A Frenchman in America

Rough seas and restless passengers give Max O'Rell plenty to observe during an Atlantic crossing in Christmas week, 1889. He describes the discomfort of the voyage and the wagers that help passengers pass the time, setting the comic tone for his recollections of American life. His travels as a lecturer bring him into hotels, railway carriages, newspaper interviews, theaters and clubs. The chapter headings connect cities such as Boston, Chicago and Washington with the practical difficulties of touring and the varying reactions of audiences.

In Canada, his attention turns to schools, church authority and competing proposals for the country's political future. These passages show how readily the account moves from personal inconvenience to judgments about public institutions. Readers interested in travel writing and social customs will find a visiting Frenchman's opinions alongside observations of the everyday encounters that shape his experience of America.