Twain, Mark "A Tramp Abroad" - 1880
I have often remarked how much I love Bill Bryson, specifically his travel books. I was told by a few people that I ought to read those of Mark Twain about his travels to Europe. So I did. Five years ago, I read "The Innocents Abroad" and found that it wasn't just the most boring book ever but also a very racist one. I was then told that "A Tramp Abroad" was a lot better. Okay, I gave him another chance.
Maybe I didn't like his judgment about Europe but even more, I think, I didn't like the way he portrayed the American tourist. And, again, I couldn't find any humour in his writing.
I didn't find this book as racist as his first one (though that is still no excuse for some of the diatribes) but he was still rambling on and on, mostly about nothing at all. Boring, boring, boring. I guess this will be my last book by Mark Twain, unless I'll reread "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" again one day with my grandchildren, if ever I should have any.
From the back cover:
"Twain's account of traveling in Europe, A Tramp Abroad sparkles with the author's shrewd observations and highly opinionated comments on Old World culture, and showcases his unparalleled ability to integrate humorous sketches, autobiographical tidbits, and historical anecdotes in a consistently entertaining narrative. Cast in the form of a burlesque walking tour through Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy, A Tramp Abroad includes among its adventures a voyage by raft down the Neckar and an ascent of Mont Blanc by telescope, as well as the author's attempts to study art - a wholly imagined activity Twain 'authenticated' with his own wonderfully primitive pictures in this volume."
I also had a hard time with The Innocents Abroad, so following your review, I will not try that one. But there are some the great books by him. I really enjoyed A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; The Awful German Language; The Diaries of Adam and Eve
ReplyDeleteThanks for that, Emma. I love to discover authors and I also give them a second chance if people tell me I read the worst book by them but a third one? Hmm. I read his afterword about the German language and while he seems to have understood some of it, I wouldn't call him an expert. Granted, it is not an easy language to learn but neither is the English language for a foreigner with all your exceptions and non-rules. I found French a lot easier because you have something you actuall can learn rather than having to find the feel for it. But, yes, thanks for the list but I doubt I will ever read Mark Twain again.
DeleteMy favorite Mark Twain book, after Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, is The Diaries of Adam and Eve. That one just makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lark. Emma also mentioned that one above ^^. I doubt I will ever read it. As I mentioned, time is too short to give authors a third chance.
DeleteI have not read this novel. I have read both Huckleberry Finn and The Diaries of Adam and Eve, which I enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteWell, Huckleberry Finn is a good story, Lisa, I don't know about Adam and Eve but I doubt I'll read another novel by Mark Twain unless I'm stuck somewhere with nothing else to read. But since I always carry at least one book with me, I don't think I'll ever get into that trouble. LOL
DeleteNo worries! I understand that some authors just don't suit every reader. Like you, I usually have a book to read!
DeleteSo true.
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