Good news! After a long drought, I have finally finished A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.
I loved it. Mark Twain is absolutely perfect summer reading. His books just make me want to build a tree house and raft down the Mississippi and pretend to be a knight. I’ve decided that Twain is the Pinnacle of American Literature. Why? He wrote about all things American. Even ACYiKAC, which is set in old England, is full of AMERICAN commentary about the customs, the Church, the political structure, and how Americans do it better, basically. It was fun to read and probably wildly offensive to English people.
(Author’s side note: I just took a second to look up critical reception to the book, and, according to SparkNotes, “The British especially took offense at the novel, feeling that it maligned their history and culture and disgraced the ideals of King Arthur and his Round Table.” Perhaps they were especially offended by this quote:
“I had inherited the idea that human daws who can consent to masquerade in the peacock shams of inherited dignities and unearned titles, are of no good but to be laughed at.”
Haha! Take that, you tea-slurping redcoats!)
Twain’s writing was so snarky and chock-full of sarcasm. I am guilty of skimming when I read, but it’s impossible to do with old Marky Mark, because every paragraph has a joke jammed in there somewhere. Beauty!
Anyway. I recommend this book! And a final quote!
“You see, my kind of loyalty was loyalty to one’s country, not to its or its office-holders. The country is the real thing, the substantial thing, the eternal thing; it is the thing to watch over, and care for, and be loyal to; institutions are extraneous, they are its mere clothing, and clothing can wear out, become ragged, cease to be comfortable, cease to protect the body from winter, disease, and death. To be loyal to rags, to worship rags, to die for rags—that is a loyalty of unreason, it is pure animal; it belongs to monarchy, was invented by monarchy; let monarchy keep it.”
Oh, one final thing: there was a movie made of this, in 1948, with Bing Crosby in the lead. Has anyone seen it? I’m curious.
P.S. What happened to the word cloud?
4 comments:
I love Mark Twain he makes me very happy especially because I am from Missouri and not much has changed there since his time...
I know right?! Where it that word cloud!!!
it as in is...
I'm sure this book is wonderful, but if not for it we never would have had the movie 'Black Knight' starring Martin Lawrence, and for that Mr. Twain can never be forgiven.
But then again, Tim Schafer did say that the videogame 'Brutal Legend' (one of my favorites) was inspired by this book. So I guess it's a wash. Perhaps I shall read this book after I finish Pudd'nhead Wilson.
I want to write a series of comic books where me, Mark Twain, Jesus, and Winnie The Pooh form a superhero team dedicated to fighting evil and injustice, and we travel through time and space righting wrongs wherever we go. Someday...
Somewhat related, one of my favorite quotes by Twain was what he said regarding mankind when he called it "that most noble race, made from the excrement of angels."
I am surprised that you seem to think that "Black Knight" is something Twain needs to be forgiven for. On the contrary, we should be thanking Twain and Martin Lawrence for that blessed collaboration of genius to create a monumental piece of cinema!
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