The Innocents Abroad cover art

The Innocents Abroad

Or, The New Pilgrim’s Progress

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The Innocents Abroad

By: Mark Twain
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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About this listen

In June 1867, Mark Twain set out for Europe and the Holy Land on the paddle steamer Quaker City. His enduring, no-nonsense guide for the first-time traveler also served as an antidote to the insufferably romantic travel books of the period.

“Who could read the programme for the excursion without longing to make one of the party?”

So Mark Twain acclaims his voyage from New York City to Europe and the Holy Land. His adventures produced The Innocents Abroad, a book so funny and provocative it made him an international star for the rest of his life. He was making his first responses to the Old World—to Paris, Milan, Florence, Venice, Pompeii, Constantinople, Sebastopol, Balaklava, Damascus, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem. For the first time he was seeing the great paintings and sculptures of the Old Masters. He responded with wonder and amazement but also with exasperation, irritation, and disbelief. Above all he displayed the great energy of his humor, more explosive for us now than for his beguiled contemporaries.

Public Domain (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Classics Travel Writing & Commentary Funny Witty Italy Imperialism Middle East Middle Ages

Critic Reviews

“A classic work…[that] marks a critical point in the development of our literature.” (Leslie A. Fiedler, literary critic)
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A masterful account of a magnificent adventure by an equally masterful story teller Samuel Clemens. You still laugh out loud at the descriptions of the sights and experiences and some travails the ‘Pilgrims’ had on this epic journey. His self deprecating retelling of stories and the humorous first hand accounts of coming face to face with historical monuments, art works and architecture; of their continued contact with those who claimed to sell ancient artefacts ( dated to at least last Tuesday) their disdain for relic hunters and
the mercenary practices of some over their own people for monetary gain. To learn of their troubles with quarantine and countries who acted as alarmist as one do today , though Cholera and Typhoid seem much more alarming than the flu. Swelled with pride at the quarantine breaking groups who went ashore for a week after weeks stuck on board for no good reason and wondered how far they would have made in today’s totalitarian world. Ah, to live in a world without facial recognition and Facebook shamers. Truly an epic journey. Pray that an modern day Mark Twain rises to pen an equally interesting, engaging and honest account of the world and travelling today.

As interesting, funny and pertinent as 150 years ago

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brilliant stuff. very funny and a great window into not so distant history. really didnt know how humorous Twain's writing was

Brilliant

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