Dimensions
133 x 198 x 17mm
Introduction by Don Watson
The air was balmy and delicious, the sunshine radiant; it was a charming excursion. In the course of it we came to a town whose odd name was famous all over the world a quarter of a century ago – Wagga-Wagga.
(Mark Twain)
At the height of his fame, Mark Twain, the writer and humorist from Missouri, was facing financial ruin from one of his failed business ventures. Broke but much-loved, he embarked on a lecture tour around the equator, making a stop in Australia.
The Wayward Tourist republishes Mark Twain's Australian travel writing in which he recounts his impressions of Sydney ("God made the Harbor... But Satan made Sydney") and his view of Australian history ("[it reads] like the most beautiful lies"), with much lamenting about his carbuncle.
In his introduction, Don Watson brilliantly animates this unforgettable encounter between Mark Twain and Australia. He pays homage to America's great "funny man" who brought his American swagger, love of language and wicked talent for observation to our shores.
In a life full of incident, Mark Twain's moment in Australia is wonderful entertainment.
