Product Description

Twain, Mark "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" in the revolutionary Bed Book Landscape Reading Format - a new approach to reading in bed as well as other places people enjoy reading while lying down, such as the beach, or on a grassy lawn in the park. Bed Books provide the freedom to lie in any comfortable position without being obligated to sit up in order to read. They can be an essential aid for readers who may be prone to back and neck strain when assuming the contorted body positions normally required for reading while lying down, and for those who have previously found it difficult or impossible to read books in bed, such as the elderly and the disabled. Bed Books can also be read sitting up as easily as with a conventional book. See the current Bed Book Catalog at: www.bedbooks.NET www.readinginbed.com

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2334105 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 570 pages

From School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up-While Mark Twain is most often identified with his childhood home on the Mississippi, he wrote many of his enduring classics during the years he lived in Hartford, Connecticut. He had come a long way from Hannibal when he focused his irreverent humor on medieval tales, and wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The hit on the head that sent protagonist Hank Morgan back through 13 centuries did not affect his natural resourcefulness. Using his knowledge of an upcoming eclipse, Hank escapes a death sentence, and secures an important position at court. Gradually, he introduces 19th century technology so the clever Morgan soon has an easy life. That does not stop him from making disparaging, tongue-in-cheek remarks about the inequalities and imperfections of life in Camelot. Twain weaves many of the well-known Arthurian characters into his story, and he includes a pitched battle between Morgan's men and the nobility. Kenneth Jay's narration is a mix of good-natured bonhomie for Hank and more formal diction for the arcane Olde English speakers. Appropriate music is used throughout to indicate story breaks and add authenticity to scenes. This good quality recording is enhanced by useful liner notes and an attractive case. Younger listeners may need explanations of less familiar words, and some knowledge of the Knights of the Round Table will be helpful. Libraries completing an audiobook collection of Twain titles will enjoy this nice, but not necessary, abridgement.

Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Twain's social satire transports Hank Morgan of nineteenth-century Connecticut to 528, the year of a solar eclipse and the zenith of power for King Arthur and his court. The juxtaposition of two civilizations is Twain's vehicle for delightful humor and searing commentary on society and the nature of man. Kenneth Jay balances many points of view and accents. His gravelly voice gives pomp to the courtiers of the time. He is breathless and speeds the tempo as schemes unfold. Wonderment and melancholy permeate as Morgan/Twain ponder the ultimate power of magic vis-ˆ-vis that of science. Period music fills the transitions of this abridged recording and provides the listener time to set the scene and players for subsequent sections. A.R. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
"Twain is the funniest literary American writer. . . . [I]t must have been a great pleasure to be him."
--George Saunders