A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (version 2)


Read by John Greenman

(4.7 stars; 319 reviews)

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The work is a very early example of time travel in literature, anticipating by six years H. G. Wells' The Time Machine of 1895 (however, unlike Wells, Twain does not give any real explanation of his protagonist's traveling in time). Some early editions are entitled A Yankee at the Court of King Arthur. (Summary by Wikipedia) (11 hr 49 min)

Chapters

Preface and Chapter 1 Camelot. 21:47 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 2 King Arthur's Court. 12:32 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 3 Knights of the Table Round. 13:27 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 4 Sir Dinadan the Humorist. 7:38 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 5 An Inspiration. 12:00 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 6 The Eclipse. 14:42 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 7 Merlin's Tower. 14:52 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 8 The Boss. 14:32 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 9 The Tournament. 13:53 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 10 Beginnings of Civilization. 10:10 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 11 The Yankee in Search of Adventures. 16:55 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 12 Slow Torture. 9:57 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 13 Freemen! 18:22 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 14 "Defend Thee, Lord!" 8:23 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 15 Sandy's Tale. 17:37 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 16 Morgan Le Fay. 14:22 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 17 A Royal Banquet. 18:48 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 18 In the Queen's Dungeons. 23:30 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 19 Knight-Errantry as a Trade. 7:19 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 20 The Ogre's Castle. 15:11 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 21 The Pilgrims 26:20 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 22 The Holy Fountain. 22:23 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 23 Restoration of the Fountain. 17:21 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 24 A Rival Magician. 21:46 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 25 A Competitive Examination. 26:26 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 26 The First Newspaper. 20:39 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 27 The Yankee and the King Travel Incognito. 16:49 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 28 Driling the King 9:46 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 29 The Small-Pox Hut. 13:48 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 30 The Tragedy of the Manor-House. 20:15 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 31 Marco. 15:23 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 32 Dowley's Humiliation. 14:16 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 33 Sixth Century Political Economy. 25:18 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 34 The Yankee and the King Sold as Slaves. 23:37 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 35 A Pitiful Incident. 16:26 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 36 An Encounter in the Dark. 8:21 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 37 An Awful Predicament. 14:29 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 38 Sir Launcelot and Knights to the Rescue. 5:43 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 39 The Yankee's Fight With the Knights. 21:41 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 40 Three Years Later. 15:54 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 41 The Interdict. 8:48 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 42 War! 22:26 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 43 The Battle of the Sand-Belt. 27:19 Read by John Greenman
Chapter 44 A Postscript by Clarence and Final P.S. by M.T. 8:19 Read by John Greenman

Reviews

A very characterful reading


(5 stars)

I have long thought I ought to read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, but have never got around to it. When I saw that a recording from LibriVox was available I decided to add it to my queue. I've enjoyed most of the Mark Twain I have read, and I expected to enjoy this too. The story I actually found quite disappointing. The tone is quite didactic, and the references to "modern" times are too obvious to miss, and too clunky to fit easily into the story. I would have stopped listening if it hadn't been for the superb quality of John Greenman's reading. The characters are subtly, but distinctly, voiced. Hank has an appropriately bossy, cocksure tone, leavened occasionally with wonderful notes of irony. The people from King Arthur's time sound suitably naive and credulous. Old people sound old, young people sound young, nobles sound arrogant, and poor people sound beaten down. I can't recommend this reading highly enough.


(5 stars)

Great and excellent read. A superb listen too, thanks!

Amazing!!!


(5 stars)

At first I wasn't excited to read this book, but after I got into it.......That was a whole different matter! I changed my view on some of the characters throughout the book. At the end scene ( the really big scene of the book ) I was so excited to see what happened, that I wanted to speed the recording up, but that would spoil it! It's been a lovely tale of adventure, laughter and suspense. I was sad when the book ended! The reader was fantastic! I loved his way of changing his " mood " to the mood of the character! It was funny also, to see Merlin overpowered by a normal man! Merlin had magic, and the man had brains!

interesting, funny, sometimes frustrating


(4 stars)

I read part of this book years ago but didn't finish it. So happy to find it on Librovox. The story gives Mark Twain's opinion of very early Britain and the people living then. I'm glad I didn't live then. There are some really funny parts in this book especially when the Boss displays his magic. However, overall, I found the people and their customs pretty depressing. it's a good book but unlike what you might expect from Mark Twain. This reader is EXCELLENT.

The real Middle Ages


(4 stars)

This book should be required reading for those always talking about the good old days. As Twain clearly shows they were usually very bad days for most of the people. However the book is quite long and the author labours his criticism of the knights and royalty over and over. Still it gets 4 stars for being a cracking good tale and for a fabulous narration from John Greenman.

Not what I hoped


(2 stars)

Strange and not what I expected. What I expected was a comedy. Instead a got a mixture of boring, comedy, fantasy and a lot more. Was very annoying in some ways. I did like Clarence's idea about the cats though 🤣. That boy is pure genius lol.

Another great Twain reading by John Greenman


(5 stars)

LibriVox reader John Greenman again lends his voice to a Twain favorite. The length of the story somewhat outstrips its subject matter and many of the author's points are belabored and overstated. Overall, however, a work worthy of the tag "classic." Go LibriVox!

complexity humorous


(5 stars)

this reader is one of the best I have ever experienced! paid books unpaid books Blackstone audio, audible this reader is outstanding! the book itself is complexly hilarious and complexly remorseful. the wonderful complexities of how distant and how near we are to the 6th century.