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.

A Classic Yarn

When you pick up a Twain you know you'll get a good yarn. This is no exception. This is another book I read in my youth. I remember it more fondly that it appears to me now. I guess this goes to prove that tastes change and, in that sense, they mature.
It's still a good yarn. Not as funny as I remember it to be and more tragic, too. The satire is classic Twain. The wit sharp and, at times, quite brutal. The attack on the Dixie South slavery and serfdom is caustic, for example. The attack on the monarchy (more visceral than mocking) and hereditary privilege is relentless and, I felt, overdone. Perhaps that is because I don't need to be convinced. Another example is Hank Morgan's (aka Twain's) disdain of the Catholic Church. Ironically, Twain's criticism is almost religious. Similarly, his zeal for universeral sufferage is fanatical.
Through it all, there is no mistaking Twain's message. It might be written through the conceit of a Yankee who is struck on the head in the 1890s and wakes up in the 7th Century, but the opinions are still controversial in the 21st Century.
Stangely, I found the message less palatable in 2012 than I did in the 1980s, although I agee with most of Twain's views. Generally, I found it a bit forced for my modern sensibility.
From a performance point of view, William Dufris delivers his customary skilled performance. I particularly liked his Twain and his Sandy. However, there are not enough characters to allow him to shine.
Overall, I'm not sure I should have re-read this book. My memory of it was better, but that's no reflection on the production values or the performance. As a first time read, I think it would have scored better.

Twain's wonderful tale read excitedly!

I had to read this for a literature course and struggled to get through it, until I decided upon having it read to me as I followed along. the reading brought it to life for me and made it much more comprehensive and enjoyable. Loved the performance.

wonderful, fantastic, wonderful read.

this fantastic book was a gripping and fun read all the way through. and the narration was absolutely beautiful. in many ways the narration made the presentation what it is. modern-day authors just don't have this kind of Storytelling ability such as Mark Twain.