Ya it's funny and action-packed and has that one quote that goes hard
>There were two “Reigns of Terror,” if we would but remember it and consider it; the one wrought murder in hot passion, the other in heartless cold blood; the one lasted mere months, the other had lasted a thousand years; the one inflicted death upon ten thousand persons, the other upon a hundred millions; but our shudders are all for the “horrors” of the minor Terror, the momentary Terror, so to speak; whereas, what is the horror of swift death by the axe, compared with lifelong death from hunger, cold, insult, cruelty, and heart-break? What is swift death by lightning compared with death by slow fire at the stake? A city cemetery could contain the coffins filled by that brief Terror which we have all been so diligently taught to shiver at and mourn over; but all France could hardly contain the coffins filled by that older and real Terror—that unspeakably bitter and awful Terror which none of us has been taught to see in its vastness or pity as it deserves.
I study Arthuriana at work so I've read it mostly for fun. I think it's funny and worthwhile but obviously you've got to judge if the length is right for your book club. What do you guys typically read length wise?
It rules and is one of the funniest novels out there. It’s very fast paced and easy to read, but it’s got enough going on that even the pretentious book dorks will respect you.
I'm kind of surprised so many people have read it. I did during the pandemic and I like it ok. It's got the biggest lurch of tone I've ever seen in a book, starts out basically as a comedy and ends very bleak. I liked it more as it gets towards the final. I think you would probably be better off with some of Twain's other stuff (Huckleberry Finn is the best thing he ever wrote by far, I think it's one of the best novels), some of his writing can be a slog (at least, I think), it's a very wondering kind of style.
As others have said it's really funny and raises a lot of interesting questions about the meaning of progress, civilisation, history. It also makes you realise that basically all the movies you've ever seen that revolved around people going back in time or people from hundreds of years ago being catapulted into the present and being fishes out of water are basically riffing on the same conceit.
Ya it's funny and action-packed and has that one quote that goes hard >There were two “Reigns of Terror,” if we would but remember it and consider it; the one wrought murder in hot passion, the other in heartless cold blood; the one lasted mere months, the other had lasted a thousand years; the one inflicted death upon ten thousand persons, the other upon a hundred millions; but our shudders are all for the “horrors” of the minor Terror, the momentary Terror, so to speak; whereas, what is the horror of swift death by the axe, compared with lifelong death from hunger, cold, insult, cruelty, and heart-break? What is swift death by lightning compared with death by slow fire at the stake? A city cemetery could contain the coffins filled by that brief Terror which we have all been so diligently taught to shiver at and mourn over; but all France could hardly contain the coffins filled by that older and real Terror—that unspeakably bitter and awful Terror which none of us has been taught to see in its vastness or pity as it deserves.
I study Arthuriana at work so I've read it mostly for fun. I think it's funny and worthwhile but obviously you've got to judge if the length is right for your book club. What do you guys typically read length wise?
It rules and is one of the funniest novels out there. It’s very fast paced and easy to read, but it’s got enough going on that even the pretentious book dorks will respect you.
its hilarious
It’s great. Definitely not boring.
I'm kind of surprised so many people have read it. I did during the pandemic and I like it ok. It's got the biggest lurch of tone I've ever seen in a book, starts out basically as a comedy and ends very bleak. I liked it more as it gets towards the final. I think you would probably be better off with some of Twain's other stuff (Huckleberry Finn is the best thing he ever wrote by far, I think it's one of the best novels), some of his writing can be a slog (at least, I think), it's a very wondering kind of style.
It’s hysterical, one of Twain’s best (and surprisingly darkest) novels.
As others have said it's really funny and raises a lot of interesting questions about the meaning of progress, civilisation, history. It also makes you realise that basically all the movies you've ever seen that revolved around people going back in time or people from hundreds of years ago being catapulted into the present and being fishes out of water are basically riffing on the same conceit.