Quote:
Originally Posted by Bookpossum
I'm about ten chapters in and enjoying it very much. I'm not surprised that I don't remember much from reading the book as a child - I enjoyed the funny moments and comments, but of course I didn't understand the much darker underlying themes.
(Chapter 8)
Twain's rage at man's inhumanity to man is palpable, and it isn't confined to 6th century Britain.
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That's certainly true. I'm about half way through the book and it's tone has changed, much darker. Especially when Hank get's a tour of Queen Morgana's Dungeon. It reminded me of a real place here in Granby Connecticut. Old Newgate Prison, was a hellish place, the first prison the colonies had. It's first prisoners were captured British soldiers of the Revolutionary war. It was an old copper mine, turned prison, to ented you went through a gate and a hole in the ground carved out of rock. It's an historic landmark and I have visited it years ago. You can still see the iron rings in the walls that held the prisoners.
So even many centuries later these types of cave\ dungeon prisons were still in use, and of course not just in England. In Twain's own home state as well. Perhaps he visited Old Newgate prison too, it's certainly possible. But it wasn't in use anymore in Twain's time.