As I now live in the USA again, I wanted my reading habits to reflect the change of address. What better way to transition from UK to US literature by reading a famous US author's account mocking UK Arthurian legend? That, at its heart, it the theme of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Here, an 18th-century American man is knocked on the head and awakes to find himself in 6th-century Camelot. With his knowledge of technology, science, and history, he rises in the ranks to become King Arthur's second-in-command, and uses his abilities in an ultimately-vain attempt to modernize the barbaric society.
I enjoy Twain's writing in general, and was amused by his mockery of Malory's le Morte d'Arthur (which, by the way, it helps to be familiar with if you want your enjoyment of this Twain work to be maximized). Yes, when you think about it, the original King Arthur tales don't make much sense, and Twain exploits both that (and the foolishness of Medieval society in general) to the hilt for comedic effect. That's the good part. On the downside, this went on a bit long, and I found myself looking forward to it being over.
Rating: B
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