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hann_thea's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Habt ihr euch schon einmal auf einer Party mit jemanden über das Zeitreisen unterhalten und dieser jemand hat euch erzählt, er würde das Mittelalter einfach beherrschen, indem er ein Telefon, ein Auto oder ein Maschinengewehr bauen würde? Mark Twain ist der König vom diesen Gesprächen.
Ich tue mich sehr schwer damit, das zu bewerten, denn von 2 bis 4 Sterne, wäre hier alles fair.
Mein Problem ist Folgendes: Der Plot und die Figuren sind eigentlich total Blödsinn. Ständig passieren irgendwelche sehr nützliche Zufälle, das Setting ist eine ganz bunte Mischung aus dem 6.-17. Jahrhunderts + Klischees, es gibt nur ein paar Charaktere mit mehr als einer Eigenschaft... Die Hauptfigur heißt "Sir Boss".
Das ist dumm. Aber es ist auch sehr, sehr lustig.
Dazu kommen dann einige Stellen, an dem doch erstaunliche Tiefe gezeigt wird und in denen das Buch besonders wunderbare Parodie sowohl des Mittelalters als auch des 19. Jahrhunderts wird. Ich empfehle es allen, die schon einmal folgendes lesen wollten:
Ich tue mich sehr schwer damit, das zu bewerten, denn von 2 bis 4 Sterne, wäre hier alles fair.
Mein Problem ist Folgendes: Der Plot und die Figuren sind eigentlich total Blödsinn. Ständig passieren irgendwelche sehr nützliche Zufälle, das Setting ist eine ganz bunte Mischung aus dem 6.-17. Jahrhunderts + Klischees, es gibt nur ein paar Charaktere mit mehr als einer Eigenschaft... Die Hauptfigur heißt "Sir Boss".
Das ist dumm. Aber es ist auch sehr, sehr lustig.
Dazu kommen dann einige Stellen, an dem doch erstaunliche Tiefe gezeigt wird und in denen das Buch besonders wunderbare Parodie sowohl des Mittelalters als auch des 19. Jahrhunderts wird. Ich empfehle es allen, die schon einmal folgendes lesen wollten:
- Ritter auf Fahrrädern
- Ein Cowboy, der einen Ritter mit einem Lasso fängt
- Der große Geist mehmemehbwbahahebbb
- König Arthus, der davon erzählt, dass die Zwiebel eine Frucht ist, so wie die Pflaume, die man aus dem Darm einer Ziege schneidet, damit man ihn für einen Bauern hält
- Beschwerde darüber, dass Kampfszenen so langweilig sind, dass die Ritter dabei einschlafen
- Sir Lancelot als Börsenspekulant
- ...
Kleine Abzüge gibt es für das Ende, was mMn zu düster für diese sehr lustige Buch war.
ashction's review against another edition
3.0
Technically didn't finish it, but the best Twain novel I've read so far. 3.5 stars.
daja57's review against another edition
2.0
An engineer from 1890s Connecticut is transported back to Camelot in the mid-6th century. Appalled by the feudalism and the monarchism (as an American he is a staunch republican), he sets about to defeat superstitious magic with the aid of science (mostly by dynamiting Merlin's tower) and to develop the economy using engineering, newspapers and advertising. It is a paean to the virtues of the nineteenth century.
But it is a small conceit for such a long novel and I found the joke wearing very thin at times. In addition, it left a rather bad taste in my mouth. Twain seems utterly blind to the possible evils of his own society. In the middle of the book, the narrator (known as The Boss) takes King Arthur in disguise to learn about the condition of the common people (shades of Twain's The Prince and the Pauper here). The poverty and sickness and cruelty of the master to the serf and the wickedness of slavery are highlighted, but in the end one gets the feeling that the narrator doesn't actually care whether poor people are lynched or starve to death or are burned alive ... providing it's not him. For example, when The Boss and The King have been enslaved and are on a scaffold waiting to be hanged for slave rebellion, he watches the first two slaves hanged with equanimity and only starts worrying when the noose is around the King's neck.
And towards the end, when The Boss is battling the knights, he kills at first one, then dozens and later tens of thousands using guns, electrocution and explosives. If anything, he is proud of the body count. It reminded me of the jingoistic exultation of Victorian Britons when their soldiers, armed with guns, slaughtered soldiers armed with spears and swords and called their opponents 'savages'.
If course it is possible that Twain intended the book as a satire against colonialist capitalism. I think the Introduction of the Penguin edition is trying to make this point. ... but I certainly didn't get that sense.
But it is a small conceit for such a long novel and I found the joke wearing very thin at times. In addition, it left a rather bad taste in my mouth. Twain seems utterly blind to the possible evils of his own society. In the middle of the book, the narrator (known as The Boss) takes King Arthur in disguise to learn about the condition of the common people (shades of Twain's The Prince and the Pauper here). The poverty and sickness and cruelty of the master to the serf and the wickedness of slavery are highlighted, but in the end one gets the feeling that the narrator doesn't actually care whether poor people are lynched or starve to death or are burned alive ... providing it's not him. For example, when The Boss and The King have been enslaved and are on a scaffold waiting to be hanged for slave rebellion, he watches the first two slaves hanged with equanimity and only starts worrying when the noose is around the King's neck.
And towards the end, when The Boss is battling the knights, he kills at first one, then dozens and later tens of thousands using guns, electrocution and explosives. If anything, he is proud of the body count. It reminded me of the jingoistic exultation of Victorian Britons when their soldiers, armed with guns, slaughtered soldiers armed with spears and swords and called their opponents 'savages'.
If course it is possible that Twain intended the book as a satire against colonialist capitalism. I think the Introduction of the Penguin edition is trying to make this point. ... but I certainly didn't get that sense.
curivm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jennybun's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
Took me a reallllly long time to get through this. The narrator is insufferable.
Nick Offerman’s narration certainly fits the main character and thus is good in that regards, but made listening for long periods of time impossible.
Nick Offerman’s narration certainly fits the main character and thus is good in that regards, but made listening for long periods of time impossible.
kb_johnstone's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The story itself was so good but Twain kept going off on preaching rants about the virtues of modern America and how every other time and place is trash. That made me almost dislike the book for all the derailing from the story but the ending had me almost crying and that’s what upped the rating.
kepics's review against another edition
3.0
APPARENTLY.. this one was written as a protest to the United States poking its nose into Latin America. Nonetheless, a good book.