About this title: In Twain's 1889 satire/fantasy, Hank Morgan, a Hartford factory worker, after a blow to the head, finds himself transported to sixth-century England, where his knowledge of the scientific advances of the 19th century convince Arthur and his knights that he has magical powers. His attempts to introduce advanced technology lead to disaster. Twain's book infuriated his British readers because of the anti-monarchy opinions of its hero; it was true that Twain did have a somewhat vengeful motive for the novel after an article was published by the eminent English poet and critic Matthew Arnold that ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. Barnes & Noble Classics (Paperback). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Modern Library, Ne w York
Description: Good + No Jacket. Dark blue cloth on boards, lightly soiled, lightly rubbed at corners. front hinge slightly loose. text clean, 450 pages. dust jacket missing, no printing date. good reading copy. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Signet Classics
Date Published: 1963
ISBN-13:9780451510730ISBN:0451510739
Description: Good. Cover worn from use: creased/rubbed/soiled; sm. 1/8" closed tear at top edge. Interior tanned, but text is clear & bright--no markings. Slight musty and/or smoky odor. Good copy for the classroom or to throw in your backpack. Clean pages. Tight Spine. See my website for cover image. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Moby Books, New York
Date Published: 1977
Description: Good. No Jacket. 24mo-over 5"-5¾" tall. The book is very solid with unmarked pages. The page edges are soiled. The cover has moderate shelf & edge wear with a light crease on the spine. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Signet Classics
Date Published: 1963
ISBN-13:9780451524751ISBN:0451524756
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 336 p. Signet Classics (Paperback). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Signet Classics
Date Published: 1963
Description: Very Good. Cover art varies. Tight Spine. First Thus. Clean pages. Sharp corners. Cover is soiled & very lightly worn at edges-corners. Interior is clear & tight. This copy is in really nice condition. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Washington Square Press, New York
Date Published: 1967
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. F-very minor cover wear. 360 p. : ill.; 17 cm. A Washington Square Press book; W 150. Includes Illustrations. read more
Description: Good. Spine is smooth. Covers show some wear at the edges and corners. Good reading copy. Binding is Mass Market Paperback. Pages tanning. Used books may have price stickers. Most orders ship on the next business day. read more
"It's funny that I had not read this book before. I suppose having seen the cartoon (animated) movie several times I thought I knew the story too well.
As part of my "Twain-kick", I grabbed this book and sat down to find that, "I'm shocked!", they took liberties with the story when making the movie. Imagine!
The book is much "grittier" and better planned. While Clemens was not an engineer by trade, he had enough exposure and interest in the mechanical world around him that his methodical development of late 19th-early 20th century technology at Camelot is plausible and sensible. I suspect few other authors of his day could have done so well at this aspect of the story.
In the end, it is all for nought. While the movie and book diverge here, both end with the collapse of Camelot, despite our hero's best efforts. (That's not really a spoiler, now is it?)"
"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a humorous account of an American who finds himself living in King Arthur's middle ages. He applies his historical and industrial knowledge to his advantage and ends up as Arthur's prime minister. He then sets about to bring England up to 19th century standards. Many times his accounts are quite funny, but sometimes it digresses into lectures against knighthood and the Catholic Church. Because of these lectures and Twain's view of the church, I would not consider this a children's book. If this were a movie, I would rate it PG."
"This book was quite funny, yet a bit too cliche for my liking. Mark Twain really stepped out of his field for this one, and you can tell that in both a nice and bad way.
It's hilarious to read about the ignorance of the people of the sixth century, and it adds a "comfy" feel to the story that is what really makes it enjoyable. The main character, Hank, sets himself a bit too high on standards, because of this, which in turn helps in developing both his and others' persona.
By the end of the tale, when everything he's worked for comes crashing down, is when even Hank himself proves a theme of the book, that "all men are equal, whether they be highborn, or low. At the moment of Hank's death, is the moment he meets Twain. At this point, it's questionable if all the story was a dream, as Merlin used magic to put Hank to sleep, when he was supposed to be a fraud.
Overall this was a nice read, but at times drones on, and others is immensely entertaining. This inconsistency is what makes the book not as good as it could have been, however."
"I do not recommend this book as a read-aloud. That said, I will tell you that that is the only way I have experienced it. This time through as Ed and I read this somewhat difficult (and violent) social satire (stopping along the way to explain to each other just what was happening), I wondered just why my dad would read this book to me as a very young child. Interestingly, I began to remember certain scenes that had stayed in my head for well over forty-five years! Wow! what a weird imagination Twain had! I especially enjoyed the idea of cats for royalty. Anyway here is my favorite quote from the book:"People talk about beautiful friendships between two persons of the same sex. What is the best of that sort, as compared with the friendship of man and wife, where the best impulses and highest ideals of both are the same? There is no place for comparison between the two friendships; the one is earthly, the other divine." This has certainly been true in my life."
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