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sandinista's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Of Twain's travelogues, I would place this in the middle of the pack: clearly written in one of his low periods, meant to pay off whatever fiscal mishap he had at the time. But even as the mining chapters go on and the usual nineteenth century attitudes about manifest destiny, attitudes on race, and general white dude exceptionalism prevail, there are also glimmers of Twain's insight beyond his time. His vocabulary may be tragically stranded in an ass-backwards era, but his curiosity, marvel at the ingenuity of humanity, and self-depreciative wit shine through as per.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
Unfortunately, this edition keeps Twain's vocabulary about BIPOC uncensored. That means, among others, a passage with the n-word used repeatedly. Although kept due to the publishing year (1872), it is still jarring so take note.spaffrackett's review against another edition
2.0
A meandering mess. I usually don't stick with something I don't want to read but this book traveled with me throughout such a tumultuous year I felt I had to finish. Rest in Peace Martin McMullen.
cluckingbell's review against another edition
3.0
Some of it was entertaining, and some of it was a bit too much mining and tall tales for me. I think Mark Twain is best in smaller doses, and unfortunately I tore through this 560-page book relatively quickly. The parts that are more travelogue than mining were my favorites (possibly excepting the part with all the tarantulas in chapter 21—stuff of nightmares!).
His description of jury selection in chapter 48 mirrors my own thoughts after my father was rejected for a high-profile case. The emptiness of head and impressionability required to be acceptable to both prosecution and defense boggles the mind. "The jury system puts a ban upon intelligence and honesty and a premium upon ignorance, stupidity, and perjury. . . . In this age, when a gentleman of high social standing, intelligence, and probity swears that testimony given under solemn oath will outweigh with him street talk and newspaper reports based upon mere hearsay, he is worth a hundred jurymen who will swear to their own ignorance and stupidity, and justice would be far safer in his hands than in theirs. Why could not the jury law be so altered as to give men of brains and honesty an equal chance with fools and miscreants?" I've long intended, if tried, to waive my right to a jury trial for exactly that reason (assuming, of course, that I am innocent of the charges and the judge assigned is even reasonably intelligent and impartial).
Twain does a great job describing landscapes, too; I can't imagine how fascinating it all would have been to read in the 19th century. Today we can see so much of the world just on television; we fill out a form online and Hawaii's tourism board sends us a full-color magazine of its best features free of charge; we fly across the country in an afternoon and get irritated if the 30-mile trip to the airport takes 5 minutes longer than we think it should. Twain writes in such a jaunty style that it's easy to forget just how difficult and dangerous and time-consuming travel was.
His description of jury selection in chapter 48 mirrors my own thoughts after my father was rejected for a high-profile case. The emptiness of head and impressionability required to be acceptable to both prosecution and defense boggles the mind. "The jury system puts a ban upon intelligence and honesty and a premium upon ignorance, stupidity, and perjury. . . . In this age, when a gentleman of high social standing, intelligence, and probity swears that testimony given under solemn oath will outweigh with him street talk and newspaper reports based upon mere hearsay, he is worth a hundred jurymen who will swear to their own ignorance and stupidity, and justice would be far safer in his hands than in theirs. Why could not the jury law be so altered as to give men of brains and honesty an equal chance with fools and miscreants?" I've long intended, if tried, to waive my right to a jury trial for exactly that reason (assuming, of course, that I am innocent of the charges and the judge assigned is even reasonably intelligent and impartial).
Twain does a great job describing landscapes, too; I can't imagine how fascinating it all would have been to read in the 19th century. Today we can see so much of the world just on television; we fill out a form online and Hawaii's tourism board sends us a full-color magazine of its best features free of charge; we fly across the country in an afternoon and get irritated if the 30-mile trip to the airport takes 5 minutes longer than we think it should. Twain writes in such a jaunty style that it's easy to forget just how difficult and dangerous and time-consuming travel was.
mrginger42's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
askmashka's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
stuckinthestacks's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
annettes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
deathcabforkatey's review against another edition
I'm DNFing this book for two reasons:
#1 I'm bored by it. To be completely honest I kept waiting for it to pick up and get as tear-jerkingly funny as others found it but I can't.
#2 A friend reminded me that you shouldn't read "classic" books and feel the need to enjoy them just for the sake of them being classics.
Sorry Twain, just wasn't for me.
#1 I'm bored by it. To be completely honest I kept waiting for it to pick up and get as tear-jerkingly funny as others found it but I can't.
#2 A friend reminded me that you shouldn't read "classic" books and feel the need to enjoy them just for the sake of them being classics.
Sorry Twain, just wasn't for me.
callumdingley's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic telling of adventure and a look into life in the 1800s from a single perspective. I loved the things Twain would get up to from difficult journeys to prospecting mountains for ore, and later settling down in a small town writing for a newspaper. It gave a great perspective on events often shown at surface levels or through overly-dramatized movies. While the more grounded perspective was nice, it was certainty artistically exaggerated, which may be fault to some looking for a history novel, but I found it to be fantastically funny and a perfect example of how tall tales spread in the "wild west". Outside of his western adventures, Twain spends time in the Pacific islands of Hawaii, which was an interesting change of pace but didn't leave me as engaged as his travels in the United States did. Overall, I loved the book and the way it captured adventuring in it's time period incredibly well, and my copy with the illustrations was a fantastic compliment to the writing.