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zkendall's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure I guffawed or even laughed once in this book, but I did really enjoy it. (That's about the same mellow reception I had for Pudd'nhead Wilson.) The book satirizes society and psychology of religion, politics, romanticized chivalry, gullibility, mysticism, etc.
It is pretty clear what the book was doing, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment at all. Twain did a great job having a story set up that facilitated such commentary and provided it in generally small doses that fit with the story. Heinlein should have learned from Twain in this respect.
It is pretty clear what the book was doing, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment at all. Twain did a great job having a story set up that facilitated such commentary and provided it in generally small doses that fit with the story. Heinlein should have learned from Twain in this respect.
saraubs's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 Stars
Very mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the concept and some of Twain's ideas are quite progressive, but it dragged on for far too long. I appreciate the new techniques that were explored here, but this is certainly not a favourite classic.
Very mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the concept and some of Twain's ideas are quite progressive, but it dragged on for far too long. I appreciate the new techniques that were explored here, but this is certainly not a favourite classic.
brittneedsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" is an engaging and thought-provoking novel that takes readers on a journey back to the days of King Arthur. As a 25-year-old girl, I found the protagonist's resourcefulness and use of modern knowledge in a medieval world captivating. The book raises intriguing questions about progress and clashes between eras, while also providing strong female characters. Mark Twain's satire and social commentary add depth to the story, though the dense prose and occasional slow pacing may challenge some readers. Overall, it's an enjoyable and worthwhile read for those interested in exploring different time periods and reflecting on societal norms.
whitestag's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hank you fool you’re no different than them!
ignimbrite's review against another edition
3.0
I have such mixed feelings about this book. Mainly, I kept being confused: is this really a book extolling the progress of modern (19th century) life, or a satire of self-satisfied Victorians who think they've figured everything out, when really they're only a few decades away from owning slaves themselves, and will also appear deeply flawed in the long view of history? Or both? I think both, but really I found the narrator so much of an arrogant boor that it was a slog to get through.
I listened to the audiobook, which was very skillfully narrated by Nick Offerman, so I'm giving him an extra star.
I listened to the audiobook, which was very skillfully narrated by Nick Offerman, so I'm giving him an extra star.
daveac1215's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I don’t know what to say. This was my first Twain novel and really didn’t know what to expect. Such a fun read! Funny, full of adventure, and heart wrenching all in one. Took a little longer than I expected to finish, but not at all because it wasn’t totally engaging the whole way through. I didn’t really expect to give it five stars, but here we are. I’ll happily come back to this one in the future and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it just as much!
tracey_stewart's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, wow, Goodreads changed this too. Yech.
While I've long been a fan of the man Mark Twain, and know a good bit about him (living in Connecticut, it's almost hard to avoid the latter), I just haven't ever read much of his work. Or, you know, any. I'm not sure why, and I'm kind of surprised at the realization. In any case I was pleased to see A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court in my Audiobookblast.com email, and I ran with it.
And it was utterly not what I expected.
In all honesty, it was a difficult story to listen to, especially in the beginning. First off, there was a little problem with the narration. Jeff Hays does an excellent job; I enjoyed his performance. His female voices were quite good – I loved Sandy. But. "Connecticut Yankee." Connecticut: not a southern state. Very nearly as far as you can get from being southern. And Hartford? Almost as far north as you can get within Connecticut. And "Yankee" is pretty much the definition of "opposite of Southerner". As mentioned, I live in Connecticut, so of course I know we don't have accents at all. So… why in this recording did Hank have a marked southern accent? He sounded like … Mark Twain.
Of course, Twain wrote him with a southern accent as well. Some Yankee characteristics were mentioned in passing, but more often than New England references came references to … well, Arkansas. Though Hank's biography as he's introduced never takes him out of Connecticut, his slang – and his lassoing talents – are very un-Connecticut. (Trust me: you'd have to work hard to find somewhere to learn to throw a lasso around here. Even in Twain's time Hartford wasn't exactly wide open plains.) Example: Hank compared Sandy to a prairie fire. Something else we don't have much experience of hereabouts: prairie fires. Or prairies.
I raised my eyebrows that he had never heard of Camelot but knew about the June 21 528 eclipse down to the minute (never mind the whole changeover to the Gregorian calendar that made a hash out of dating prior to the sixteenth century).
But that's not the real reason I had problems listening to the book. I grumbled a little, but the main problem was all those years I've invested into learning and loving the Arthurian legends. The first person Hank meets in Camelot is a mounted knight (Sir Kay) who charges at Hank. Which: no. A mounted knight who lived by the rules of chivalry would never attack an unhorsed man. Not ever. Under any circumstances. At all. That wasn't a good beginning.
Chivalric divergences aside, Twain's facility with the language of the Middle Ages felt convincing ("Give ye good den") … but in a way that just makes it worse. Because his version of Camelot just hurts. I like the fairytale. I liked the brilliant jewel tones of Howard Pyle's vision. The place where no one would ever say something like "It might bring her back to life. None that be so good and kind as ye are would do her that cruel hurt."
Twain is well known for his incisive and sardonic point of view, and it's all through Connecticut Yankee. The target: 19th century politics; 19th century romanticism; Luddites; 19th century lifestyle in general - you name it. I get it. I do. I was just apparently born without the satire gene.
When I was about sixteen and at my most romantic and alarmingly impressionable, I saw Richard Harris in Camelot. I think it could be safely said that it had a major impact on my life (not necessarily for the better). (It messed me up, actually.) But I really, really prefer to cling to the Camelot where there's a legal limit to the snow, where rain may never fall till after sundown. One brief shining moment. There's no glory in the here and now, nor in Connecticut Yankee, and I was conditioned at a young age to need it. I'll take the "fleeting wisp of glory Called Camelot", any day.
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast.com.
While I've long been a fan of the man Mark Twain, and know a good bit about him (living in Connecticut, it's almost hard to avoid the latter), I just haven't ever read much of his work. Or, you know, any. I'm not sure why, and I'm kind of surprised at the realization. In any case I was pleased to see A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court in my Audiobookblast.com email, and I ran with it.
And it was utterly not what I expected.
In all honesty, it was a difficult story to listen to, especially in the beginning. First off, there was a little problem with the narration. Jeff Hays does an excellent job; I enjoyed his performance. His female voices were quite good – I loved Sandy. But. "Connecticut Yankee." Connecticut: not a southern state. Very nearly as far as you can get from being southern. And Hartford? Almost as far north as you can get within Connecticut. And "Yankee" is pretty much the definition of "opposite of Southerner". As mentioned, I live in Connecticut, so of course I know we don't have accents at all. So… why in this recording did Hank have a marked southern accent? He sounded like … Mark Twain.
Of course, Twain wrote him with a southern accent as well. Some Yankee characteristics were mentioned in passing, but more often than New England references came references to … well, Arkansas. Though Hank's biography as he's introduced never takes him out of Connecticut, his slang – and his lassoing talents – are very un-Connecticut. (Trust me: you'd have to work hard to find somewhere to learn to throw a lasso around here. Even in Twain's time Hartford wasn't exactly wide open plains.) Example: Hank compared Sandy to a prairie fire. Something else we don't have much experience of hereabouts: prairie fires. Or prairies.
I raised my eyebrows that he had never heard of Camelot but knew about the June 21 528 eclipse down to the minute (never mind the whole changeover to the Gregorian calendar that made a hash out of dating prior to the sixteenth century).
But that's not the real reason I had problems listening to the book. I grumbled a little, but the main problem was all those years I've invested into learning and loving the Arthurian legends. The first person Hank meets in Camelot is a mounted knight (Sir Kay) who charges at Hank. Which: no. A mounted knight who lived by the rules of chivalry would never attack an unhorsed man. Not ever. Under any circumstances. At all. That wasn't a good beginning.
Chivalric divergences aside, Twain's facility with the language of the Middle Ages felt convincing ("Give ye good den") … but in a way that just makes it worse. Because his version of Camelot just hurts. I like the fairytale. I liked the brilliant jewel tones of Howard Pyle's vision. The place where no one would ever say something like "It might bring her back to life. None that be so good and kind as ye are would do her that cruel hurt."
Twain is well known for his incisive and sardonic point of view, and it's all through Connecticut Yankee. The target: 19th century politics; 19th century romanticism; Luddites; 19th century lifestyle in general - you name it. I get it. I do. I was just apparently born without the satire gene.
When I was about sixteen and at my most romantic and alarmingly impressionable, I saw Richard Harris in Camelot. I think it could be safely said that it had a major impact on my life (not necessarily for the better). (It messed me up, actually.) But I really, really prefer to cling to the Camelot where there's a legal limit to the snow, where rain may never fall till after sundown. One brief shining moment. There's no glory in the here and now, nor in Connecticut Yankee, and I was conditioned at a young age to need it. I'll take the "fleeting wisp of glory Called Camelot", any day.
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast.com.
asolorio02's review against another edition
4.0
This was an enjoyable read. It's a little similar to The Prince and the Pauper in that the protagonist finds himself in a world that is not his own and goes about making it better. There's also a parallel between the two stories when The Boss and King Arthur dress up like peasants and begin wandering the kingdom, which leads to them getting into all sorts of adventures and the King experiencing, seeing and slowly coming to realize how unfair society is to the common people.
I loved the interactions The Boss had with Merlin. They were too funny. Twain's narrative style a thing of beauty.
I loved the interactions The Boss had with Merlin. They were too funny. Twain's narrative style a thing of beauty.
angelikareadsavariciously's review against another edition
4.0
4.5. I was not expecting this to be so funny! Really enjoyed it.