A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

By (author) Twain, Mark; Edited by Inge M. Thomas; Illustrated by Beard, Daniel Carter
Short description/annotation:
The story of Hank Morgan, a nineteenth-century American who is accidentally returned to sixth-century England, is a powerful analysis of such issues as monarchy versus democracy and free will versus determinism. Yet it is also one of Twain''s finest comic novels, still fresh and funny after more than 100 years. This edition reproduces more than 40 of Dan Beard''s original drawings.
Description:
When A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur''s Court was published in 1889, Mark Twain was undergoing a series of personal and professional crises. Thus what began as a literary burlesque of British chivalry and culture grew into a disturbing satire of modern technology and social thought. The story of Hank Morgan, a nineteenth-century American who is accidentally returned to sixth-century England, is a powerful analysis of such issues as monarchy versus democracy and free will versus determinism, but it is also one of Twain''s finest comic novels, still fresh and funny after more than 100 years. In his introduction, M. Thomas Inge shows how A Connecticut Yankee develops from comedy to tragedy and so into a novel that remains a major literary and cultural text for new generations of readers. This edition reproduces a number of the original drawings by Dan Beard, of whom Twain said `he not only illustrates the text but he illustrates my thoughts''. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Review quote:
one of Mark Twain''s best comic novels and is still funny more than a century after it first appeared
Biographical note:
M. Thomas Inge is Robert Emory Blackwell Professor of the Humanities at Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia. He has received awards from the American Humor Studies Association and the Mark Twain Circle for his contribution to the study of American humour and Mark Twain.
Review quote: previous edition:
`one of Mark Twain''s best comic novels and is still funny more than a century after it first appeared'' Oxford Times
Publisher''s notice:
M. Thomas Inge is Robert Emory Blackwell Professor of the Humanities at Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia. He has received awards from the American Humor Studies Association and the Mark Twain Circle for his contribution to the study of American humour and Mark Twain.
Version history:
* Uses the first American edition text
Feature:
* Uses the first American edition text