Some Rambling Notes of an Idle Excursion

by Mark Twain

Websters paperbacks take advantage of the fact that classics are frequently assigned readings in English courses. By using a running English-to-French thesaurus at the bottom of each page, this edition of Some Rambling Notes of an Idle Excursion by Mark Twain was edited for three audiences. The first includes French-speaking students enrolled in an English Language Program (ELP), an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program, an English as a Second Language Program (ESL), or in a TOEFL or TOEIC preparation program. The second audience includes English-speaking students enrolled in bilingual education programs or French speakers enrolled in English-speaking schools. The third audience consists of students who are actively building their vocabularies in French in order to take foreign service, translation certification, Advanced Placement (AP) or similar examinations. By using the Webster's French Thesaurus Edition when assigned for an English course, the reader can enrich their vocabulary in anticipation of an examination in French or English.TOEFL, TOEIC, AP and Advanced Placement are trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. All rights reserved.Websters edition of this classic is organized to expose the reader to a maximum number of difficult and potentially ambiguous English words. Rare or idiosyncratic words and expressions are given lower priority compared to difficult, yet commonly used words. Rather than supply a single translation, many words are translated for a variety of meanings in French, allowing readers to better grasp the ambiguity of English, and avoid them using the notes as a pure translation crutch. Having thereader decipher a words meaning within context serves to improve vocabulary retention and understanding. Each page covers words not already highlighted on previous pages. I

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Humor, History, Essays, Classics

60 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.

Reviews

[Patricia Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serialized in part in The Atlantic in 1877, Twain wrote-mused-about his journey to Bermuda from New York City for the purpose of “putting distance between ourselves and the mails and telegraphs.” In Bermuda, he and his companion explored the island, marveling at the corral white buildings, the meandering roads, the friendliness of the small community. He describes walking around the island, “…and through stretches of forest that lie in a deep hush sometimes, and sometimes are alive with the music of birds;” walking aimlessly and without purpose, “…in maiden meditation, fancy free, by field and farm…”

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of a trip by Mark Twain to Bermuda - starts fairly weak and ends strong

The title of this essay has it right - these are just a series of stories about a trip that Twain and some friends took to Bermuda from New York City. Twain wrote this for "The Atlantic" in 1877 and his wry style makes him an excellent travel companion.

In reality, Twain's story of the trip is the story of the people he meets along the way. Most of the stories are humorous, some are duds and about an equal number are quite funny. I won't forget the story about the town with the cat situation for quite a while.

Twain on Bermuda:

"We never met a man, or woman, or child anywhere in this sunny island who seemed to be unprosperous, or discontented, or sorry about anything. This sort of monotony became very tiresome presently, and even something worse. The spectacle of an entire nation groveling in contentment is an infuriating thing."

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...

[Sandeep · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a small one, it includes, a memoir of Mark Twain's 4 day visit to Bermuda which he undertook via sea.

Mark Twain's description of the place is beautiful. His words bring out people and people's life during the times when technology was not advanced, how the flora, fauna and people prospered. Its hard to relate to the existence of such a place these days.

Capitalism, technology has taken over and we see more and more technological advancement but Twain's writing is nothing but a reminiscence of the great era!

Cheers,

PS - However, Twain's conversations on the ship were rather boring.

Rating 3.5/5

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff about Twain's Bermuda trip. He's a great travel writer.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this travelogue mostly boring with occasional high points.

[bermudianabroad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great to read as a Bermudian myself, to see how little and how much the island has changed. Hilarious.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does exactly what it says on the cover. At times engaging, at times meandering, it's hardly one of Mr Clemens' greatest works, but an interesting enough description of late 19th century Bermuda.