I took a course on Twain last year at UCSC. I’m re-reading Innocents Abroad right now, as a matter of fact.
While I never liked his novels (still don’t), I was delighted beyond words when I discovered Twain’s essays and travel pieces. They more than earn him his reputation as one of the greatest American writers, and the fact that they are, even now, side-splittingly funny is a true testament to their quality.
Doesn’t Tramp Abroad contain the essay on “The Awful German Language”? Great stuff.
Where is the turnip?
She is in the kitchen.
Where is the beautiful and accomplished she-Englishwoman?
It has gone to the opera.
Oh! I forgot to tell you all about one of my most delightfully Twainian experiences. If you liked The Innocents Abroad, you will get a kick out of it.
In 1999, I attended Easter services at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The CotHS is, according to the tale, where Jesus was buried. The whole thing was very interesting, but the best part of all was when my friend Jos and I left the services to wander about the church a bit (it has lots of really odd nooks, crannies, cellars, etc.), and were sidetracked by some Greek Orthodox monks. They asked us if we wanted to see something neat. Of course we said yes. So we followed them into this tiny room, a monk breakroom of sorts, where they showed us a framed bit of the True Cross! It was so cool. I felt just like Mark Twain in The Innocents Abroad. I wish I could have thought of something witty to say to the monks.
Looks like Twain and I have the same opinion of The Deerslayer 
Has anyone here read any of the other Tom Sawyer books? I saw a copy of Tom Sawyer Abroad from the 1920 series (Harper and Brothers, I believe) at a used bookstore for $1.00. When I brought it to the counter to buy it, the guy at the counter refused to sell it, saying that the book was incorrectly priced. Sure, it was worth more than a buck, but it’s not exactly priceless (one’s being sold for $10.00 on ebay), and someone at the store wrote the price in the first page as $1.00 :mad:
What a :wally :mad:
Sorry about the miniranthijack; that stupid book nazi really rankled me :mad:
On a happier note, I did get a Harper and Brothers copy of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court from my sister sometime afterwards 
Yeah, I read Tom Sawyer Abroad when I was a kid. I don’t remember much of it, though (the following in spoiler tags although it isn’t really spoilers:
Tom and Huck and Jim (I think) and some other people go on a ride in a hot air balloon. They drift to Egypt and do some stuff in the desert and see the pyramids and sandstorms and stuff.
I don’t remember the end, and I was really too young to appreciate whether or not any of Twain’s famous wit was apparent, so I suggest you check it out from the library or get it at a very low price.
“This Jesus fellow… Is–is he dead?”
I felt good and all washed and cleaned of sin for the first time I had eve felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now. But I didn’t do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking–thinking how good it was all this had happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to Hell. ANd I got to thinking about our trip down the river, and I see Jim before me, all the time, in the day, and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-taliking and singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn’t seem to stike no places to harden me against him, But only the other kind. I’d see him standing my watch on top of his’n, so I could go on sleeping, and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog, and when I come back to him again in the swamp, there where the feud was; and such like times; and he would always call me honey, and pet me, and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he’s got now, and then I happened to look around, and see that paper.
It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and says: all right, I’ll go to Hell–and tore it up.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn is considered by some to be THE great American novel. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to read it when it was first published.
I second the Ken Burns’ biography of Clemens. It is fascinating.
Also, Hal Holbrook’s portrayal of Mark Twain giving a lecture is one of the most highly acclaimed television productions of all time. It is on video tape and is called MARK TWAIN TONIGHT. There is also a great book called MARK TWAIN TONIGHT (which is a collection) but it may be out of print.
{i]Innocents Abroad* is hilarious! Isn’t that the one with the duel? (Brickbats at fifty paces…) The Italian experience with the Christopher Colombo is one that I used to read aloud to my students.