Thursday, February 23, 2012

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain

I really enjoyed this book; it was one of Mark Twain's best, in my opinion. Hank Morgan, a mechanic in a nineteenth century New England factory, is hit on the head during an argument. He wakes to find himself among knights and magicians in King Arthur's court. What follows is a work of satire, in which Twain celebrates ingenuity and democracy over the bumblings of monarchy. But he also asks whether such progress necessarily makes a better society. Gradually as Hank becomes more powerful, he also becomes more ruthless and less able to control events. On top of all that, it was a great story as well. I loved Twain's writing style; it wasn't too overwritten, and I enjoyed the way he alternated from modern style to medieval. Hank's narration is in a more modern style, but the other characters speak with prithees and thous and hasts. Also, the edition I have has wonderful ink illustrations to go with the chapters by Dan Beard. If you've read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, you'll enjoy this, or even if you haven't, you should try A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
Read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court:

  • if you've read and liked other Mark Twain books
  • if you enjoy satire
  • if you like adventures
  • if you are interested in King Arthur

467 pages, 5 stars.

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