A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Approximate level: B1
Length: 120,050 words
Reading time: 10 h
Chapters: 46
Language: English
On Project Gutenberg since: 2004

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Mark Twain’s 1889 novel sends a practical American into the world of King Arthur’s Britain, using the setting to satirize power, custom, and the idea of the divine right of kings. The opening mixes a mock-serious argument with dry jokes and a first-person narrator’s account. Its Victorian English includes formal words, long, tightly connected sentences, and references to history and politics, so you may need to read some passages slowly. The humor often depends on irony and careful wording.

30,892 downloads on Project Gutenberg

Subjects

Fantasy fiction
Satire
Knights and knighthood -- Fiction
Arthurian romances -- Adaptations
Time travel -- Fiction
Americans -- Great Britain -- Fiction
Kings and rulers -- Fiction
Britons -- Fiction

Questions about this book

What level of English do I need for this book?

The estimate is B1, based on how common the words are and how long the sentences run. It is an approximation, not a test result. With a translation under every sentence you can start one level earlier than you would with a paper copy.

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How long does it take to read?

About 10 h at a native pace, spread over 46 chapters. In a foreign language plan for more: half an hour a day finishes a book of this size in a few weeks.