Innocents Abroad, Vol 1

by Mark Twain

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Classics

57 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1869

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it is the 150 year time difference that left me feeling disconnected and unsatisfied with this book. I wanted, I would even say expected, to like it; I have generally enjoyed Mark Twain stories, novels and essays, even sometimes when I thought I should have been offended I have found him a funny and engaging read. It starts off well the anticipation and build up to the trip, and the first leg of the journey across the ocean were well told and relatable, but then it seemed to lose focus there were funny episodes every now and then but they were intermingled with a lot of xenophobic bellyaching, now I acknowledge that this is Mark Twain so he probably meant to be funny but to me it felt like a slog as it prevented any feeling of wonder that is the fun of travel, and travel literature. On the other hand I enjoyed a few bits even of the bellyaching and some of his side stories although having nothing to do with the travels he was on were delightful. I may or may not ever finish the book by reading the second volume, particularly as I only bought the first.
Popsugar challenge 2017: A book you got from a used book sale

[Olivia Wetzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a set of old, assorted Mark Twain novels, and I just realized that most of them, including this one were only part one...and I don't have part two.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleverly written journal of Twain’s unravels!

I enjoyed reading the description of the places he visited. He also had a lot to say about his fellow travelers.

[Katherine Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty boring with a few interesting tales. I was given a set of his works for my birthday, so I'll reach in the box and pick out another :)