Book Review - The Innocents Abroad Or, The New Pilgrim’s Progress

Title: The Innocents Abroad Or, The New Pilgrim’s Progress
Author: Mark Twain
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: Travel books are one of my favorite types of books. That plus the fact that I love Mark Twain's witty and snarky writing style make this book one of my favorite Mark Twain books.    

Description (Audible): 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. 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.

Description (ChatGPT): The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain is a hilarious, irreverent romp through Europe and the Holy Land, where the author’s biting humor and sharp wit slice through the grandeur of old-world tourism. Twain, as the ultimate “innocent,” offers a perfect blend of sarcasm and insight, poking fun at the absurdities of foreign cultures while revealing the folly of his fellow American travelers. A blend of travelogue, satire, and comedy, the book is a delightful mix of pointed commentary and laugh-out-loud moments, proving that sometimes the best way to explore a foreign land is through the eyes of a skeptic with a sharp pen.