An unconventional and entertaining account of travels through German, the Alps and Italy
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Aug 09, 2011
When I think of Mark Twain I think of my sophomore year English class in High School. We read Huckleberry Finn. In eighth grade I remember reading Tom Sawyer. In both cases I remember the teacher engaging us in lengthy discussions of youth, naiveté, racism, American culture during the 1800’s, and Samuel Clemens own tramp-like background. Ever since those “teachable moments” in literature I wanted to meet this Mr. Twain. He seemed like my kind of person: witty, tongue-in-cheek, mischievous, i
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Feb 12, 2012
What I have is the abridged edition [300 pp only] of 1977. In his intro [which I found not terriby well written], Charles Neider gives highly useful context for the book. Twain wrote this book because he had to, he needed the money to support his family. Neider thinks it is better and funnier than Innocents -- in places. But very uneven, and that's why he produced this abridged version. I have never read Innocents, and perhaps need not attempt to...
The chapter making fun of the Germa More...
The chapter making fun of the Germa More...
Mar 29, 2007
Jesse
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This is by far my favorite of Twain's works. When you go to Europe you need this book. "Paris and Venice are the two greatest lies ever told." Brilliant. Cause they are. When you read this you must realize that Twain is a sarcastic American debunking all the European myth and glory. Most of what you know about Europe has been sold as a marketing campaign. Twain realizes that reality lays not in a travel brochure but in the real travel and observation of that place. Excellent.
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Jan 31, 2011
Joselito
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Funny, but not hilarious. Mostly tongue-in-cheek hyperboles, Mark Twain recounts here his 15-month walking trip through Central Europe and the Alps in 1878-1879. I have only one kind of test for humorous, or supposedly humorous, books: the sound test. Five stars if it made me laugh out loud; four stars if it made me chuckle; three stars if it made me smile; two stars if it just made light up inside; a star if I found it funny without any change in me, or if it wasn't funny at all.
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Aug 27, 2011
Lorenzo
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I bought this book by mistake in one of those charity shops that make any idle and rainy Saturday in Oxford a treasure hunt.
What I thought I had found was actually "Innocents Abroad" by the same Mark Twain, but somehow the word "tramp" was left out of my raptorous glance.
Well, "A Tramp Abroad" revolves around pretty much the same topic of "Innocents Abroad" which is Mr Twain touring Europe proud of being an American but at the same time More...
What I thought I had found was actually "Innocents Abroad" by the same Mark Twain, but somehow the word "tramp" was left out of my raptorous glance.
Well, "A Tramp Abroad" revolves around pretty much the same topic of "Innocents Abroad" which is Mr Twain touring Europe proud of being an American but at the same time More...
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Jul 21, 2011
Nicholas
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Mark Twain's voice does seem the quintessential American voice. I haven't read The Innocents Abroad: or, The New Pilgrims' Progress, so I'm not sure if there is much difference, but I loved this book.
First is the voice, which is a strange, and hilarious, melange of the real Twain (I guess...), his protagonist (a fool), vivid descriptions of the sights, events, and people meet and seen on the way, and opinions that veer between complete humor and ironical common sense. And it is not j More...
First is the voice, which is a strange, and hilarious, melange of the real Twain (I guess...), his protagonist (a fool), vivid descriptions of the sights, events, and people meet and seen on the way, and opinions that veer between complete humor and ironical common sense. And it is not j More...
Sep 28, 2010
Tony
rated it: 
Twain, Mark. A TRAMP ABROAD. (1880). ***. I’m a big fan of Mark Twain, but this novel is nothing more than a cobbled together series of sketches that would work better as part of his stage performances. He manages to skewer the German language and its complicated grammar. He records (or makes up out of wholecloth) a series of legends and then goes on to tear them to shreds. He spends a full chapter on the language of blue jays. His trip starts out in the Heidelberg region, then moves on
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Jun 01, 2010
John
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Having read this book many years ago, I decided it was time for a re-read since, in the intervening years, I was lucky enough to have spent considerable time in Europe.
Well, this made all the difference, as this book was a joy. Not that it wasn't enjoyable the first time around. It's just that being able to compare one's own impressions with his adds a new dimension. I would have liked to meet Mr. Twain as he had a great sense of humor, right up my alley.
Secondarily, he details some More...
Well, this made all the difference, as this book was a joy. Not that it wasn't enjoyable the first time around. It's just that being able to compare one's own impressions with his adds a new dimension. I would have liked to meet Mr. Twain as he had a great sense of humor, right up my alley.
Secondarily, he details some More...
Jul 29, 2011
Rob
rated it:
First, I'm glad I've already read The Innocents Abroad, or else at some point I'd have little to no idea what Twain is talking about when he refers to incidents on that trip, which happens occasionally. This seems a slightly more 'serious' book than that, too, which shows me some of the changes (not to mention growth) in Twain himself, which adds interest.
Beyond that, there's no easy way to categorize this book: humorous travelogue, social critique of both Europe and the U.S. (in which More...
Beyond that, there's no easy way to categorize this book: humorous travelogue, social critique of both Europe and the U.S. (in which More...
Jul 30, 2011
Rob
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I read this book just after returning from a vacation to Germany and Switzerland; I wrote a travelogue about our experiences, and discovered that Twain had written about many of the same places we'd visited, especially Heidelberg.
A Tramp Abroad highly entertaining, semi-fictional account of an extended vacation in southern Germany, the Alps and Italy. Twain relates his adventures touring central Europe by foot, boat and train, accompanied by his agent (in actuality, the story is drawn More...
A Tramp Abroad highly entertaining, semi-fictional account of an extended vacation in southern Germany, the Alps and Italy. Twain relates his adventures touring central Europe by foot, boat and train, accompanied by his agent (in actuality, the story is drawn More...
Jul 12, 2010
AngelaGay
rated it:
During an afternoon in Heidelberg, Germany, I asked my well-read host what books I should read after returning to the States. After some thought, she said, Mark Twain wrote spent time in Heidelberg and wrote about it. A quick trip to the bookshop after lunch and we found an English copy of "A Tramp Abroad." Hadn't read Mark Twain in 30 years, so it was fun to read on the plane home. If you don't read the introduction, you won't quite get the humor. I'm looking forward to a list of othe
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Aug 02, 2010
Leorah
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Forgot to add this book. I am reading it on my Kindle while vacationing in Canada. Had to leave my Cutting on Stone at home.
I downloaded this Twain classic as an appetizer for the new book Twain's Feast that is also waiting on my night table at home.
Twain's prose never disappoints the reader, but I have to admit that this was not my favorite work of his. I found that the overload of scenic descriptions did not keep me engaged in the work.
My favorite parts of the boo More...
I downloaded this Twain classic as an appetizer for the new book Twain's Feast that is also waiting on my night table at home.
Twain's prose never disappoints the reader, but I have to admit that this was not my favorite work of his. I found that the overload of scenic descriptions did not keep me engaged in the work.
My favorite parts of the boo More...
Mar 21, 2008
Eric
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Mark Twain is considered one of the great American writers of the 19th century, yah yah, you’ve heard it all before. While most people know him from the tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Twain also wrote non-fiction. In “A Tramp Abroad”, Twain writes about his experience travelling through Europe in the 1880s. It’s actually his second trip, the first trip he wrote about in “Innocents Abroad”.
Then an innocent, now a tramp. Nice.
It didn’t take me long to make up my More...
Then an innocent, now a tramp. Nice.
It didn’t take me long to make up my More...
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Jul 12, 2007
Mark
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Mark Twain is my favorite author of all time, having earned a permanent place in my library for his hilarious and blasphemous autobiography. I'm on a mission to read his other works, one by one.
A Tramp Abroad purports to be Twain's semi-fictional account of a "pedestrian" journey or "tramp" around continental Europe in the late 1870s. For a man who writes in the first sentence of the book that he plans to walk around in Europe, he certainly doesn't do much walki More...
A Tramp Abroad purports to be Twain's semi-fictional account of a "pedestrian" journey or "tramp" around continental Europe in the late 1870s. For a man who writes in the first sentence of the book that he plans to walk around in Europe, he certainly doesn't do much walki More...
Feb 07, 2012
There are moments, particularly in a few aphorisms about strange American characters, where Mark Twain's voice and humor shines. Unfortunately, those moments are largely overshadowed by the monotonous, reverent tone of the rest of the story. I've read that the character "Harris" was loosely based on a minister, "Twichell" and that his tone and opinions were largely incorporated into the story. Its simply not Twain at his best, and its clear that this was a forced commercia
Mar 25, 2011
Strey
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Unfortunately, I expected more from this book than it delivered. A bit too much of the quaint (and hopefully not current!!) 'Yankie Doodle' view of good ol' Europe - which I know was indicative of the time perhaps - and I didn't 'get' some of the undoubted humour for which Twain is renowned. Still, a classic travelogue (of sorts) & a well worth addition to the 'Books To Read Before I Die' category! Do not be put off as you'll probably love it. Just don't expect too much perhaps (and if you're co
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Jul 15, 2011
Josh
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There really aren't any superlatives to add to anything written by Mark Twain. It's Mark Twain, and therefore wonderful.
I will say that the first three-quarters of the book, representing his time in Germany, moved much more quickly and had more permanence than the final quarter. His experiences in Switzerland and Italy were rather hurried and lacked the humor of the first leg of his "pedestrian tour of Europe."
You should read this, if only for the spectacle of More...
I will say that the first three-quarters of the book, representing his time in Germany, moved much more quickly and had more permanence than the final quarter. His experiences in Switzerland and Italy were rather hurried and lacked the humor of the first leg of his "pedestrian tour of Europe."
You should read this, if only for the spectacle of More...
Dec 11, 2010
Peregrine 12
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I got this book specifically for the essay "The Awful German Language." Living in Germany at the time, I laughed my head off about the frustrations Twain describes in trying to master Deutsch. Favorite line: "I would rather decline two drinks than one German verb."
Otherwise, I read a few of the stories in this book but I didn't read the whole thing. In some places it just seemed too dense and uninteresting.
Otherwise, I read a few of the stories in this book but I didn't read the whole thing. In some places it just seemed too dense and uninteresting.
Sep 15, 2008
Krissy
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I my have made the mistake of reading the Tramp before the Innocence, but I still enjoyed this book. Twain grabs you with is story telling and humor. I found myself shaking my head and sometimes laughing out loud at his stories. Having been to several destinations he describes, I took joy in reading his encounters. I love how they set out to tramp "walk" the tour, but virtually never walk. I will definitely be re-reading this book shortly as I enjoyed it and his ridiculous stories
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Nov 11, 2011
"[A Tramp Abroad] is delicious, whether you open it at the sojourn in Heidelberg, or the voyage down the Neckar on a raft, or the mountaineering in Switzerland, or the excursion beyond the Alps into Italy." - William Dean Howells
Listen to A Tramp Abroad on your smartphone.
Listen to A Tramp Abroad on your smartphone.
Jan 01, 2012
Tim
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This is one book that would have welcomed the efforts of a hard working editor. At times Twain's brilliance and humour come shining through, especially in his fascinating observations of the lives of Germans and the tourists who walk through their midst. But too often he gets sidetracked with less stellar tales that belong in another book: drifting back to the US for "A Tramp at Home", recounting legends and folk tales that feel ripped from another writer's guidebook, and complete fant
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Aug 05, 2011
Darlene
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Some very fun moments in this book though I find Twain a bit of a wanderer. In narration as well as in task. Having lived in Europe it was fun to see the places we had both visited through his eyes! Having also struggled to learn the German language I found his treatise on that language the funniest thing I've ever read.
May 28, 2009
Eliotmayf
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It's timeless. I am an American who has immigrated to Europe and so much of the book is still true today. I love the chapter about the family from Boston just back from Yurrup. The expat bums were around then too.
Huck Finn is his most popular and it's a shame people stop there. This book is really a classic
Huck Finn is his most popular and it's a shame people stop there. This book is really a classic
May 02, 2011
Kim
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Did not enjoy it as much as The Innocents. I became distracted easily and I'm sure I missed a lot because I then began scanning through it. I'll revisit it some other time and give it another chance. I really loved the innocents, maybe I'll reread that one starting right now!
Mar 13, 2009
Alison
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A collection of insights and stories from Mark Twain's year in Europe, mostly in German and Switzerland. I thought it appropriate, since many of his adventures take place not far from where I'm living.
Really a collection of short stories, it at times feels awkward as, for whatever reason--the time period and writing style of the day, perhaps--Twain and his publisher try to tie it into a cohesive narrative. That said, many of the shorts are smugly amusing gems.
And even More...
Really a collection of short stories, it at times feels awkward as, for whatever reason--the time period and writing style of the day, perhaps--Twain and his publisher try to tie it into a cohesive narrative. That said, many of the shorts are smugly amusing gems.
And even More...
Nov 20, 2010
In anticipation of Mark Twain's biography, I think I'll read A Tramp Abroad again...this time all the way through. I've only read chapters here and there but I'll put this on a cover-to-cover deadline this time.
Jul 06, 2011
Bruce
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Disappointing. There were some inspired moments, but they were too far apart, and there were too many irrelevant asides, that went on for many paragraphs. I did enjoy Twains's ironical and satirical viewpoint of an American in Europe.
Jun 02, 2011
Vickie
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I enjoyed the real parts when he was describing the climbs of the mountains in Germany and Switzerland. Otherwise he talked way off on too many tangents.
Jun 07, 2010
M
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Mark Twain's travels through Europe and his sharp commentary on society and culture and relevant AND funny over a century later. My fave book. I lurrved it.
Sep 02, 2009
Tamara
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It's been awhile since I read this and I frankly can't remember when, but I do clearly remember loving it and laughing through it. A must read!
