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    A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court
    A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court
    A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court
    Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

    A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

    Written by Mark Twain

    Narrated by Kerry Shale

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Like the hero in the novel, Mark Twain was also a time traveller. His boyhood was spent in the American South, where people followed agrarian lives. As the country modernized, inventions such as electricity and the move towards manufacturing rapidly changed the way people lived. By taking his readers back to King Arthur's 6th-century court, Twain explores the struggle between industrial progress and the ways of a rural past.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThe Copyright Group
    Release dateJan 1, 2014
    ISBN9781780002835
    Author

    Mark Twain

    Mark Twain, who was born Samuel L. Clemens in Missouri in 1835, wrote some of the most enduring works of literature in the English language, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc was his last completed book—and, by his own estimate, his best. Its acquisition by Harper & Brothers allowed Twain to stave off bankruptcy. He died in 1910. 

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    Reviews for A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

    3.5/5

    1,952 ratings60 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I thought I would like this book. I like time travel and I like the legend of King Arthur. It didn't take very long however before I knew I wouldn't like it as much as I expected to. The big reason is that the narrator continually degrades the people of King Arthur's time as lacking intelligence. It's always brought up that he is the smarter one and everyone else is a bit slow. This bothered me. I don't believe in societies being more civilized or less primitive than other societies. As an anthropologist, it is a big deal for me that everyone realizes no societies is superior or inferior to any other society. Now I do realize that this book was written in the late 1800s, which was a time were unilineal evolution was very prevalent (Thinking that societies other than western society are inferior and that they are not yet civilized). And because of this I can see why this superiority is found throughout the book. It still bothers me. :) The book does bring up some very important issues about things like slavery, the effects of caste systems, and taxes. It turned out that was most of what the book was about; social commentary. I didn’t mind that all that much although it did seem to get slightly preachy. There are some fairy funny parts and overall it was an interesting story. But it didn’t really satisfy me. I do think it is a great classic book. There are tons of good discussions that could be pulled from it in classrooms or book discussions. I am glad I finally read it, even if I won’t ever read it again.
    • 2/5
      With just a vague memory of the film adaptation starring Bing Crosby, some notion of the influences it has had on Doctor Who, and the cover illustration as a guide, I approached A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court expecting a typically structured but entertaining story of a man out of time and although Twain/Clemens’s tale begins in that mode, it quickly tips over into a far darker meandering satire on Western imperialism and industrialisation. The protagonist Hank Martin is a loathsome figure and even though the story’s told from his POV, I slowly became more and more protective of the Arthurian characters who barely seem to deserve the treatment the Yankee gives them. But that’s Twain/Clemens’s point I think; how the modern versions of us, apparently so sophisticated, are desperate to sap the magic from the world, be it in nature or man itself. A difficult read but a transportative one. This is psychogeographical literature.
    • 5/5
      An absolutely wonderful, humourous book. One of Twain's best.
    • 4/5
      It was good to get my teeth into this, having meant to read it for a long time. I enjoyed the humour, and the political commentary, despite not agreeing with it and preferring (with a somewhat guilty pleasure) the shining chivalric version of Camelot to the dirt, ignorance and stupidity of this world. Parts of it felt very ranty and not like a story at all -- like the story was a vehicle for the political rants. Which is the way some authors work, and I suspect I'll find it in at least some of Twain's other work, when I revisit -- as a child, I didn't see it that way, but children tend not to.

      There's lots of amusing ideas, and I kinda wish this was on my Arthurian Lit course to discuss -- I don't think it is, but you never know, I still might be able to write an essay on it...

      It's definitely not so much about Arthur/Camelot as it is about Twain's own day, though. Don't be deceived.
    • 5/5
      I kept waiting for some grand end to this book, something that would give the rest of it purpose. And the closest I got was the suggestion that perhaps the world would be better off it all the ruling monarchs were replaced with ruling cats. A large part of me wanted that to be the ultimate conclusion. It wasn't. Still, the book was entertaining (though I must confess I skipped over a hefty portion of the period writing--I just couldn't take it).Overall, it was a fun book. There was a mix of humor and a look at what makes people behave the way they do. The book was a little long, and I kept waiting for that "Aha!" moment, but it was worth the time and effort it took to read.
    • 3/5
      Considering that I am a fan of Mark Twain and that I have a deep and abiding love of all things Arthurian, it's a bit surprising that it took me so long to read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The story is bookended by Mark Twain himself describing his encounter with Hank Morgan, the titular Yankee, who gives Twain a manuscript of his experience in 6th-century England--King Arthur's England. Hank is a 19th-century man just like Twain but one day finds himself in the 6th Century and promptly captured by Sir Kay. He is thrown in prison and sentenced to death, but by learning the date, he knows that a solar eclipse will occur the following day and uses this knowledge to position himself as a great wizard. Merlin is naturally miffed, and the two are rivals from that time forward.Through his wisdom and influence upon King Arthur and the nation, he earns the title of The Boss. He cares nothing for the Temporal Prime Directive and sets about creating his own pocket of the 19th century within the 6th. He establishes a newspaper, a telephone service, gun factories, a standing army, a navy, sandwich board advertising, and many more innovations. All throughout The Boss displays a mixture of disdain and amusement toward the people and customs around him. I had hoped that he might be brought down a peg or two for his hubris, but apparently this wasn't that sort of story. His commentary is often funny though, making this a bit like RiffTrax: King Arthur edition. As some of the jokes are about the way that the people of Arthur's England talk (based on the way that medieval writers wrote), it's probably funnier if you're already familiar with the medieval style of narration in these sort of tales of chivalry. Twain even lifts whole sections of description directly from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur.The Boss is a hard character to like, in that he enjoys humiliating people and is rarely forgiving of how the people of the 6th century think and believe, given their education, or lack thereof. That said, I still enjoyed the book. Near the end, when it came to describing the events that led to King Arthur's death (despite the fact that it took a mere two pages to do so and it generally takes several chapters in most Arthurian tales), I couldn't help but be caught up in the emotion of it all. That part of Arthur's story always gets to me though, perhaps because my first introduction to Arthurian literature was part of a packet handed out by my Brit Lit teacher in high school: the final chapter of T.H. White's The Once and Future King, in which the old King thinks back on his life, his achievements and failures, and all that has led up to this final battle, which he knows he will not survive. It breaks my heart every time. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court can be a little dense at times, but I definitely recommend it to anyone wishing to read a book that pokes fun at the oft-times serious genre of medieval romance.
    • 2/5
      A satirical look at the era of King Arthur's court from the viewpoint of a 19th century man. I found this book more practical and political that I had expected. Hank Morgan, the Connecticut Yankee, introduces modern conveniences and inventions into a superstitious and poor era.
    • 4/5
      I read this as part of my pre science fiction project. It was published in 1889 and holds its place as one of the first science fiction novels to feature time travel back into history. I was surprised at just how gruesome it was. It is unremittingly horrible from the first chapter to the last, where our hero Hank Morgan who describes himself as barren of almost all sentiment: contrives to electrocute 10.000 of king Arthur's knights. It is of course a satire and takes careful aim at the romance of chivalry, the institution of slavery, monarchy, contemporary American politics and society, the catholic church and the art of novel writing. Nothing much escapes Twains long and at time arduous satire/caricature/burlesque of king Arthur's court.Hank Morgan a successful inventor and businessman living in Hartford Connecticut gets into an argument and receives a stunning blow to the head. He wakes up in a green and pleasant land, but is almost immediately taken prisoner by a knight in full armour and taken back to King Arthur's court. His intemperate remarks lead to a sentence of death by burning and he realises that he must do something to save himself. He cannot awake from his dream, but knowledge of an impending total eclipse of the sun on 21 June A.D. 528 is enough to pit himself against the resident magician Merlin. He soon becomes the Kings right hand man and sets about to modernise the 6th century. The portrayal of the knights and their position in the totally rigid hierarchy, means that they never have to think for themselves. They are conditioned to a life of chivalry and privilege with its own stupid rules of behaviour and to an outsider like Hank it is all ridiculous. He thinks he can introduce more democratic ideas, perhaps even challenge the divine right of kings and make a republic. He certainly thinks he can make some money, he is under the impression that he is dealing with rational human beings, but that concept is soon abandoned when he finally realises that he cannot change people who have been conditioned by birth to a certain way of life. The institution of slavery produces some horrific scenes in 6th century Britain that even moves hard hearted Hank to tears. Poor common folk are little more than drudges, but the slaves below them are even worse off, both classes are considered less than human by the nobility, but the common people must side with the upper classes to retain their own position.Hank Morgan is first referred to as the stranger, but soon establishes himself as 'The Boss' only answerable to the king. He embarks on a series of adventures, some involving king Arthur and they manage to get themselves sold as slaves. King Arthur is outraged when he only fetches 7 dollars in the slave market, he thinks he is worth at least 21 dollars; the going rate. This is one of many instants where Twain satirises the money grabbing culture of 19th century America.Mark Twains preface to the book says he has stolen some stories from Morte D'Arthur, but this should not worry the reader. There is a passage toward the beginning of the book where the heroine: the boss's eventual wife is made to talk in incomprehensible early English (as imagined by Twain) while Hank speaks of pork barrels and supply and demand issues which is equally incomprehensible in reply. Twain was obviously having fun writing this book and no target was too sacred. I was reminded of reading Malory's Morte D'Arthur, as much of Twains book seems haphazardly put together, a series of adventures where the time line is not always clear, it does however finish on a suitable climax. The book is more of a satire than a science fiction novel. its gruesome scenes of torture, murder and capital punishment would serve to hold the interest of many school children, who need not be worried by any sexual content. An interesting point for the modern reader to consider is how the targets of Twains satire might have changed in the intervening years. Perhaps his satire has become even more pertinent; a good subject for a thesis perhaps, but one I am certainly not going to attempt. I read one of the versions on Project Gutenberg, which had facsimiles of sketches from the 1889 edition. A book that I am glad to have got round to reading, but I can't say I really enjoyed it, but it did make me laugh at times and so 3.5 stars.
    • 3/5
      I was probably too young when I read it, but it's a pretty good time travel type story and a social commentary too.
    • 4/5
      Dated in many ways, it remains a pleasant satirical take on many of the institutions that remain to this day.
    • 5/5
      Robert Frost aloudread from this to school students when he taught at Plymouth (N.H.) Normal School. I haven’t read it for fifty years. Hilarious, as all his works: he puts on armor for his reluctant adventures, can’t reach his hanky in his helmet, as he grows overheated from sun on the metal, “A man in armor always trusted to chance for his food on a journey, and would have been scandalized at the idea of hanging a basket of sandwiches on his spear” (Ch.XIII, p.98*).Wonderful contrast of medieval and American takes on kings and aristocracy. “It is enough to make a body ashamed of his race to think of the sort of froth that has always occupied its thrones without shadow of right or reason, and the seventh-rate people that have always figured as its aristocracies— a company of monarchs and nobles who, as a rule, would have achieved only poverty and obscurity if left, like their betters, to their own exertions”(ChVIII, p.65).The day they were going to burn him at the stake-- for looking so foreign (to the medievals) and being so big— he gets classed above Merlin because he predicts an eclipse of the sun on the hour they plan to burn him. Twain had read of an eclipse in 528, on June 21, three minutes past Noon. The pyre is readied for his execution, so he warns he will black out the sun if they go ahead. When King Arthur calls off the execution, Twain responds, “For a lesson, I will let this darkness proceed, and spread night in the world; but whether I blot out the sun for good, or restore it, shall rest with you. You shall remain king over all your dominions, but you shall appoint me your perpetual minister and executive, and give me for my services one percent”(Ch.VI, p.52).Granted such, he first establishes a Patent Office, then tries to make military and naval academies, etc. When goaded to make another miracle, he uses 19C know-how from Benjamin Franklin, a lightening rod, wired to some powder kegs in Merlin’s Tower, height of the land. As a storm finally gathers, Twain calls down a lightening strike which blows up the centuries-old Roman tower. Merlin is demoted.As I re-read, I’ve forgotten how he wins against the joust he’s been challenged to years hence—year where the challenging knight has gone off “holy grailing,” getting lost in a search for the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper. I think he dismounts, which leaves the challenger befuddled. But several chapters have passed, and no joust yet.Very funny on armor causing him to overheat and perspire; he needs to cool off, using his helmet as a bucket (illustration by Dan Beard, p.95). Twain compares the Herald's decoration, fore-and-aft, to "sandwich boards" used for advertising, here, "Persimmon's Soap," which Twain made, as demand grew. His soap factory employed fifteen hands, running day and night, with the atmospheric effect so strong that Sir Launcelot "did hardly anything but walk up and down on the roof and swear...He was always complaining that a palace was no place for a soap factory"(124).King Arthur's so old the queen's the more responsible, but she's a creature of habit, as we all are. (Twain says very little human behavior from "nature," all from habit.) One queenly habit is executing people-- she plans to burn an old woman who cursed her, but Twain/the Boss superior to Merlin tells her she can't. Then the "poor queen was so humbled that she was afraid to hang the composer without consulting me...I ordered the musicians into our presence to play again. Then I saw that she was right, and gave her permission to hang the whole band"(135). When the Boss lets go a young father off the Rack--his wife and child nearby-- he decides to replace the bandleader with the executioner. "He said he couldn't play--a plausible excuse, but too thin; there wasn't a musician in the country that could"(143). *Pagination from Harper Brothers Complete Twain, 1899.
    • 4/5
      There is so much to unpack in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. When one thinks of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, science fiction doesn't readily come to mind. Sarcastic? Humorous? Yes. But certainly not science fiction in my book. The plot is simple. Nineteenth century mechanic Hank Morgan gets a conk on the head that sends him back to the 6th century. At first he thinks it is all a joke ("Get back to your circus," he tells a knight in full armor riding an armored horse). Once convinced he has truly traveled back in time he realizes he can use his knowledge of the "future," like an upcoming solar eclipse and the invention of electricity, to his advantage. Woven throughout the plot is Twain's celebration of democracy while at the same time condemning humankind through observations about social and human inequalities. He attacks British nobility and rails against poverty and slavery. How it all ends? The divine right of the King is the be settled in another book. Good news for Twain fans. That kind of ending is like your favorite musician hinting that they are working on a new album. Stay tuned. There is more to come.
    • 5/5
      Mark Twain is not well-known as a writer of science-fiction... even though he would one day guest star as a character in Star Trek The Next Generation. It's kind of an old trope these days of the protagonist traveling back in time with modern knowledge, but Mr. Clemens was quite likely the first to come up with it... or at least, one of the first. I've read the Adventures of Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn, but they didn't appeal to me all that much. This one is my favorite Mark Twain story and hopefully will never be relegated to the scrap heap of literature by the new book-banning segment of Liberalism.
    • 4/5
      One of the few 19th century 'classics' that still holds up today. Sure, technology has advanced a lot since this was written, but the principles are much the same. Humorous and fun to read.
    • 4/5
      An 19th Century man travels back to Arthurian England of the 6th Century where he tries to bring them from a monarchy to a republic. He brings his knowledge and starts building a modern world.It took me a while to get into the cadence and rhythm of Arthurian English. Once I do this becomes a rollicking good time. Watching The Boss deal with the superstitions of the time and trying to teach, which he eventually does with Arthur, was interesting. I enjoyed how he set up his own alternate society which he keeps secret from King Arthur and Merlin. But just like Camelot ends in war so does this story and The Boss loses everything he built.This shows how a person is born in a time and a mind set and it is very difficult to change them, no matter how much life improves with the changes.
    • 3/5
      A Book About the Gilded Age*I'm not sure how I'd feel about A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court if I had read it on my own, rather than for my 19th Century American Lit class. I'm sure I wouldn't have focused as much on Twain's commentary on his own time, cleverly masquerading as 6th century England. I'm sure I wouldn't have analyzed it in terms of Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class (our intro work for class). What I would most likely have done is seen it as rather a goofy story of a man who is hit over the head with a crowbar and finds himself at Camelot thirteen centuries prior to the blow. Hank, the Yankee of the title, thinks himself superior to all around him and spends a great deal of ink criticizing the monarchy/aristocracy (who are admittedly awful). He finds the peasants little better, too stupid to follow his economic discussions and too used to being shat upon by the aristocracy to believe they deserve better.Over the course of the novel we meet all the familiar characters from the Arthurian legend. We even get to read several excerpts from Le Morte d'Arthur (free advice: watch the movie, any movie, skip the book unless you enjoy really bad writing). Hank tries to institute democracy in England and educate the ignorant peasantry. Twain remains true to the legend (spoiler: Arthur dies), although he adds his own whacky twist to it, including Hank's eccentric take on jousting.This is definitely not Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. It's written by an older, more cynical man than the author of those books. The man responsible for the term The Gilded Age. While it's an easy read, the plot and somewhat tiresome social commentary makes me say it's not all that good of one.* - I've had to set my themed reading list aside for now, as I'm taking a couple literature classes this summer through a state program that provides free tuition for Texas residents over 55. This novel is assigned for my 19th Century American Literature class focused on the Gilded Age.
    • 3/5
      I came to this book via a list of great time-travel books. I have read plenty of Twain in the past, and enjoyed him, but this was my first time with this text.It is really more social commentary than time travel. The technical aspects of the hero going back in time are limited in the extreme - he gets whacked in the head, and wakes up 1300 years earlier in time.Twain then has fun showing how a modern man could run rings around the elite of the 6th century, while concurrently delivering caustic commentary on modern society.Hardly a great time-travel book, but a good read nonetheless. Twain is opinionated and humorous - rarely a bad combination for a writer.
    • 2/5
      Better as an audiobook than I remember. I’m sure it was clever in its day, but that doesn’t make it still good. Moralistic, preachy, and led with an awkward framing story.
    • 4/5
      A light hearted funny story about a modern man (from Mark Twain's time) who finds himself back in the time of King Arthur's Court. It is amusing. It shows what someone with today's knowledge of science could do in the middle ages. It also is VERY POLITICAL. Of course it talks about the politics in Middle Ages but also the politics in the 19th century. It has an absurdist humor to it.
    • 5/5
      Pretty clear where "Army of Darkness" got some inspiration. Don't worry, there is next to no similarities except for conceptual similarities. This was a really good book. Enjoyable to listen to and think about. I really liked the distinction that was made between men and Men. Good points on the importance of free thought, fairness, and the idea that institutions should serve mankind instead of the other way around.
    • 4/5
      This was good fun and had a surprising amount of social commentary whenever Hank (the Boss) Morgan was trying to educate his 6th century Britons on the evils of slavery, class structures and religious intolerance. Although you'll think of it all as a fantasy dream, the ending actually has plausible magician-like twist that provides an explanation for the "time forward" part of the trip.You of course have to suspend belief that a late 19th century American would be speaking any kind of a language that 6th century Britons would have understood. The compromise is that most speak a Le Morte D' Arthur kind of English and Hank every once and while has to explain his futuristic words in plain terms.I listened to the 2017 Audible Audio edition which had an excellent narration by Nick Offerman.
    • 1/5
      I had to stop halfway through the book. Twain was too effective in this book. I couldn't stand him to the point that I had to stop reading.
    • 4/5
      Classic Twain with humor and observations that are still apt today.
    • 4/5
      Like most readers, I everything I knew about this book came from pop-culture references. I was curious going into out the premise could be dragged out so long.Dragged is a poor word-choice in this case, as it didn't drag at all. The observations by both the main character those expected to be picked up by the reader were amusing and apt. I really enjoyed this - far moreso than I normally do with Twain's writing.
    • 4/5
      Mark Twain's classic time-traveling satire, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court follows Hank Morgan, a northern factory foreman, who finds himself transported back to 6th Century England and uses his 19th century knowledge to elevate himself to the role of The Boss, second only to the King. Much of the story serves to attack institutions in which an elect group concentrates power among themselves and so debases the lower classes that they cannot conceive rising up against it. The slaves Twain portrays in Arthurian England belong less to the 6th century than to 18th and 19th century America. Twain battles superstition as well, writing, "Somehow, every time the magic of fol-de-rol tried conclusions with the magic of science, the magic of fol-de-rol got left" (p. 287). Additionally, Twain's criticisms of the Catholic Church, and institutionalized religion in general, reflect his public comments on the religion and serve to foreshadow the story's grim ending.Twain clearly loves Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur as he quotes freely from the text, even allowing characters like Sandy to relate tales of knight's exploits in lengthy passages from Malory. Therefore, reading Malory immediately before starting Yankee in King Arthur's Court helps one to better enjoy Twain's references and humor. This edition from Reader's Digest features gorgeous illustrations by Joseph Ciardiello that capture the absurdity of Twain's story with lavish color and action. The afterword by T.E.D. Klein contextualizes Twain's writing while setting it within the Arthurian canon. The leather binding ensures that this will look wonderful on any bookshelf.
    • 3/5
      This was a funny classic from Mark Twain. The idea was enjoyable and most of the storyline was enjoyable. However, it did seem to drag on during parts. I am used to Twain's writing style so that was not the problem. He just seemed to get caught in words during some parts. I really enjoyed Hank Morgan giving his perspective on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table using his modern" 19th century eye. It was also interesting to read his perspective on the Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere love triangle."
    • 5/5
      The United States in the 19th century. Hartford, Connecticut. Hank Morgan receives a blow to the head and is suddenly and inexplicably transported to 6th-century England. After this time travel, Hank Morgan, still equipped with his 19th-century knowlege, starts an adventure through medieval England. Captured and brought to King Arhtur's court he is sentenced to burn at the stake. However, Hank Morgan manages to escape his fate by divining a solar eclipse, which, regarding the circumstances, is not such a big feat. Much to the chagrin of the greatest magician of England, the famous Merlin, Morgan manages to become the chief minister to King Arthur and is henceforth known and feared as 'The Boss' because of his magical capabilities. Living up to his position, Hank Morgan slowly starts to institute changes in a society that can only seem totally backward to his 19th-century eyes. His main goals throughout the novel are to diminish the power and influence of the church, to abolish the insitution of knight-errantry, to introduce the democratic republic as a new system of government, and, on a more personal level, to publicly make Merlin look like a fool whenever he can.As much as this book can be seen as a criticism of monarchy and the strong role of the church, it can be read as a criticism of slavery in the United States. Aristocrats in 6th-century England are compared to slaveholders in America: "The repulsive feature of slavery is the thing, not its name. One needs but to hear an aristocrat speak of the classes that are below him to recognize - and in but indifferently modified measure - the very air and tone of the actual slaveholder; and behind these are the slaveholder's spirit, the slaveholder's blunted feeling. They are the result of the same cause in both cases: the possessor's old and inbred custom of regarding himself as a superior human being." (p. 190)The original illustrations by Daniel Carter Beard underline Twain's criticism throughout the novel and contribute to its satiric tone.Speaking of the humorous and satirical qualities of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arhtur's Court, I much enjoyed the frequent jabs Twain took at different institutions or groups of people. Those parts definitely contributed to an already great reading experience. Read what Mark Twain has to say about the German language when he compares it to 6th-century English:"(...) I was standing in the awful presence of the Mother of the German Language. (...) If words had been water, I had been drowned, sure. She had exactly the German way: whatever was in her mind to be delivered, whether a mere remark, or a sermon, or a cyclopedia, or the history of a war, she would get it into a single sentence or die. Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is the last you are going to see of him till he emerges on the other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth."To my mind, Twain's exploration of the possibility of speeding up historical development makes this novel even more valuable. When 19th-century Yankee Hank Morgan tries to use his advanced knowledge of history to do away with monarchy and set up a democratical society, the question arises whether 6th-century England is ready for such a radical change. In the end, Morgan himself has to act as the driving force of revolution only to see his system fail when people fall back to their 6th-century beliefs. The church certainly plays an important role here as a separation of church and state is not yet ingrained in people's minds. Therefore, the experiment of introducing a democratic system in the 6th-century is doomed to fail. Now is it just that mankind is not ready for the change yet and has to exist a couple of centuries longer to recognize the merit of a different system? Or is it the radical and abrupt way in which Hank Morgan approaches his project? In the end, even Hank himself recognizes that with him as a leader in a democratic society nothing much would change as people would regard him as the ruling monarch and 'The Boss'.In conclusion, Mark Twain's novel is a highly enjoyable and highly recommendable read for several reasons, of which I will name the four main ones for me. First, it is a humorous depiction of 6th-century customs, especially knight-errantry. Second, it raises some very interesting questions and makes you rethink the development of different systems of government. Third, Beard's illustrations fit perfectly to Twain's narrative and as Twain said himself "[Beard ] not only illustrates the text but he illustrates my thoughts". Fourth, the narrative of the Yankee's adventure's in King Arthur's court are highly readable and reminded me somewhat of the adventures of Miguel Cervantes' Don Quixote, which I loved. All in all, 4.5 stars.
    • 1/5
      I like science ficton, particularly time travel stories, and I like classic literature. So this book should have been a perfect fit for me. Sadly, it was not. I know a lot of people like it, but I just honestly couldn't hack my way through all of it and I gave it the old college try twice!

    • 3/5
      Audio book performed by William Defris

      Hank Morgan is an engineer and machinist in 1879 Connecticut. After a blow to the head that knocks him unconscious, he awakens beneath a tree and discovers he has been transported back some thirteen centuries to King Arthur’s England, A.D. 528. This is the story of his adventures and misadventures in that bygone era.

      Satire is not my favorite genre, but I enjoyed parts of this satire immensely. Twain gave us images that made me laugh aloud – e.g. the knights in armor playing baseball or riding bicycles. There were also images that depicted the hard life of that time and place – e.g. the condition of prisoners, the ignorance and poverty of the peasants. Some images were particularly distressing (war and slavery). Twain also included scenes of great tenderness and compassion – e.g. the smallpox hut, or family life.

      Twain has our hero using his intelligence and expertise to amaze and convince the populace (including King Arthur and the knights of the round table) of his powers and superiority. But as he continues to make “improvements” (mostly for his benefit), he slowly but surely destroys the civilization he found. Imagine introducing telephones, electricity, Gatling guns, soap, and then the concept of a democratic republic into the 6th century. No wonder they thought him a powerful magician/wizard.

      I wondered for a while what exactly Twain’s purpose was, but as I read further it seems clear to me that he was commenting on the current political and social situations of late 19th century America. He has Hank campaign against poverty, the prevailing class system and slavery. And campaign for better wages, improved supply and demand, and literacy for a broader populace. I was somewhat disappointed in the ending. It seemed abrupt, as if Twain had run out of ideas. Still, I can clearly see how this has stood the test of time.

      William Defris does a fine job of the audio book. I loved his voices for Hank, Clarence and Sandy.
    • 4/5
      Mark Twain's classic tale of a 19th-century go-getter who gets hit on the head, wakes up in the kingdom of Camelot, and proceeds to gleefully set about introducing his own era's technology and ideas about civilization to the Dark Ages (soon to be briefly lit by electricity).This isn't the first time I'd read this novel, but my last encounter was nearly a quarter-century ago, and apparently I hadn't remembered it nearly as well as I'd thought. I'd recalled it, somewhat fondly, as a comic romp, a humorous satire of both Arthurian romance and the social attitudes of the Gilded Age, as well as the predecessor of a zillion less interesting science fiction stories in which improbably ingenious time travelers manage to rebuild their own technologically advanced civilizations centuries early, from scratch.Well, it is all of those things. But what I'd completely forgotten is that it's also a scathing diatribe against monarchy, slavery, state-established religion, and the oppression of the poor, complete with lots of disturbing and depressing scenes calculated to bring the importance of these subjects home. Twain being Twain, it's very well done, but it does perhaps get to be a bit much. It certainly wasn't an ideal thing to read at a time when I was busy and easily distracted.Rating: Despite it not being quite the right book at the right time for me, I figure it still probably deserves 4/5. Because, come on, Twain.