Not So Innocently Abroad eBook Ken Richters
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Not So Innocently Abroad
From award-winning actor and playwright Ken Richters comes this original, irreverent, and funny travel memoir of his month-long U.S. Department of State goodwill tour of Russia and Ukraine. Before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2014 takeover of Ukraine’s Crimea region, and after spending more than 30 years performing as Mark Twain (satirizing every government official and politician within earshot), the actor received a series of furtive phone calls from Hillary Clinton's State Department asking him to leave the United States for the former Soviet Union.
“Broad wit and razor-sharp insight. What a treat!” --San Francisco Book Review
Richters agreed to the performance tour, but the diplomatic communiqués left him to wonder if the proposed trip was an “official” State Department trip, or sinister plot by one of the many politicians and government officials he offended during his career (including seven U.S. senators, fifteen past and present members of Congress, twenty-six state governors, countless local politicians from all fifty states and a sitting justice of the United States Supreme Court) to have him permanently “disappeared.”
“A comedy triumph” --Times of London
Originally scheduled for two shows in Moscow, the mission was extended for nearly a month to retrace Twain's travels in Eastern Europe. The book chronicles performance stops in Moscow, Kiev, Odessa, Simferopol, Sevastopol, and the Livadia Palace in Yalta; almost causing a diplomatic incident involving the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea; hallucinating on a road trip while taking suprisingly-powerful over-the-counter Ukranian medication, seeing a naked Oprah Winfrey and matryoshka doll juggling monkey riding shotgun, after self-medicating in an attempt to cure the Crimean Croup; and how, unknowingly, making the same observation about the beauty of Ukrainian women that caused Vice President Joe Biden public ridicule, elevated Richters to a Ukrainian media cause célèbre.
The San Francisco Book Review (5 stars) “Ken Richters is a Mark Twain impersonator, bringing the brash wit and razor-sharp insight of Mr. Clemens back to life, and he has a remarkable knack for not only embodying the Twain we know, but giving us a glimpse of what he might have thought of the modern era. So when Richters was given the chance to retrace the route that Twain took through Russia and Eastern Europe during Innocents Abroad, he leapt at the opportunity (after briefly considering whether it was a plot to sneakily deport him).
Not So Innocently Abroad chronicles Richters' journey across the former Soviet region, and he proves as affable, open, and genuinely appreciative of the Russian tour as Twain was. He provides fascinating local color, and always casts himself as the target of mockery, never the cultures he encounters. There's a wonderful class to Richters' affectionate observations of these far-flung locales. Most importantly, the book is pretty darn funny. The utterly shameless opening story about his dalliance with a Russian ballerina named Svetlana is the perfect mood setter for both our narrator and his take on Twain's humor. There were plenty of chuckles to be had along the way, as Richters offered both his insights and the Twainian perspective on each city he visited. And, like all great travelogues, it gave me a renewed appreciation for the destinations themselves. It never occurred to me that Russians would be as fond of Twain as we are, and to see such enthusiasm through the author's eyes was a marvelous experience. As thoughtful as it is enjoyable, Not So Innocently Abroad is not only the perfect companion piece to Twain's own work, but it's a tremendous look at how much (and how little) time changes people's perspectives around the world. What a treat!”
Not So Innocently Abroad eBook Ken Richters
To understand the author Ken Richters, is to understand the non-fiction Not So Innocently Abroad.He opens the book with an apology and Introduction that gives the reader an insight into his personality as well as an explanation of the seemingly disjointed nature of the book. The Author however makes no apologies for who he is and by extension, how he writes because "I write as I speak and speak as I think...a trait that most women in my life have found exhausting."
The book however, is by no means exhausting. On the contrary, its structure is quite logical. Richters uses author's privilege to punctuate the chronicling of his US Department of State performance tour of Russia and Ukraine as Mark Twain, with flashbacks and descriptive narration. This makes for a delightful mix of storytelling; humor; history; sightseeing including lovely descriptions of Russia's and Ukraine's culture; pictures that endorse the author's recollection of his trip; and social and political commentaries.
The book is laced with facts of the entertainment world such as the explanation of `standbys' and `understudies`and behind the scene perspective of an actor's life. Of note is the trivia on famed Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova; and the detailed packing and logistics involved when an actor takes a tour.
Central to the story is laughter. The reader is invited to experience this official journey with an actor who has a delightful sense of humor. The outcome? An experience of a lifetime touring Russia and Ukraine through the eyes of a social commentator who thrives on revealing the entertainment perspective of his life's experiences. "...to my surprise, the dog spoke perfect English...he also mentioned that next time, he'd prefer the lamb."
Ritchters says that "At best, I am an acquired taste". At best, Not So Innocently Abroad is a must read.
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Not So Innocently Abroad eBook Ken Richters Reviews
This is a charming memoir of Ken Richters as he recounts his trip to Russia traveling its streets, and the Ukraine, while accompanying a theater troupe performing Mark Twain's work. The book provides a lot of trivia about the places he visited; things you would never learn in a textbook or travel guide. His mission is a diplomatic one, but also served to give the author many wonderful personal memories. I loved how he described some of the Russian customs with a humorous flair. Some of the stories in there I will never forget and made me laugh out loud. One particular story concerned the public restrooms in Russia when he says that he walked into one that must have been used by a "planeload of Mexican-food-eating geriatrics." That made me loud out loud as I think we have encountered something similar.
Another story I liked was when a couple of American tourists came up to him asking for some Tums. Richters pretends to be a Russian who doesn't speak English until the very end when he tells them to try the drugstore around the corner. Though mean, it was hilarious!
This is a charming memoir with solid writing. It flow smoothly and is written in a way that you do not even realize how long you've been reading. The humorous side stories also make this a very easy and entertaining read. It also has some bit of "trivia" in it. I call it that, but as the author tells small stories about his youth or another time in his life, you get to learn things you would never learn anywhere else. He also explains some of the Russian customs, such as not drinking vodka with them could be seen as an insult. Unlike some memoirs where people try to build themselves up as important, this author pokes fun at himself and weaves an entertaining tale of his time in Eastern Europe. Well worth the read.
Ken Richters knows how to tell a story. From the beginning of the book he warns that the story may jump around and digress. But you never notice until he gets back to the original tale and remember that you were supposed to be finding out about an e-mail from a government employee. It flows extremely well and it's clear that his comedic abilities aren't just on the stage. He had me cracking up from the beginning.
To be honest, I had never really heard much about him before picking up this book. Now I have been Googling to find out more about him and his work. He has had an impressive career as Mark Twain and this book is a recounting of his trip through Russia as Mark Twain; it was a state-sponsored celebration of the 100th anniversary of the great author's death. Twain himself was a remarkable man. Capturing his spirit has been a life-long pursuit of Richters and he has clearly done an amazing job. And I was excited to learn he still tours the act since I've become very interested in his work.
The story doesn't start off telling you about how he chose the character, developed his talent, or anything else that seems standard for an autobiography. You drop in a little after he returns to the country and it starts, surprisingly, with a short love story. Then you find out how the Russia trip was arranged and follow along for the ride. The chapters are each great vignettes with some awfully interesting names (for example, Thanks for Nothing Jimmy Carter). He doesn't go into immense detail about the arrangements or any other aspect, really. This sounds like a criticism, but I mean it as a pro. He takes a long, complicated trip and tells it like he would a friend over dinner. He hits the big points, explains enough of the logistics so you can follow along, and he does it all while being hilarious. Simply a great tale.
If you are looking for a serious recount, this is probably not the book you're looking for. Richters jumps right in with the humor and it never stops. He combines a very interesting story with a lot of humor without having one stand out over the other. The story isn't at all lost in the jokes. And even though there are references in the beginning about how often his jokes are perceived as crossing the line, I didn't have any complaints about any of them. I have a very open sense of humor and it takes a lot for me to get up in arms, but I don't believe it was difficult to focus on the funny. It's all good fun and he makes the time fly by.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a decent length that doesn't feel so short that you feel ripped off, but it's not some giant tome that feels like it will never end and is slowly torturing you to death. He clearly put a great deal of consideration into what parts to tell and what to cut and the end result is a quick, very entertaining read about a trip that only he could ever take (well, Twain too, but it wasn't exactly the same). From jokes about language barriers ("I defect." "No you're perfect.") to trained seals and how to drink vodka, Richters certainly satisfied my funny bone.
But beyond the entertainment value, it's really a great story. Mark Twain was a hugely influential man and to be honored in such a grand way is certainly appropriate. While I am not incredibly familiar with Richter's work as Twain, from what I know, I can only imagine the author would approve. Though there is a lot of humor involved, it's fantastic to see such an important figure remembered and kept alive as Richters as done. I hadn't known about this anniversary tour, but I loved reading about it. And I loved seeing how big of a deal it was. Keeping history alive--no matter how inappropriate some jokes may be--is so important and Richters has definitely taken a big challenge by becoming Twain.
If you're a Twain fan, a Richters fan, or just someone who wants a good laugh, you should pick up this book. It's one of a kind and truly worth the time to read. You won't notice how quickly the time passes, but you will appreciate Richter's talent at keeping your attention. I can't imagine this story disappointing anyone.
To understand the author Ken Richters, is to understand the non-fiction Not So Innocently Abroad.
He opens the book with an apology and Introduction that gives the reader an insight into his personality as well as an explanation of the seemingly disjointed nature of the book. The Author however makes no apologies for who he is and by extension, how he writes because "I write as I speak and speak as I think...a trait that most women in my life have found exhausting."
The book however, is by no means exhausting. On the contrary, its structure is quite logical. Richters uses author's privilege to punctuate the chronicling of his US Department of State performance tour of Russia and Ukraine as Mark Twain, with flashbacks and descriptive narration. This makes for a delightful mix of storytelling; humor; history; sightseeing including lovely descriptions of Russia's and Ukraine's culture; pictures that endorse the author's recollection of his trip; and social and political commentaries.
The book is laced with facts of the entertainment world such as the explanation of `standbys' and `understudies`and behind the scene perspective of an actor's life. Of note is the trivia on famed Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova; and the detailed packing and logistics involved when an actor takes a tour.
Central to the story is laughter. The reader is invited to experience this official journey with an actor who has a delightful sense of humor. The outcome? An experience of a lifetime touring Russia and Ukraine through the eyes of a social commentator who thrives on revealing the entertainment perspective of his life's experiences. "...to my surprise, the dog spoke perfect English...he also mentioned that next time, he'd prefer the lamb."
Ritchters says that "At best, I am an acquired taste". At best, Not So Innocently Abroad is a must read.
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