In terms of Twain travelogue, I would say this is ultimately the weakest of the lot – although, bless, that still leaves a lot to enjoy. A Tramp Abroad starts out strong in Germany and builds thrills in Switzerland before sputtering to over-lingering in the Alps and plummeting to an abrupt conclusion in Italy so startling that I had no idea that I was going to be finishing the book until I was halfway through the chapter. You can tell that Twain was tired of traveling and lecturing with this book, that the luster was gone, as the second half of the book is heavily concerned with his homesickness for America.

Outstanding points: his interest in German university students and his "bromance" with Harris, a travel partner so uniquely pointed to be Twain's foil that it's almost as if he's been embellished by Twain's predilection to pad the truth of reality or something. Also, as per, the insults are killer – so killer, in fact, that they often veer into the acerbic. If I could, I'd probably rate this 3.75, but my love of Mr. Twain leads me to say that four stars are quite alright.

Mr. Twain's stories run from a little unreal to full on tall tale in this book. Some of the stories are funnier than others. I loved the appendix story about the awful German language and also the story about the French duel. This is definitely a book for people who have been to Europe. Even though the details of the tourist experience is different now than when Twain was there but you still recognize the themes and feelings, the silliness of being a tourist and not wanting to be "like all these other tourists"...all at the same time.

As usual, quite delightful. Sam Clemens is the king of exaggeration, which is a form of humor I enjoy more than most. My favorite line was, "I reached the summit . . . 40 times" when he was describing his climb in the Alps. Anyone who has climbed a mountain will appreciate the humor here. The book is mostly about traveling in Germany and Switzerland, although he throws in some anecdotes of the U.S. from time to time. The appendices include That Awful German Language, which was even funnier on second reading than it had been the first time.

Herzhaft sarkastisch.

This bit of travel writing isn't as expansive as The Innocents Abroad, but it contains more of Mark Twain's wit and storytelling mastery focused in the German, Swiss, and northern Italian countryside. It is a mix of the observational comedy, absurd embellishment, and out-right farce that makes it a delight to read in large chunks or individual chapters. It proves once again that some writing is timeless.

There are some magic chapters in this rambling tale of Twain's rambles in Europe. His restaurant meeting with a young lady who knows they have never met but strings him along as he digs a hole deeper and deeper for himself. His descriptions of the violent German duels was surpassed by his slapstick version of a French duel. His ordering around of his travelling companion. His fondness for retelling unrelated stories or embellishing an event with impossibly unsuitable adjectives, adverbs or nouns. Still a humorous book after 130 years.

Read because I currently (2011) live in Heidelberg, Germany and a good portion of this classic is dedicated to the city.

It's an interesting look at European life 150 years ago... from a 19th century American perspective.

A minor annoyance is that it is sometimes not clear as to when Mark Twain is being a satirist and when he is writing as a straightforward chronicler of his travels. Indeed, is the entire work satire?

Overall, it is worth the read, but not a highly recommended one. Bear in mind, however, that I've never been much of a Twain fan.

This is by far my favorite of Twain's works. When you go to Europe you need this book. "Paris and Venice are the two greatest lies ever told." Brilliant. Cause they are. When you read this you must realize that Twain is a sarcastic American debunking all the European myth and glory. Most of what you know about Europe has been sold as a marketing campaign. Twain realizes that reality lays not in a travel brochure but in the real travel and observation of that place. Excellent.

Even after all those years still very amusing.

Follows Twain's odyssey during an extensive European vacation in the late 1800s. One must pay attention at times to separate the pure fantasy-humor from actual experiences and observations. The book jumps around quite a bit and has no consistent theme, but Twain's writing skills, imagination and imagery are wonderfully on display. If you were only going to read one Twain book, this should not be your choice. But as "another side" of Twain, it was interesting and entertaining.

The book takes a bit to get going, but once it does, it is pure Twain--witty, sarcastic, and laugh-out-loud funny. Particularly recommended if taken on a trip through Germany or Switzerland--the elements of Twain's satire certainly remain the same after 130 years.
The afterward in the book regarding "the awful German language" is a must for anyone learning German.

This is an enjoyable read but scattered in its organization. Mark Twain is proud of his own wit and sprinkles it all over his descriptions of European culture and landscapes. This book was particularly meaningful for me because I am living in Germany and have had similar experiences as he did well over one-hundred years ago. For example, his descriptions of Heidelberg and its castle ruin are just like my experiences there: the rolling, forested hills above the Necker river; the castle on the hill illuminated during a fire work show (they're still doing that!); the lovely college town, etc. He also spent time in Zermatt, Switzerland, admiring the Matterhorn, something I was also blessed to do, though I was not brave like him and didn't climb any mountains. His descriptions of German manners, friendliness, willingness to help strangers, their profound love of dogs and their complicated language also all ring true to my experiences living among Germans.

Some of the stories are so absurd that they are hilarious, like his attempt to ride a glacier down the mountain so he doesn't have to make the return trip. I cannot imagine he is serious. Twain's deadpan humor makes this semi-travel guide well worth the read. At times he is selfish, like when he is sad the little girl didn't die because it would have been good for literature (again he must be being facetious, I just happen to be gullible).I recommend this book for anyone who is traveling, or has traveled in Western Europe, or who just appreciates Twain for all his humor, intelligence and faults.