A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

By: Mark Twain

Narrated by: William Dufris

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is both a whimsical fantasy and a social satire chock-full of brilliant Twainisms. Hank Morgan, a 19th-century American - a Connecticut Yankee - by a stroke of fate is sent back into time to sixth-century England and ends up in Camelot and King Arthur's Court. Although of average intelligence, he finds himself with knowledge beyond any of those in the sixth century, and he uses it to become the king's right-hand man and to challenge Merlin as the court magician. Astounded at the way of life in Camelot, Hank does the only thing he can think of to do: change them. In his attempt to civilize medieval Camelot, he experiences many challenges and misadventures.

Public Domain (P)2010 Tantor

Very entertaining

First twain book on audible. it was funny, insightful, and generally an entertaining story. Great narrator and a great author. Feels like it could have been written today.

Not the best of Twain

But "not the best of Twain" is still better than most.

I'd read this many years ago, and picked up the Audio as a daily deal. Dufris is a very accomplished narrator and does a fine job here.

This is primarily a satirical novel, in which Twain lauds the nobility of the ignoble, while excoriating the ignominy of the nobility. His observations on slavery are deeply compelling. One must note that this book was written with the Civil War very much in living memory, and one can only imagine the controversy such writing would evoke. There are also longish passages on economic issues which would have been extremely topical in 1890, but much less so today.

Some will feel that a satirical piece of this length is just one long harangue. Perhaps it is, but Twain's wit and essential gentility keep it from becoming dark.

One of the Best Stories

Such a great story. I absolutely loved it. The story, the narration, the acting, everything is brilliant. You really get lost in the story. William Dufris is amazing. He does such a wonderful job. I really enjoyed listening to him. I will try to find more of his audiobooks. Recommended!!!

Entertaining, but a bit slow in places

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If they liked Sci Fi, this is the earliest example of popular alternate history work that I am aware of and its fairly good writing.

What other book might you compare A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court to and why?

Parts of the book are very 'Mark Twain' kind of amusing yarn spinning, and other parts read more like modern sci-fi.

What does William Dufris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent reader. I'll probably look for other books he's read and consider buying them no matter what they are.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not particularly.

Any additional comments?

I'm sure I'll keep this is my rotation of books and read it at least a few more times. There were a few slow parts, and some parts that were just too rooted in the time it was written for me to really follow completely, but overall I liked it.

Mark Train's humor and wit on display.

What did you love best about A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court?

The playful way that the story compares and contrastes the cultures of the past and present.

What other book might you compare A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court to and why?

Hard to compare to other books. It is a contemporary critique of the Arthurian error. In contrast to The Once and Future King that has a more rmantic view of the ideals of the period.

What about William Dufris’s performance did you like?

The way the characters are personified and compelling a great match for Twains writing style.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When our Yankee Hero realizes his dream is lost, and how he describes what went wrong.

great read

really upsetting end but justified and great telling of the story. would like to know more about the time.

Much more affecting than I expected

Witty, hilarious, and devastating. Impossible to classify. Science fiction, satire, tragedy.

And very well performed.

Twain vs. Everything Un-American

Mark Twain's rapier wit vs. the ills of the un-American world both past and present in the guise of Medieval England. Representing the case for all things un-American is King Arthur himself as characterized in Sir Thomas Malory's La Morte d'Arthur. It's no spoiler to say that Arthur's Camelot is well and truly skewered at every conceivable turn.

One of the things great literature does is hold a mirror, both to the times in which it is written and to the times in which it is read. I went through this in the midst of the government shutdown of 2013, and it's fair to say that Twain points out pretty well exactly where the flaws in our own system have been exacerbated. I found myself laughing quite a bit, but there were more than a handful of uneasy chuckles as I realized how many of his words struck home in this day and age. You see, in 1889 when this was written, Britain was in the midst of its Victorian Age, and all that Imperialist expansionism implies. The US had barely left behind the Civil War a generation back, and the wounds were still fresh. Today, the US is feeling the economic and social repercussions of its own Imperial expansionism (even when we don't acknowledge it ourselves for what it is), so the double meaning through the mirror of modern times is rather apt and sobering. Social classes, slavery, unnecessarily complex language... it's all here, and so much more, fired at with both barrels in terms that only Twain could deliver. Chapter breaks only serve to allow him to reload.

William Dufris is an astounding narrator, coming across as though Twain himself were narrating this, mocking virtually every character encountered along the path. It's a performance you have to hear to believe.

Best book I have heard in a long time

Whata wonderful tale. I cant wait until my daughter is old enough to listen to it. Beautifully read.

Fantastic

Mark Twain is one of the best writers in american history. Taking this classic story and adding the voice talents of a master like William Dufris makes this into magic.