twain was as much of a philosopher as he was a novelist. An intellectual realist and a bit of a heretic hiding in plain sight.
I sometimes have a hard time getting fired-up over literary fiction unless I can find elements of nonfiction within the story to engage with. Twain, one of my favorite authors, always delivers ample engagement.
“I was training a crowd of ignorant folk into experts, experts in every sort of handiwork and scientific calling. These nurseries of mine went smoothly and privately along undisturbed in their obscure country retreats for nobody was allowed to come into their precincts without a special permit for I was afraid of the church…” (chapter 10, The Beginnings of Civilization)
If you are familiar with the 1949 film adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, yada, yada, yada) but haven’t yet read the novel you are in for a surprise. The film is a whimsical, musical, technicolor romp. The novel is not.
“…I was afraid of a united church, it makes a mighty power, the mightiest conceivable. And then when it by and by gets into selfish hands, as it is always bound to do, it means death to human liberty and paralysis to human thought.” (ibid)
Published in 1889, Twain’s novel chronicles the adventures of a 19th century engineer who somehow gets transported back to the 6th century. Finding himself amidst the likes of King Arthur and Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere, he decides, after a little thought, to take full advantage of his situation. Twain’s Yankee sets himself up as an incredibly talented wizard and then proceeds to introduce 1880’s technology to a population of knights, serfs and feudal lords.
“It being my conviction that any Established Church is an established crime, an established slave-pen…” (chapter 16, Morgan Le Fay)
Twain’s reiterations are indicative of his commitment to the separation of church and state. It is a blatantly obvious theme but one that is seldom discussed and often overlooked. Why?
"Concentration of power in a political machine is bad; and an Established Church is only a political machine; it was invented for that; it is nursed, cradled, preserved for that; it is an enemy to human liberty, and does no good which it could not better do in a split-up scattered condition." (chapter 18, The Queen’s Dungeons)
Mark Twain was as much of a philosopher as he was a novelist. An intellectual realist and a bit of a heretic hiding in plain sight.
andgineer's review against another edition
3.0
Классика, нетривиальная на тот момент тема и прочие бла-бла-бла.
Поэтому и ставлю целых три звезды.
Я оцениваю не историческую ценность а текущую.
Бывает книги которые вообще не устаревают, таких много в русской литературе и это действительно классика.
Есть совсем мощные работы из глубокой древности, которые уже тяжело читать сейчас, но которые действительно что-то тектонически сдвинули.
Но эта книга Марка Твена не относится ни к одной из этих категорий.
Скучно. Не смешно. Неправдоподобные натяжки сюжета.
Читать наверно придется каждому - кроме китайцев, чтобы иметь общий культурный бэкграунд европейского человека. Но мне трудно понять как от такого чтения можно получать удовольствие.
Поэтому и ставлю целых три звезды.
Я оцениваю не историческую ценность а текущую.
Бывает книги которые вообще не устаревают, таких много в русской литературе и это действительно классика.
Есть совсем мощные работы из глубокой древности, которые уже тяжело читать сейчас, но которые действительно что-то тектонически сдвинули.
Но эта книга Марка Твена не относится ни к одной из этих категорий.
Скучно. Не смешно. Неправдоподобные натяжки сюжета.
Читать наверно придется каждому - кроме китайцев, чтобы иметь общий культурный бэкграунд европейского человека. Но мне трудно понять как от такого чтения можно получать удовольствие.
elmarie_bassage's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Mark Twain is probably not for me. I found it boring and definitely not nearly as fun as the premise had me thinking it would be.
jeslyncat's review against another edition
4.0
A fun read and the original time-travelling magical story.
coniferus's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The protagonist is kind of an insufferable opportunist, and I think that’s rather the point. Didn’t make me like him though. The tone was funny, and the writing occasionally clever, but it took me out of it a bit in the assumption that “oh haha, medieval people are all STUPID” — which was a theme throughout. They were as a whole less literate and educated, but I think would have caught on to much more, more quickly than the story tells.
The most interesting part to me was the perspective of reading this 135 years later. It’s fascinating to hear Twain’s witticisms, commentary and cultural references from that different era. He works in a good deal of that, including the hottest technology of the day (telephone, balloon, trains). It’s a sort of time capsule in that regard.
The most interesting part to me was the perspective of reading this 135 years later. It’s fascinating to hear Twain’s witticisms, commentary and cultural references from that different era. He works in a good deal of that, including the hottest technology of the day (telephone, balloon, trains). It’s a sort of time capsule in that regard.