Following the Equator Mark Twain
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Following the Equator Mark Twain
With his book "Following the Equator," Mark Twain proves, once again, that he surely knows how to tell a good story. The travelogue is an overall entertaining and interesting look at the world of 1895. However, the real nuggets are the anecdotes, stories and humorous observations peppered in-between and along the way.In 1895 Twain was on a 'round the world lecture tour to pay off debts. The result of that tour is this book. This is Twain's account of that circumnavigation of the globe and his experiences in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. As he arrives at each destination, he discusses the history, people, modes of travel, laws, and customs.
While steaming across the ocean, from country to country, Twain has opportunities to regale us with various anecdotes and stories. We really do get the feeling that we're sitting on deck with him as he launches into yet another interesting and humorous tale. These "intermissions on deck" from the actual trip are the high points of the book and the moments I most enjoyed.
Twain gives us some very detailed history of each destination. We also get an insight into the technology of the day. Remember, this is 1895, only five short years before the turn of the century. So, we learn that the telegraph is in wide use. Twain writes that connecting a telegraph wire from a remote area in Australia to one of it's major cities then connected that town with the entire world. In minutes, information could be sent from this remote Australian town to London and beyond. While steam ships and rail were the primary means of travel, we can't help but wonder that in ten short years, the automobile, flight, and wireless will forever change this world of 1895. So, in a way, it's one last look at an era about to pass away forever.
It's an enjoyable read. Remember, though, Mr. Twain is giving us an account of his year-long, around the world tour. This requires 69 chapters and just over 432 pages to recount the trip, and a commitment on the part of the reader to board ship with Twain for the entire voyage.
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Following the Equator Mark Twain Reviews
I am enjoying every word of Mark Twain's book about his around-the-world lecture tour. His insight into the world as it was at the time of his journey provides a great snapshot of that time. I have to wonder about those who claim the book is hard to read; among the worthwhile books I've read in my life, this one ranks as being fairly easy to read. His style is slightly reminiscent of Paul Theroux, who incidentally recommends the book in one of his. I highly recommend Following the Equator for anyone who wants to know more about Mr. Clemens or the world at the time in which he lived.
After thoroughly enjoying Twain's book "Roughing It" detailing his exploits in the "Wild West," his Equator travelog bogged down for me in its endless details, like an entire chapter devoted to playing a deck shuffleboard game. I found myself skipping paragraphs. Just me, folks, you might revel in his ramblings.
This title was unknown to me when a friend, who had found it for almost nothing at a used book store. As a fan of Twain since college, when I finally matured enough to appreciate his unique brand of humor, I read and re-read his classic gems and taught them to my high school classes with genuine fervor. I always began the study of Huck Finn with an explanation of Twain's world, and how he detested the culture of racism that followed emancipation. Anyway, as I read this little-known book, I found it not only an insightful look at cultures around the world, but also another clever and just plain old Twain-esque humor-filled volume; I frequently recommend it to friends. Try a sample if you have a , or download it for free or almost free and enjoy this bit of escape as you circle the equator with the most loved humorist of his--or any-- era.
Mark Twain was noted for his travelogues, but in this one his advancing age was against him. Apparently, he had given up the effort of organizing his material into a cohesive work, and settled for just cranking out as much of it as he could manage.
He takes long digressions into the history of each place he visits, and also into any tangent that crosses his mind. A lot of the writing seems more like the fragmentary preliminary notes for a book than like the finished, edited book itself. But if you can stick with it, his humor and his depreciating view of human nature are well worth the effort. This is not his best book, and certainly not his easiest, but it is still miles ahead of the other authors of his time.
If you are not familiar with the breadth of Twain's works, particularly his later writings of which this is one, do a little historical background reading on the man before plunging in. This will properly set the stage for you, and allow you to get more out of the book. Twain's humor, while always present, became somewhat darker in his later years.
Following the equator provides a glimpse into the challenges of world travel, and the perceptions of most western travelers regarding the rest of the world, circa the 1890s. While most readers are probably familiar with Twain's travel books through Europe, this lesser known work finds him traipsing through the Pacific. A world that not many of his even well traveled readers were familiar with in the 1890s.
Twain's musings regarding the Maori and other Pacific peoples are enlightening as well as entertaining; as is his general condemnation of western "civilization" in their dealings with many of the Pacific islanders.
Don't expect the lightheartedness of Tom Sawyer, nor the dark damnation of The Mysterious Stranger. It is somewhere in the middle, and well worth the read.
ABOUT THIS KINDLE EDITION This review is on the free Edition. While the navigation had a few quirks, there is nothing about it that prevents you from a pleasurable reading experience. This book does not suffer from the gross mis-spellings and grammatical errors that many free versions are prone to.
With his book "Following the Equator," Mark Twain proves, once again, that he surely knows how to tell a good story. The travelogue is an overall entertaining and interesting look at the world of 1895. However, the real nuggets are the anecdotes, stories and humorous observations peppered in-between and along the way.
In 1895 Twain was on a 'round the world lecture tour to pay off debts. The result of that tour is this book. This is Twain's account of that circumnavigation of the globe and his experiences in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. As he arrives at each destination, he discusses the history, people, modes of travel, laws, and customs.
While steaming across the ocean, from country to country, Twain has opportunities to regale us with various anecdotes and stories. We really do get the feeling that we're sitting on deck with him as he launches into yet another interesting and humorous tale. These "intermissions on deck" from the actual trip are the high points of the book and the moments I most enjoyed.
Twain gives us some very detailed history of each destination. We also get an insight into the technology of the day. Remember, this is 1895, only five short years before the turn of the century. So, we learn that the telegraph is in wide use. Twain writes that connecting a telegraph wire from a remote area in Australia to one of it's major cities then connected that town with the entire world. In minutes, information could be sent from this remote Australian town to London and beyond. While steam ships and rail were the primary means of travel, we can't help but wonder that in ten short years, the automobile, flight, and wireless will forever change this world of 1895. So, in a way, it's one last look at an era about to pass away forever.
It's an enjoyable read. Remember, though, Mr. Twain is giving us an account of his year-long, around the world tour. This requires 69 chapters and just over 432 pages to recount the trip, and a commitment on the part of the reader to board ship with Twain for the entire voyage.
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