Title: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Author: Mark Twain
First Published: 1885
No. of Pages: 324
Synopsis (from B&N): Huckleberry Finn, rebel against school and church, casual inheritor of gold treasure, rafter of the Mississippi, and savior of Jim the runaway slave, is the archetypical American maverick.
Fleeing the respectable society that wants to "sivilize" him, Huck Finn shoves off with Jim on a rhapsodic raft journey down the Mississippi River. The two bind themselves to one another, becoming intimate friends and agreeing "there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft."
As Huck learns about love, responsibility, and morality, the trip becomes a metaphoric voyage through his own soul, culminating in the glorious moment when he decides to "go to hell" rather than return Jim to slavery.
Mark Twain defined classic as "a book which people praise and don't read"; Huckleberry Finn is a happy exception to his own rule. Twain's mastery of dialect, coupled with his famous wit, has made Adventures of Huckleberry Finn one of the most loved and distinctly American classics ever written.
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
Comments and Critique: Somehow, I never read either this book or Tom Sawyer while growing up. I don't know how I missed them; it seems like everyone in the country read them except me. So for years, I've said to myself that I had to read them -- there had to be some reason why everyone else had. Even if it was only because teachers insisted, there had to be a reason why.
Now I understand. Both books are great stories. I have read other works by Twain in the past and I can see why Huck Finn is considered his masterpiece. It's funny, the people feel like real people and not archetypes or caricatures, and parts of the story really make you think. I found that I could identify with almost everyone in some way -- their way of thinking, their desires, their fears, something. Twain had a real gift for capturing the essence of people, sometimes placing them in a good light but also showing their absurdities, their ignorance, or their meanness.
Would You Recommend This Book to Others: You bet! I can't believe I waited so many years to finally read it.
Challenges: 1% Well-Read Challenge; Banned Books Challenge; 2008 TBR Challenge
Author: Mark Twain
First Published: 1885
No. of Pages: 324
Synopsis (from B&N): Huckleberry Finn, rebel against school and church, casual inheritor of gold treasure, rafter of the Mississippi, and savior of Jim the runaway slave, is the archetypical American maverick.
Fleeing the respectable society that wants to "sivilize" him, Huck Finn shoves off with Jim on a rhapsodic raft journey down the Mississippi River. The two bind themselves to one another, becoming intimate friends and agreeing "there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft."
As Huck learns about love, responsibility, and morality, the trip becomes a metaphoric voyage through his own soul, culminating in the glorious moment when he decides to "go to hell" rather than return Jim to slavery.
Mark Twain defined classic as "a book which people praise and don't read"; Huckleberry Finn is a happy exception to his own rule. Twain's mastery of dialect, coupled with his famous wit, has made Adventures of Huckleberry Finn one of the most loved and distinctly American classics ever written.
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
Comments and Critique: Somehow, I never read either this book or Tom Sawyer while growing up. I don't know how I missed them; it seems like everyone in the country read them except me. So for years, I've said to myself that I had to read them -- there had to be some reason why everyone else had. Even if it was only because teachers insisted, there had to be a reason why.
Now I understand. Both books are great stories. I have read other works by Twain in the past and I can see why Huck Finn is considered his masterpiece. It's funny, the people feel like real people and not archetypes or caricatures, and parts of the story really make you think. I found that I could identify with almost everyone in some way -- their way of thinking, their desires, their fears, something. Twain had a real gift for capturing the essence of people, sometimes placing them in a good light but also showing their absurdities, their ignorance, or their meanness.
Would You Recommend This Book to Others: You bet! I can't believe I waited so many years to finally read it.
Challenges: 1% Well-Read Challenge; Banned Books Challenge; 2008 TBR Challenge
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