A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT

This good-natured spoof of King Arthur is vintage Twain. The "Connecticut Yankee," from Hartford, loses 13 centuries in one blow after being hit on the head. Despite a rocky start, when he's almost burned at the stake, the Yankee dazzles the inhabitants with demonstrations of scientific wizardry. He then takes on the king, eventually persuading him to create a model republic in which commoners are treated better than they ever were in fabled Camelot. All this is fun, of course, but it might be more fun if the American were less pompous as he tries to reform the king. Fortunately, Richard Kiley's New England twang adds just the right touch of hilarity to keep the action on track. Once again a lively audio performance has revitalized an older book that can seem stale in print. J.C. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPT 95]