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Title: A Tramp Abroad by DAVE EGGERS, MARK TWAIN ISBN: 0-8129-7003-9 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 14 October, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.62 (8 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Great travel writing, though not Twain's best
Comment: In this book, the master satirist and illustrious travel writer Mark Twain embarks on a walking tour through Europe. This is done Twain style, of course, so anyone familiar with the author's travel writings will not be surprised that most of his 'walking tour' is actually accomplished by coach, train, or vicariously through an agent. As is usual for his travel writings, Twain's descriptions are vivid and detailed, and his accounts of certain sites are simply marvelous. In fact, in my opinion, the only thing not up to Twain's standards in this book is the humor.
Don't get me wrong, this book is funny. His account of his mountaineering expedition, together with a staff of almost 150 people, is hilarious, as are many of his anecdotes (which, incidentally, are randomly inserted). Still, this book is not nearly as amusing as "The Innocents Abroad" or "Roughing It"--but that should not come as a surprise. Most of Twain's best work came early in his career, before his pessimism took over and before he was deprived of his entire family through death. This work fits somewhere in the middle of Twain's career, before he completely burned out but after he had already lost a bit of his incredible zest for life and capacity for humor.
All in all, this is an excellent book by one of the greatest writers the North American continent has ever produced.
Rating: 5
Summary: A matchless eye with an acidic pen
Comment: America's post-Civil War years brought a renewed interest in the European scene. Journeys
known as Grand Tours led tourists to take ship to the Continent. They fanned out across the
landscape with the intent to "know Europe." Their return home resulted in a flurry of
published accounts. Twain satirizes both the tourists and their writings with delicious
wit. Ever a man to play with words, his "tramp" refers to both himself and the walking tour
of Europe he purports to have made. By the time you've reached the end of the account of the
"walking tour" incorporating trains, carriages and barges, you realize that the longest "walk"
Twain took occurred in dark hotel room while trying to find his bed. He claims to have
covered 47 miles wandering around the room.
Twain was interested in everything, probing into both well-known and obscure topics. His
judgments are vividly conveyed in this book, standing in marked contrast to his more
reserved approach in Innocents Abroad. A delightful overview of mid-19th Century Europe,
Tramp is also interlaced with entertaining asides. Twain was deeply interested in people, and
various "types" are drawn from his piercing gaze, rendered with acerbic wit. Some of these
are contemporary, while others are dredged from his memories of the California mines and
other journeys. He also relished Nature's marvels, recounting his observations. A favourite
essay is "What Stumped the Blue-jays." A nearly universal bird in North America, Twain's
description of the jay's curiosity and expressive ability stands unmatched. He observes such
humble creatures as ants, Alpine chamois, and the American tourist. Few escape his
perception or his scathing wit. This book remains valuable for its timeless rendering of
characters and the universality of its view. It can be read repeatedly for education or
entertainment.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Pleasures of the Printed Page
Comment: All these volumes are self-recommending except, perhaps, to those poor, misguided people who continue to pigeon-hole one of the world's great writers. Yes, Twain was a humorist who virtually invented modern American English as a literary language. But the sheer range of his achievement is staggering. And the best way to experience it is altogether. And the best "altogether" is this magnificent 29 volume set from Oxford. Other people can speak with more authority about Twain the author. I want to speak a little about how delicious it is to encounter him in these books. They are reproductions of the original American editions and the facsimiles are beautifully rendered. But this isn't important in itself; we're not about to spend [...] for a little bit of nostalgia. Rather, just open any one of these 29 volumes and see what a difference its admittedly antique printing style makes. White spacing between the printed lines is generous to an unbelievable degree, as are the page margins. Your eyes don't tire. You can savour each page at whatever pace you want to set for yourself. Worlds open and invite. This is how people read books a hundred years ago. This is the way to read books!
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Title: Innocents Abroad or the New Pilgrims Progress: Being Some Account of the Steamship Quaker City's Pleasure Excursion to Europe and the Holy Land: With Descriptions of Countries, Nations, Incidents by Mark Twain ISBN: 0451525027 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: April, 1997 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Following the Equator : A Journey Around the World by Mark Twain ISBN: 0486261131 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 01 September, 1989 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Roughing It by Mark Twain ISBN: 0451524071 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: June, 1994 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
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Title: Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain ISBN: 0553213490 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 October, 1983 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: The Bible According to Mark Twain: Irreverent Writings on Eden, Heaven, and the Flood by America's Master Satirist by Mark Twain, Howard G. Baetzhold, Joseph B. McCullough ISBN: 0684824396 Publisher: Touchstone Books Pub. Date: December, 1996 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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