Romance, burlesque, and tragedy are ingeniously mixed in a wildly imaginative tale about a down-to-earth, inventive Yankee who suddenly finds himself in King Arthur's court. Critical reaction was harsh, the book being called "coarse ... a vulgar travesty." In an attempt to counteract this reception, in 1889 Clemens wrote for help to Andrew Lang, an admirer. "I have been misjudged," he said. "Help me, Mr. Lang; no voice can reach further than yours in a case of this kind, or carry greater weight of authority." Lang replied with an article, "The Art of Mark Twain," which appeared in the Illustrated London News. After confessing that he had not cared to read the Yankee, he proceeded to devote the rest of the article to the glorification of Huckleberry Finn. (From "A Centennial For Tom Sawyer")
