Rating: 
Summary: An underrated book that at times is absolutely hilarious
Review: "A Tramp Abroad" is a humorous account of Mark Twain's travels in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. It is part travel guide, part commentary on European culture, and part tall tale. Like many of Twain's less-known works, "A Tramp Abroad" is rather uneven -- the chapters in the book range from rather boring to laugh-out-loud funny. Yet on balance, the humorous moments make up for the dull moments, and the majority of the less humorous chapters are still interesting. Apart from a few slow chapters, it provides a good read from beginning to end.
Some of the highlights of "A Tramp Abroad" are Twain's exaggerated account of his ascent of the Riffelberg (a mountain in the Swiss Alps), his comments on the peculiarities of the German language, and a hilarious episode in which Twain spends half an hour pretending to know a woman who remembers him though he doesn't remember her.
I have read most of Twain's works, and in my opinion "A Tramp Abroad" is not his best work, but it is definitely one of his most underrated books. It is not as good as his most popular works of fiction (i.e., Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn), nor is it as good as "Life on the Mississippi." But I found it to be the most entertaining of his purely travel-oriented books (the other books in that category being "The Innocents Abroad" and "Following the Equator"). The bottom line is that if you are a fan of Mark Twain's style, then you should find this book to be well worth reading.
Finally, if you are going to read "A Tramp Abroad," I highly recommend obtaining a version that contains all 328 of the original illustrations. While I normally would make this recommendation for any of Twain's works, it is especially important for this book since the text makes several references to the illustrations, and since some of the jokes in the text would not make sense without the illustrations. The only current edition I know of that definitely contains *all* of the original illustrations is the Oxford Mark Twain edition (ISBN 0195101375). Also, the Modern Library Classics edition (ISBN 0812970039) apparently has retained some of the original illustrations, since it contains a note stating that "... some illustrations have been omitted" (thus implying that some have not been omitted). I would assume that this edition has retained those illustrations which are essential to the humor, but I can't say for sure since I don't actually have it.
Rating: 
Summary: Witty, great bedside book
Review: A Tramp Abroad provides an insight into Europe, in all its guises. In many ways, this sparkling guide is as relevant today as it has always been. Many elements of Twain's "character" are portrayed in the book, including, at times, his innate childishness. His tendency to ramble, both in text and in journey, far from being irritating, quickly becomes indeering. The only thing that a reader has to fear from this book is either being late for work, or losing ribs. The most notable point about this book is the wonderful commentary Twain passes on his own artistic skills, and the way that the wholly imagined nature of the above serves perhaps as a metaphor for the whole of what he sees on his journey. Warning: not one to read when in a hurry.
Rating:
Summary: The Pleasures of the Printed Page
Review: All these volumes are self-recommending except, perhaps, to those poor, misguided people who continue to pigeon-hole one of the world's great writers. Yes, Twain was a humorist who virtually invented modern American English as a literary language. But the sheer range of his achievement is staggering. And the best way to experience it is altogether. And the best "altogether" is this magnificent 29 volume set from Oxford. Other people can speak with more authority about Twain the author. I want to speak a little about how delicious it is to encounter him in these books. They are reproductions of the original American editions and the facsimiles are beautifully rendered. But this isn't important in itself; we're not about to spend [...] for a little bit of nostalgia. Rather, just open any one of these 29 volumes and see what a difference its admittedly antique printing style makes. White spacing between the printed lines is generous to an unbelievable degree, as are the page margins. Your eyes don't tire. You can savour each page at whatever pace you want to set for yourself. Worlds open and invite. This is how people read books a hundred years ago. This is the way to read books!
Rating:
Summary: A matchless eye with an acidic pen
Review: America's post-Civil War years brought a renewed interest in the European scene. Journeys
known as Grand Tours led tourists to take ship to the Continent. They fanned out across the
landscape with the intent to "know Europe." Their return home resulted in a flurry of
published accounts. Twain satirizes both the tourists and their writings with delicious
wit. Ever a man to play with words, his "tramp" refers to both himself and the walking tour
of Europe he purports to have made. By the time you've reached the end of the account of the
"walking tour" incorporating trains, carriages and barges, you realize that the longest "walk"
Twain took occurred in dark hotel room while trying to find his bed. He claims to have
covered 47 miles wandering around the room.Twain was interested in everything, probing into both well-known and obscure topics. His
judgments are vividly conveyed in this book, standing in marked contrast to his more
reserved approach in Innocents Abroad. A delightful overview of mid-19th Century Europe,
Tramp is also interlaced with entertaining asides. Twain was deeply interested in people, and
various "types" are drawn from his piercing gaze, rendered with acerbic wit. Some of these
are contemporary, while others are dredged from his memories of the California mines and
other journeys. He also relished Nature's marvels, recounting his observations. A favourite
essay is "What Stumped the Blue-jays." A nearly universal bird in North America, Twain's
description of the jay's curiosity and expressive ability stands unmatched. He observes such
humble creatures as ants, Alpine chamois, and the American tourist. Few escape his
perception or his scathing wit. This book remains valuable for its timeless rendering of
characters and the universality of its view. It can be read repeatedly for education or
entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: A matchless eye with an acidic pen
Review: America's post-Civil War years brought a renewed interest in the European scene. Journeys
known as Grand Tours led tourists to take ship to the Continent. They fanned out across the
landscape with the intent to "know Europe." Their return home resulted in a flurry of
published accounts. Twain satirizes both the tourists and their writings with delicious
wit. Ever a man to play with words, his "tramp" refers to both himself and the walking tour
of Europe he purports to have made. By the time you've reached the end of the account of the
"walking tour" incorporating trains, carriages and barges, you realize that the longest "walk"
Twain took occurred in dark hotel room while trying to find his bed. He claims to have
covered 47 miles wandering around the room. Twain was interested in everything, probing into both well-known and obscure topics. His
judgments are vividly conveyed in this book, standing in marked contrast to his more
reserved approach in Innocents Abroad. A delightful overview of mid-19th Century Europe,
Tramp is also interlaced with entertaining asides. Twain was deeply interested in people, and
various "types" are drawn from his piercing gaze, rendered with acerbic wit. Some of these
are contemporary, while others are dredged from his memories of the California mines and
other journeys. He also relished Nature's marvels, recounting his observations. A favourite
essay is "What Stumped the Blue-jays." A nearly universal bird in North America, Twain's
description of the jay's curiosity and expressive ability stands unmatched. He observes such
humble creatures as ants, Alpine chamois, and the American tourist. Few escape his
perception or his scathing wit. This book remains valuable for its timeless rendering of
characters and the universality of its view. It can be read repeatedly for education or
entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Barometer Soup
Review: I have not read Twain since High School twenty five plus years ago but a friend on a newspapers book forums got me to read him again and A Tramp Abroad is the first book I picked. For the current generation this book may drag but for those of us who grew up reading books instead of playing computer games this is Twain at his best. One has to actually read into his writing to appreciate a lot of the irony but when this book is really on like the mountain climbing near the Matterhorn ,Twain makes Seinfeld seem like he's talking about something. A brilliant travel essay and by the way the Penguin Classics edition of this book in paperback is 411 pages long, not 670 pages .
Rating:
Summary: Barometer Soup
Review: I have not read Twain since High School twenty five plus years ago but a friend on a newspapers book forums got me to read him again and A Tramp Abroad is the first book I picked. For the current generation this book may drag but for those of us who grew up reading books instead of playing computer games this is Twain at his best. One has to actually read into his writing to appreciate a lot of the irony but when this book is really on like the mountain climbing near the Matterhorn ,Twain makes Seinfeld seem like he's talking about something. A brilliant travel essay and by the way the Penguin Classics edition of this book in paperback is 411 pages long, not 670 pages .
Rating:
Summary: Supertramp
Review: If you love, enjoy or even just barely tolerate Mark Twain you will love this book. Twain's depictions are so vivid and humerous you will feel as though you are sitting with him in his den (replete with smoking jacket and cigar) having him personally recount his traipse through Europe. Lyrically this is among his best. My favorite passage includes the phrase, "Shot by a rock on a raft." Great to read on and off while you are ready more serious things -- it would be ambitious and possibly wasteful, to read this in a sitting.
Rating:
Summary: Supertramp
Review: If you love, enjoy or even just barely tolerate Mark Twain you will love this book. Twain's depictions are so vivid and humerous you will feel as though you are sitting with him in his den (replete with smoking jacket and cigar) having him personally recount his traipse through Europe. Lyrically this is among his best. My favorite passage includes the phrase, "Shot by a rock on a raft." Great to read on and off while you are ready more serious things -- it would be ambitious and possibly wasteful, to read this in a sitting.
Rating:
Summary: Great travel writing, though not Twain's best
Review: In this book, the master satirist and illustrious travel writer Mark Twain embarks on a walking tour through Europe. This is done Twain style, of course, so anyone familiar with the author's travel writings will not be surprised that most of his `walking tour' is actually accomplished by coach, train, or vicariously through an agent. As is usual for his travel writings, Twain's descriptions are vivid and detailed, and his accounts of certain sites are simply marvelous. In fact, in my opinion, the only thing not up to Twain's standards in this book is the humor. Don't get me wrong, this book is funny. His account of his mountaineering expedition, together with a staff of almost 150 people, is hilarious, as are many of his anecdotes (which, incidentally, are randomly inserted). Still, this book is not nearly as amusing as "The Innocents Abroad" or "Roughing It"--but that should not come as a surprise. Most of Twain's best work came early in his career, before his pessimism took over and before he was deprived of his entire family through death. This work fits somewhere in the middle of Twain's career, before he completely burned out but after he had already lost a bit of his incredible zest for life and capacity for humor. All in all, this is an excellent book by one of the greatest writers the North American continent has ever produced.
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