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1601 By Mark Twain (w/ Active Table of Contents and Chapter Navigation) [KINDLE EDITION]
1601 Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors or simply 1601 is the title of a humorous risque work by Mark Twain, first published anonymously in 1880, and finally acknowledged by the author in 1906.
Written as an extract from the diary of one of Queen Elizabeth's servants, 1601 was, according to Edward Wagenknecht, "the most famous piece of pornography in American literature." It was more ribaldry than pornography, however; its content was more in the nature of irreverent and vulgar comedic shock than of "obscene" erotica. Nevertheless, in the United States, prior to the court decisions (1959-1966) that legalized the publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover, Tropic of Cancer, and Fanny Hill, the book continued to be considered unprintable, and circulated clandestinely in privately printed, limited editions. Its characterization as "pornography" was satirized by Franklin J. Meine in the introduction to the 1939 edition. (wikipedia)
Written as an extract from the diary of one of Queen Elizabeth's servants, 1601 was, according to Edward Wagenknecht, "the most famous piece of pornography in American literature." It was more ribaldry than pornography, however; its content was more in the nature of irreverent and vulgar comedic shock than of "obscene" erotica. Nevertheless, in the United States, prior to the court decisions (1959-1966) that legalized the publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover, Tropic of Cancer, and Fanny Hill, the book continued to be considered unprintable, and circulated clandestinely in privately printed, limited editions. Its characterization as "pornography" was satirized by Franklin J. Meine in the introduction to the 1939 edition. (wikipedia)
37 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1880
71 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Mark Twain
8,691 books18.6k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
May 31, 2025
Fantástico relato escatológico.
reseña completa en:
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reseña completa en:
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May 30, 2024
Mark Twain was not just the non de plume of Sam Clemens, but rather a complete, carefully groomed, created persona. Mark Twain was a family friendly humorist, respectable, his works thoroughly vetted (i.e. censored) by his prim wife, Livy.
But Sam Clemens was a Western raise tough, educated in the profane schools of Mississippi riverboats and Nevada silver mines. He never did lose his penchant for the profanity of which his wife so disapproved, nor his appreciation for vulgar humor. This piece, which he published anonymously in 1880 for the benefit of a few close friends, was an outlet for that verboten aspect of his character.
The piece consists of a conversation between Queen Elizabeth, some members of her court, and various famous notables — Sir Walter Raleigh, Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, etc., as witnessed by the queen’s cupbearer. Early on, the conversation turns on the prodigious farting of Sir Walter Raleigh, who claims, ”I did it but to clear my nether throat.”
Then delivered he himself of such a godless and rock-shivering blast that all were fain to block their ears, and following it did come so dense and foul a stink that that which went before did seem a poor and trifling thing beside it.
Amid this toxic cloud, the conversation turns to bawdy and socially inappropriate talk of sex, complete with language that would still shock the sensibilities of any Baptist and some feminists.
Aside from the obvious crude humor, Clemens was accomplishing a duel set of objectives. He was always up for mocking British aristocracy and culture, and a piece that puts both their royals and the cream of their literary masters in such a light was just the way to carry on this game. He also fumed at the prim conventions of 19th century literature, often noting that writers of the 18th century were able to write more freely and honestly about the coarseness of life’s experiences. This jest, published anonymously, was a safe way for him to register his protest.
You can find the audiobook on YouTube, complete with introduction and end notes. (https://youtu.be/MK_wc6fnWFo?si=1vPpi...)
But Sam Clemens was a Western raise tough, educated in the profane schools of Mississippi riverboats and Nevada silver mines. He never did lose his penchant for the profanity of which his wife so disapproved, nor his appreciation for vulgar humor. This piece, which he published anonymously in 1880 for the benefit of a few close friends, was an outlet for that verboten aspect of his character.
The piece consists of a conversation between Queen Elizabeth, some members of her court, and various famous notables — Sir Walter Raleigh, Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, etc., as witnessed by the queen’s cupbearer. Early on, the conversation turns on the prodigious farting of Sir Walter Raleigh, who claims, ”I did it but to clear my nether throat.”
Then delivered he himself of such a godless and rock-shivering blast that all were fain to block their ears, and following it did come so dense and foul a stink that that which went before did seem a poor and trifling thing beside it.
Amid this toxic cloud, the conversation turns to bawdy and socially inappropriate talk of sex, complete with language that would still shock the sensibilities of any Baptist and some feminists.
Aside from the obvious crude humor, Clemens was accomplishing a duel set of objectives. He was always up for mocking British aristocracy and culture, and a piece that puts both their royals and the cream of their literary masters in such a light was just the way to carry on this game. He also fumed at the prim conventions of 19th century literature, often noting that writers of the 18th century were able to write more freely and honestly about the coarseness of life’s experiences. This jest, published anonymously, was a safe way for him to register his protest.
You can find the audiobook on YouTube, complete with introduction and end notes. (https://youtu.be/MK_wc6fnWFo?si=1vPpi...)
May 9, 2011
Not /just/ another book on farting in the 17th century. This is the most carefully prepared satirical piece on the topic of royal flatulence that I have yet to encounter (seems like everyone's doing some work in this area these days, doesn't it?).
Mark Twain details the dialogue of a hypothetical dinner party and their search to discover the originator of an "entrail originating foul fog." In a way, it's like the first Mystery Dinner Theatre. Colorful metaphors are abound, and a lack of analogies he does not lack for.
This book was quite unexpected. A short, quick read that left me entertained and laughing. But more importantly, I was very impressed with the writing and the language used so much that I'm prepared to mark this book as a classic. Yes, a classic work on flatulence. Done.
Mark Twain details the dialogue of a hypothetical dinner party and their search to discover the originator of an "entrail originating foul fog." In a way, it's like the first Mystery Dinner Theatre. Colorful metaphors are abound, and a lack of analogies he does not lack for.
This book was quite unexpected. A short, quick read that left me entertained and laughing. But more importantly, I was very impressed with the writing and the language used so much that I'm prepared to mark this book as a classic. Yes, a classic work on flatulence. Done.
June 11, 2023
It’s a gas - but prudes might think it stinks.
May 20, 2017
I thought it was silly.
May 18, 2017
"Then spake ye queene of how she met old Rabelais when she was turned of fifteen, and he did tell her of a man his father knew that had a double pair of bollocks, whereon a controversy followed s concerning the most just way to spell the word, he contention running high betwixt he learned Bacon and ye ingenious Jonson, until at last ye Old Lady Margery, wearying of it all, saith 'Gentlee, what matterth it how ye shall spread the word? I warrant Ye when he use your bollocks ye shall not think of it; and my Lady Granby, be ye content, let the spelling be, ye shall enjoy the beating of them on your buttocks just the same, I tow. Before I had gained my fourteenth year I had learnt that then that would explore a cunt stop'd not to consider the spelling o't.'
Oh my word...
It's hard to believe this comes from the same guy who wrote Huckleberry Finn and The Mysterious Stranger...actually, it's not, considering it's Mark Twain we're talking about. Still, the borderline level of pornography this story reaches is still one that is hard to beat, even in modern day where erotica and sexual content in literature and film has become more commonplace and accepted.
If you want to read a 20-page kindle story of Renaissance aristocrats (including Queen Elizabeth!) talking about farts, coitus, boners, limp willies, feces, urine, semen, vaginas, pubic hairs, horny priests, testicles, cunninglingus, and Shaxpearean erotica, then this glorious piece of literature by an American mastermind is for you.
Oh my word...
It's hard to believe this comes from the same guy who wrote Huckleberry Finn and The Mysterious Stranger...actually, it's not, considering it's Mark Twain we're talking about. Still, the borderline level of pornography this story reaches is still one that is hard to beat, even in modern day where erotica and sexual content in literature and film has become more commonplace and accepted.
If you want to read a 20-page kindle story of Renaissance aristocrats (including Queen Elizabeth!) talking about farts, coitus, boners, limp willies, feces, urine, semen, vaginas, pubic hairs, horny priests, testicles, cunninglingus, and Shaxpearean erotica, then this glorious piece of literature by an American mastermind is for you.
November 4, 2015
I see the point Twain was trying to make, and I appreciate it exceedingly much and though it very funny, but... from the storytelling standpoint, it was way too rushed. It needed more pages, at least to facilitate the transitions between topics.
The introduction and endnotes that accompanied the Project Gutenberg version were fascinating, although I couldn't quite tell what era the were written in. They seemed pretty modern.
Edit: Reading some of the reviews on Goodreads, it absolutely amazes me that some readers can STILL find this crass and unacceptable. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? But then, I suppose, at least this work can be openly published now. That's... something.
The introduction and endnotes that accompanied the Project Gutenberg version were fascinating, although I couldn't quite tell what era the were written in. They seemed pretty modern.
Edit: Reading some of the reviews on Goodreads, it absolutely amazes me that some readers can STILL find this crass and unacceptable. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? But then, I suppose, at least this work can be openly published now. That's... something.
January 13, 2024
This had no right to be this funny!!
October 3, 2021
Short Note: Debauchery in its finest attire does not seem to eclipse the illuminous white moon of the ‘nonpareil’ British buttocks in the Elizabethan court. Mark Twain catapults his wit at themes of politics and sex (secret escapades); his sovereign mind reigns over the minions as he wields his dexterous nib on his satirical locution.
January 15, 2021
So hilarious! The queen and her court fart and discuss farting, masterbation and oral sex.
March 2, 2017
Estoy anonadada con esta obra, me tomó por sorpresa... Solo Mark Twain puede hablar vulgaridades en una excelente prosa isabelina. Se entiende que es una broma entre amigos. Muy bufa.
June 11, 2017
Bottom Line First:: I laughed-Out loud and
In public.
NOT suitable for pre-adolescent readers.
At 40 pages, barely ten written by Mark Twain, 1601 Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors, is barely a pamphlet. The Introduction is perhaps a page or two too long but contains a few funny stories and establish the case for this book as being true Mark Twain humor. The last few pages document the exact history of references made in the text of the conversation, have some of their own humor and added to my appreciation.
'*'*'*
I have long suspected that the man who wrote dark stories like: The Man who Corrupted Hadleyburg, The War Prayer, and made such cynical remarks as can be found in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court among others was not the living proof of the past as a place where no published word was ever inappropriate for the grammar school classroom.
Having read in a Samuel Clemens biography that he was careful to have his wife censor, I mean edit his every word, I was more suspicious. As is made explicit in the introduction Clemens grew up and worked among people of rough language and with an appreciation for skilled profanity. Further the case here is made that he was an artist in the deployment of profanity and both a spontaneous and practiced user of same.
1601 was intended to be a small privately published joke. It to be circulated among selected readers. It is Mark Twain speaking before a small audience one known to be tolerant of the rude and safely removed from his wife’s interventions.
The few pages of his text relate a supposed conversation between Queen Elizabeth and a few of the people of her day who may have been invited to entertain her. This touch of historic authenticity speak to the fact that Clemens was a close reader of this time period with a personal interest in the coarse humor of that period.
The subject matter of the conversation is bathroom humor and a few naughty sexual innuendos.
For me getting to know that Mark Twain had more in him than carefully edited family humor was a relief. Something like the relief from allowing certain internal gases to be released. Although in this case the ensuing laughter was more genuine and less from embarrassment.
In public.
NOT suitable for pre-adolescent readers.
At 40 pages, barely ten written by Mark Twain, 1601 Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors, is barely a pamphlet. The Introduction is perhaps a page or two too long but contains a few funny stories and establish the case for this book as being true Mark Twain humor. The last few pages document the exact history of references made in the text of the conversation, have some of their own humor and added to my appreciation.
'*'*'*
I have long suspected that the man who wrote dark stories like: The Man who Corrupted Hadleyburg, The War Prayer, and made such cynical remarks as can be found in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court among others was not the living proof of the past as a place where no published word was ever inappropriate for the grammar school classroom.
Having read in a Samuel Clemens biography that he was careful to have his wife censor, I mean edit his every word, I was more suspicious. As is made explicit in the introduction Clemens grew up and worked among people of rough language and with an appreciation for skilled profanity. Further the case here is made that he was an artist in the deployment of profanity and both a spontaneous and practiced user of same.
1601 was intended to be a small privately published joke. It to be circulated among selected readers. It is Mark Twain speaking before a small audience one known to be tolerant of the rude and safely removed from his wife’s interventions.
The few pages of his text relate a supposed conversation between Queen Elizabeth and a few of the people of her day who may have been invited to entertain her. This touch of historic authenticity speak to the fact that Clemens was a close reader of this time period with a personal interest in the coarse humor of that period.
The subject matter of the conversation is bathroom humor and a few naughty sexual innuendos.
For me getting to know that Mark Twain had more in him than carefully edited family humor was a relief. Something like the relief from allowing certain internal gases to be released. Although in this case the ensuing laughter was more genuine and less from embarrassment.
October 24, 2012
The commentary is actually more interesting than this Twain story
Literary critic Edward Wagenknecht called 1601 "the most famous piece of pornography in American literature."
Just to be clear, it's not really pornography, at least not by modern standards. Rather, it's a short story featuring Queen Elizabeth I, Ben Jonson, Beaumont, Shakespeare, the Duchess of Bilgewater, Sir Walter Raleigh and a few other people all in a closet talking about passing gas and sex.
Sound strange?
Well, it is and only so-so funny.
3/4 of this download is a fairly interesting commentary on the history of the story and about the characters. We learn that Twain wrote this as a diversion after the publication of Tom Sawyer (while he was working on Huckleberry Finn) during a time of writer's block. Twain showed it to some friends who published a few copies and then it snowballed. Twain's 1601 went "viral" before there was an internet, apparently.
See all of my reviews of various short works by Twain at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/searc...
Literary critic Edward Wagenknecht called 1601 "the most famous piece of pornography in American literature."
Just to be clear, it's not really pornography, at least not by modern standards. Rather, it's a short story featuring Queen Elizabeth I, Ben Jonson, Beaumont, Shakespeare, the Duchess of Bilgewater, Sir Walter Raleigh and a few other people all in a closet talking about passing gas and sex.
Sound strange?
Well, it is and only so-so funny.
3/4 of this download is a fairly interesting commentary on the history of the story and about the characters. We learn that Twain wrote this as a diversion after the publication of Tom Sawyer (while he was working on Huckleberry Finn) during a time of writer's block. Twain showed it to some friends who published a few copies and then it snowballed. Twain's 1601 went "viral" before there was an internet, apparently.
See all of my reviews of various short works by Twain at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/searc...
May 10, 2015
don't you just know that evolution is a lie every time you come across the natural beauty of a miraculous performance of flatulence?
if evolution made any sense why would it set two essentials of social animals, communication and feeding, against each other?
how often has the development of a child's communication skills not been hampered by being told to be quiet at the dinner table.
and all because we talk by passing wind out of the wrong hole.
imagine the possibilities!
if evolution made any sense why would it set two essentials of social animals, communication and feeding, against each other?
how often has the development of a child's communication skills not been hampered by being told to be quiet at the dinner table.
and all because we talk by passing wind out of the wrong hole.
imagine the possibilities!
June 14, 2015
I developed a huge crush on Sir Walter Raleigh when I was 16 after being seduced by his portrait in a book of Tudor history that I was reading. Dude was handsome as hell. Anyway, it was good to be reminded that Walter, Walter, Walter farts.
February 12, 2009
A story about passing gas. Not so much.
March 28, 2013
This proves that Mark Twain was the Mel Brooks of his Era. Think Blazing Saddles in the time of the Tudors.
July 10, 2018
Listened to the audio recording from the LibriVox online library.
This piece is a satire on several levels. The first & last sections are concerned with "who wrote this fiction" and "where was this work first published"; which may well amuse librarians, book collectors, or those with a dry sense of humour. Those folk might rate this tome higher than I. It would seem Mr Clemons intentionally obscured the true authorship for a few years. Either way the jokes are directed at those more solemn members of society.
The middle section is the actual fictional conversation of royalty & friends after a meal which may have included strong spirits - and is a near equivalent of the movie Animal House or the more raunchy radio comedies of the 1940's. Farts & sex. Accusations, denials, & chatter.
Personally I suspect that this was written for a few, or even a single, of Mr. Clemons acquaintances. The fact that it can be enjoyed by a wider audience is testament to the ongoing depravity of human civilization. Feel free to read other reviews of 1601; Conversation as it was in the Time of the Tudors - likely they will be better written.
This piece is a satire on several levels. The first & last sections are concerned with "who wrote this fiction" and "where was this work first published"; which may well amuse librarians, book collectors, or those with a dry sense of humour. Those folk might rate this tome higher than I. It would seem Mr Clemons intentionally obscured the true authorship for a few years. Either way the jokes are directed at those more solemn members of society.
The middle section is the actual fictional conversation of royalty & friends after a meal which may have included strong spirits - and is a near equivalent of the movie Animal House or the more raunchy radio comedies of the 1940's. Farts & sex. Accusations, denials, & chatter.
Personally I suspect that this was written for a few, or even a single, of Mr. Clemons acquaintances. The fact that it can be enjoyed by a wider audience is testament to the ongoing depravity of human civilization. Feel free to read other reviews of 1601; Conversation as it was in the Time of the Tudors - likely they will be better written.
September 29, 2017
"Thou'lt tickle thy tender maidenhedde with many a mousie-squeak before thou learneſt to blow a harricane like this."
This is my official introduction to the works of Mr. Mark Twain. So far so good. Of course, I'm aware 1601 isn't very characteristic of his writing style. In this short story, Queen Elizabeth I and a group of famous figures of the Tudor era like Shakespeare, Walter Raleigh and Ben Jonson, discuss various subjects of grave importance, including but not limited to:
1. who farted and the merits of said fart
2. the proper spelling of the word 'bollocks'
3. lots and LOTS of dirty jokes.
Yes, it might seem childish. But the silly dialogue, coupled with the historical setting and characters, produces such a bizarre dissonance that I can't help but laugh.
July 22, 2023
ahahaha
A silly little story about clearing the "nether throat" i.e. farting.
[Wow... I've had this book on the "Currently reading" shelf for nearly 10 years...
But at last, I've been able to finish it by listening to the audiobook while following the words in the book. All the Elizabethan-style spelling was hard for me to understand, but hearing them made them clearer.
(youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrDE9...)]
According to Wikipedia, "The skit remained unprintable by mainstream publishers until the 1960s. It continued to be published by small private presses. Its characterization as "pornography" was satirized by Franklin J. Meine in the introduction to the 1939 edition."
That's the edition I've got at the bookstore "Logos" in Santa Cruz!
A silly little story about clearing the "nether throat" i.e. farting.
[Wow... I've had this book on the "Currently reading" shelf for nearly 10 years...
But at last, I've been able to finish it by listening to the audiobook while following the words in the book. All the Elizabethan-style spelling was hard for me to understand, but hearing them made them clearer.
(youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrDE9...)]
According to Wikipedia, "The skit remained unprintable by mainstream publishers until the 1960s. It continued to be published by small private presses. Its characterization as "pornography" was satirized by Franklin J. Meine in the introduction to the 1939 edition."
That's the edition I've got at the bookstore "Logos" in Santa Cruz!
August 5, 2025
While reading Mark Twain by Mark Twain, I learned of this short piece, published anonymously as it was considered vulgar for its time, and many might still find it vulgar today as it was considered unprintable by most publishers until the 1960s.
This is a conversation between Queen Elizabeth, Ben Jonson, Francis Bacon, William Shakespeare, Walter Raleigh and Francis Beaumont. They try to identify which one in the group passed gas and then the conversation delves into sexual topics. Its crude, especially for its time and also humorous if not shocking.
An interesting find.
This is a conversation between Queen Elizabeth, Ben Jonson, Francis Bacon, William Shakespeare, Walter Raleigh and Francis Beaumont. They try to identify which one in the group passed gas and then the conversation delves into sexual topics. Its crude, especially for its time and also humorous if not shocking.
An interesting find.
July 22, 2023
A very short free read for Kindle from Amazon. As another review said, it's a gas!
I'm really writing this review so others know half of this is really commentary and footnotes. The actual story is as short as a lingering smell.
Sounds like farting in front of the queen was ground for...well, something. Treason?
I'm really writing this review so others know half of this is really commentary and footnotes. The actual story is as short as a lingering smell.
Sounds like farting in front of the queen was ground for...well, something. Treason?
October 15, 2021
Completely worthless. The introduction is longer than the story. The afterward is longer than the story. The story is utter nonsense. Contrived solely to use as many vulgar terms as possible in as short of a time as possible. It wasn’t funny, but it tried to be. It wasn’t sexy or erotic, but it tried to be. It was pointless. I am unsure how anyone could find the story “good”. Finding it silly? Ok. I didn’t, but I can live with someone having that opinion. Good? No.
January 11, 2024
1601: Conversation as it Was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors by Mark Twain, and I must say it was quite the delight! The unique blend of wit and humor provided a fascinating peek into the language and customs of a bygone era. Twain's clever and witty commentary made this read truly entertaining and engaging. With its clever wordplay and timeless humor, "1601" is a must-read for anyone seeking an enjoyable and lighthearted literary experience.
December 31, 2022
Nunca me dio risa el chiste de "culo, caca, pedo y pis". Tampoco los verdes que se cuentan aquí. Y sé que es una sátira o pretende serla, pero me parece que había tópicos más interesantes que los típicos de siempre. No cambiamos mucho desde 1879, eh. En la vida, soy el pobre copero que tiene que soportar estas sandeces.
September 1, 2025
Mark Twain did a lot of reading of medieval authors, leading to this attempt (available online via Gutenberg) to create a bawdy story including Queen Elizabeth. Interestingly, there is some factual history behind it.
May 18, 2017
Funny
This is a hilarious irreverent short story by Mark Twain, but you need to understand "ye olde English" to appreciate it.
This is a hilarious irreverent short story by Mark Twain, but you need to understand "ye olde English" to appreciate it.
December 8, 2017
Well then..... Uhm.... I don't recommend giving this book to say.... Pre-teen or younger... Perhaps it would even be awkward to give to your high school child... Lol... WOw...
April 21, 2018
I was working my way through a collection of Twain's shorter writing when I found this. I Laughed out loud.
August 7, 2018
Me dejo con ganas de leer mas sobre Mark Twain.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews