'You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.'
A fantastical historical novel that transcends time and space, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is Mark Twain's comical satire of British chivalry and modernity.
Hank Morgan, an engineer from Connecticut, suffers a bad blow to the head, knocking him unconscious. When he awakens, Hank finds himself under an oak tree, confused and disorientated. It is only when he is accosted by an armoured knight that Hank realises the impossible – he has been inexplicably transported to medieval England under King Arthur's reign. Armed with modern know-how, Hank manages to dazzle Arthur's medieval court with knowledge of science, technology and a belief in progress. But what begins as an innocent attempt at improving the lives of others soon shows signs of backfiring... With incisive commentary on the monarchy and democracy, free will and determinism, Twain writes a bitingly ironic tale that continues to entertain and capture readers' imaginations even today.
Mark Twain (1835 – 1910), the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was an American writer and essayist. Famed for his wit and satire, he quickly became a sought-after writer and speaker, and was labelled the 'greatest humorist the United States has produced' by the New York Times. Today, he is considered as the father of modern American literature.
