The Complete Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
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Product Description
This Wordsworth Edition includes an exclusive Introduction and Notes by Stuart Hutchinson, University of Kent at Canterbury.
Tom Sawyer, a shrewd and adventurous boy, is as much at home in the respectable world of his Aunt Polly as in the self-reliant and parentless world of his friend Huck Finn. The two enjoy a series of adventures, accidentally witnessing a murder, establishing the innocence of the man wrongly accused, as well as being hunted by Injun Joe, the true murderer, eventually escaping and finding the treasure that Joe had buried.
Huckleberry Finn recounts the further adventures of Huck, who runs away from a drunken and brutal father, and meets up with the escaped slave Jim. They float down the Mississippi on a raft, participating in the lives of the characters they meet, witnessing corruption, moral decay and intellectual impoverishment.
Sharing so much in background and character, these two stories, the best of Twain, indisputably belong together in one volume. Though originally written as adventure stories for young people, the vivid writing provides a profound commentary on provincial American life in the mid-nineteenth century and the institution of slavery.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
It is interesting that my reading of Mark Twain's classic stories has coincided with a literary argument about a newly published version that has censored some of the terms that are not politically correct in the modern world (I should emphasise that this is the original version with the naughty words). I am sure opinion is divided about such a move, but I cannot help but feel that such words, incorrect as they are now considered, should not be removed from masterpieces that were written so long ago. Many students have grown up on a diet of compulsory books that were poured over at school, of which Mark Twain's often featured, and surely the debate over slavery and racist terminology is one that everybody should be exposed to.
Of course, this aspect is a minor part of a collection of stories that paint an endearing picture of mid 19th century smalltown USA. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are a mischievous pair, always thinking up new games and having the kind of childhood that many an adult would wish to have copied. The book gives a real insight into how their community functioned, the spirit that bound it together and the rules upon which it was built. The language used is, by Twain's own admission, his take on the many dialects from the Mississippi basin, and whilst it does not always flow as smoothly as modern English, it is easy to understand. It is not for me to pass judgement on the quality of the books, there are many people who are far more qualified than me to do that, but the stories are simple, beautifully written and draw the reader into a world that we have left behind.
I never read this at school, but wish that I had.
Of course, this aspect is a minor part of a collection of stories that paint an endearing picture of mid 19th century smalltown USA. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are a mischievous pair, always thinking up new games and having the kind of childhood that many an adult would wish to have copied. The book gives a real insight into how their community functioned, the spirit that bound it together and the rules upon which it was built. The language used is, by Twain's own admission, his take on the many dialects from the Mississippi basin, and whilst it does not always flow as smoothly as modern English, it is easy to understand. It is not for me to pass judgement on the quality of the books, there are many people who are far more qualified than me to do that, but the stories are simple, beautifully written and draw the reader into a world that we have left behind.
I never read this at school, but wish that I had.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Tom Sawyer (TS) of course is the idealised half of the story, recounting glorious days, and childhood escapades : oozing innocence and nostalgia from every sentence. There is an undeniable charm and sweetness to this perfect world, where good always triumphs, and where each chapter is as benign as the stuff you might find in Tom's pocket: "a piece of blue bottle glass to look through... a fragment of chalk... four pieces of orange peel..."
From witnessing murder, to being stuck in caves, the reader never suspects a bad ending for anyone but the baddies themselves. Tom is always utterly safe. I suspect that's why we readers love TS, because it takes us to the idyllic childhood we all wish we'd had, but that can never truly have existed... envisioned as it is in a vacuum, free from danger, free from conscience.
Writing Huckleberry Finn (HF) a few years later, the author was unwilling to repeat this feat. Although there is humour and boyish-shenanigans aplenty, Twain was no longer able to ignore the racism in America at that time, nor indeed "whitewash" slavery from this work as he had TS. Twain uses his "sequel" to focus on the escaped slave Jim, and his search for freedom, recalled through the eyes, and more importantly, the rhythmic vernacular of Huck.
Many scholars now read HF as a satire of American attitudes at the time; the farcical treatment of Jim towards the end of the novel is seen as a parallel to the continued gross injustices suffered by the black population after the abolition of slavery. It is Jim's kindness and compassion that shines through, whilst Huck struggles throughout with his own (and society's) views towards slavery in the light of the reality of Jim. Opponents cite the use of the "n" word, and humour at Jim's expense, as being proof that Twain did nothing more than repeat and condone stereotypes of the time, but this seems the knee-jerk response of a rather cursory reading. Regardless, there's no doubt that Twain felt guilt on behalf of his nation: it's a fact that he paid the tuition fees for one of the first black students to study Law at Yale, writing: "We have ground the manhood out of them, & the shame is ours...".
I appreciate this is a rather serious review for a book often cited as being for children, but I think the absence/presence of race and slavery are vital to a deeper understanding of the works. I do recommend buying an edition that includes The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: reading only one of these novels would do them both, and the author, an injustice.
From witnessing murder, to being stuck in caves, the reader never suspects a bad ending for anyone but the baddies themselves. Tom is always utterly safe. I suspect that's why we readers love TS, because it takes us to the idyllic childhood we all wish we'd had, but that can never truly have existed... envisioned as it is in a vacuum, free from danger, free from conscience.
Writing Huckleberry Finn (HF) a few years later, the author was unwilling to repeat this feat. Although there is humour and boyish-shenanigans aplenty, Twain was no longer able to ignore the racism in America at that time, nor indeed "whitewash" slavery from this work as he had TS. Twain uses his "sequel" to focus on the escaped slave Jim, and his search for freedom, recalled through the eyes, and more importantly, the rhythmic vernacular of Huck.
Many scholars now read HF as a satire of American attitudes at the time; the farcical treatment of Jim towards the end of the novel is seen as a parallel to the continued gross injustices suffered by the black population after the abolition of slavery. It is Jim's kindness and compassion that shines through, whilst Huck struggles throughout with his own (and society's) views towards slavery in the light of the reality of Jim. Opponents cite the use of the "n" word, and humour at Jim's expense, as being proof that Twain did nothing more than repeat and condone stereotypes of the time, but this seems the knee-jerk response of a rather cursory reading. Regardless, there's no doubt that Twain felt guilt on behalf of his nation: it's a fact that he paid the tuition fees for one of the first black students to study Law at Yale, writing: "We have ground the manhood out of them, & the shame is ours...".
I appreciate this is a rather serious review for a book often cited as being for children, but I think the absence/presence of race and slavery are vital to a deeper understanding of the works. I do recommend buying an edition that includes The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: reading only one of these novels would do them both, and the author, an injustice.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought his book for my husband who mentioned he had read Huckleberry Finn as a boy and had loved it. As this had the prequel "Tom Sawyer" included I thought he would like to read it again. I was right. He was delighted and has spent each evening chuckling away saying to me how funny it is. One note of warning, Mark Twain wrote this book a long long time ago and uses politically inappropriate language for the black people in the story but, if you can overlook this, it is a great book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great buy
Good value for money buying them together. I brought these to take on holiday as its two books in one. Great value and a great read. These books are classic and timeless. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Frosty123
Giving weight to the five star reviews
These are brilliant stories, great adventures as well as painting a vivid picture of life in the southern slave states. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Liz
Awful
This book was a awful investment, even though it was it was under £1.
It doesn't even deserve 1 star as it had a dull storyline and was clearly aimed at boys. Read more
It doesn't even deserve 1 star as it had a dull storyline and was clearly aimed at boys. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Camden_Calling
The Whole Racist thing!!
It's my birthday on the 4th of July and lucky me I got an early present. My wife has bought me a Kindle. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Wayne's World of Blogging
Disappointed
This book is supposed to reflect the soul of American childhood, or so I am told, so I read it out of curiosity. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Jonathan
Great collection
A very good collection which delivers Twain's best works in one piece. The only thing stopping me giving it five stars is fact that sections of Huck Finn are missing. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Sennaista
Dragging
I had to use my will power to finish the book. I am not saying that the story on the whole is horrible but I found it so dragging. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Acquafortis
Great story but sections missing
Excellent story but half way through Huckleberry Finn sections of text are missing. Had to buy a diffrent version from Amazon to continue reading.
Published 14 months ago by A. Watkins
A book for everyone.
Whoever says this is just a book for kids didn't understand so much from life. An amazing tale filled with smartness and hirony, a true delight for any person aged 0-100.
Published 14 months ago by Carlovfx
Classic
I adored these stories as a child, reading the old hardback my father had read as a boy, and have regretted for years not giving it house room when clearing out to move to a... Read more
Published 15 months ago by L. E. Metcalfe
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