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Adventures of Tom and Huck #2
賲睾丕賲乇丕鬲 賴丕賰賱亘乇賷
丕賱賰丕鬲亘 丕賱丕賲賷乇賰賷 丕賱爻丕禺乇 賲丕乇賰 鬲賵賷賳貙 賵丕爻賲賴 丕賱丨賯賷賯賷 氐賲賵賷賱 賱丕賳噩賵乇賳 賰賱賷賲賳爻貙 兀卮賴乇 賲賳 賰鬲亘 毓賳 丨賷丕丞 丕賱睾乇亘 丕賱丕賲賷乇賰賷 亘兀爻賱賵亘 爻丕禺乇. 賵丕毓鬲賯丿 兀賳賴 賵賱丿 亘賮賱賵乇賷丿丕 亘賵賱丕賷丞 賲賷爻賵乇賷貙 賵鬲賵賮賷 賮賷 賲丿賷賳丞 乇賷賳睾 亘賵賱丕賷丞 賰賳賰鬲賷賰鬲. 賲賳 兀卮賴乇 賰鬲亘賴 芦賲睾丕賲乇丕鬲 鬲賵賲 爻賵賷乇禄 賵 芦賴丕賰賱亘乇賷 賮賳禄. 賲賳 丕賱胤乇丕卅賮 丕賱鬲賷 鬲乇賵賶 毓賳 賲丕乇賰 鬲賵賷賳貙 兀賳 丕丨丿賶 丕賱賯丕乇卅丕鬲 爻兀賱鬲賴 毓賳 丕賱爻亘亘 賮賷 賵賱毓 丕賱賳丕爻 亘賲丕 賷賰鬲亘貙 賮賰丕賳 乇丿賴 亘兀賳 匕賱賰 賴賵 爻乇 丕賱賲賴賳丞貙 賵賱賳 賷禺亘乇賴丕 亘賴 丨鬲賶 賱丕 賷賰賵賳 賴賳丕賰 丕賰孬乇 賲賳 賲丕乇賰 鬲賵賷賳
354 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 1884
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About the author
Mark Twain
8,526听books18.3k听followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the 欧宝娱乐 database.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 23,512 reviews
March 4, 2010
After reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I realized that I had absolutely nothing to say about it. And yet here, as you see, I have elected to say it anyway, and at great length.
Reading this novel now, at the age of mumble-mumble, is a bit like arriving at the circus after the tents have been packed, the bearded lady has been depilated, and the funnel cake trailers have been hitched to pick-up trucks and captained, like a formidable vending armada, toward the auburn sunset. All the fun has already been used up, and I鈥檓 left behind circumnavigating the islands of elephant dung and getting drunk on Robitussin庐. Same story, different day.
How exactly did I make it through eight total years of high school and undergraduate studies in English without having read any Mark Twain but a brief (and forgotten) excerpt from Life on the Mississippi? Isn鈥檛 this illegal by now? I mean, isn鈥檛 there a clause in the Patriot Act... an eleventh commandment... a dictate from Xenu? Isn鈥檛 Huckleberry Finn, like Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird, now an unavoidable teenage road bump between rainbow parties and huffing spray paint? Isn鈥檛 it the role of tedious classic literature to add color and texture to the pettiness of an adolescence circumscribed by status updates, muff shaving, and shooting each other? Or am I old-fashioned?
Let鈥檚 face it. In the greater social consciousness, there are two stars of this book: (1) the word 'nigger' and (2) the Sherwood Schwartz-style ending in which Tom Sawyer reappears and makes even the most casual reader wonder whether he might not be retarded.
Huckleberry Finn, for all his white trash pedigree, is actually a pretty smart kid -- the kind of dirty-faced boy you see, in his younger years, in a shopping cart at Wal-Mart, being barked at by a monstrously obese mother in wedgied sweatpants and a stalagmite of a father who sweats tobacco juice and thinks the word 'coloreds' is too P.C. Orbiting the cart, filled with generic cigarette cartons, tabloids, and canned meats, are a half-dozen kids, glazed with spittle and howling like Helen Keller over the water pump, but your eyes return to the small, sad boy sitting in the cart. His gaze, imploring, suggestive of a caged intellect, breaks your heart, so you turn and comparison-shop for chewing gum or breath mints. He is condemned to a very dim horizon, and there鈥檚 absolutely nothing you can do about it, so you might as well buy some Altoids and forget about it...
That boy is the spiritual descendant of Huckleberry Finn.
The 'nigger' controversy -- is there still one? -- is terribly inconsequential. It almost seems too obvious to point out that this is (a) firstly a 'period novel,' meaning it that occurs at a very specific historical moment at a specific location and (b) secondly a first-person narrative, which is therefore saddled with the language, perspective, and nascent ideologies of its narrator. Should we expect a mostly uneducated, abused adolescent son of a racist alcoholic who is living in the South before the Civil War to have a respectful, intellectually-enlightened perspective toward black people? Should the character of Huck Finn, in other words, be ahistorical, anachronistic? Certainly not, if we expect any semblance of honesty from our national literature.
Far more troubling to many critics is the ending of Huckleberry Finn, when -- by a freakishly literary coincidence -- Huck Finn is mistaken for Tom Sawyer by Tom鈥檚 relatives, who happen to be holding Jim (the slave on the run) in hopes of collecting a reward from his owners. There are all sorts of contrivances in this scenario -- the likes of which haven鈥檛 been seen since the golden age of Three鈥檚 Company -- which ends with Tom arriving and devising a ridiculously elaborate scheme for rescuing Jim.
All in all, the ending didn鈥檛 bother me as much as it bothered some essayists I鈥檝e read. That is, it didn鈥檛 strike me as especially conspicuous in a novel which relies a great deal on narrative implausibility and coincidence. Sure, Tom Sawyer is something of an idiot, as we discover, but in a novel that includes faked deaths and absurd con jobs, his idiocy seems well-placed.
In the end, I suppose the greatest thing I can say about this novel is that it left me wondering what happened to Huck Finn. Would his intellect and compassion escape from his circumstances or would he become yet another bigoted, abusive father squiring another brood of dirty, doomed children around a fluorescently-lit Wal-Mart?
Reading this novel now, at the age of mumble-mumble, is a bit like arriving at the circus after the tents have been packed, the bearded lady has been depilated, and the funnel cake trailers have been hitched to pick-up trucks and captained, like a formidable vending armada, toward the auburn sunset. All the fun has already been used up, and I鈥檓 left behind circumnavigating the islands of elephant dung and getting drunk on Robitussin庐. Same story, different day.
How exactly did I make it through eight total years of high school and undergraduate studies in English without having read any Mark Twain but a brief (and forgotten) excerpt from Life on the Mississippi? Isn鈥檛 this illegal by now? I mean, isn鈥檛 there a clause in the Patriot Act... an eleventh commandment... a dictate from Xenu? Isn鈥檛 Huckleberry Finn, like Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird, now an unavoidable teenage road bump between rainbow parties and huffing spray paint? Isn鈥檛 it the role of tedious classic literature to add color and texture to the pettiness of an adolescence circumscribed by status updates, muff shaving, and shooting each other? Or am I old-fashioned?
Let鈥檚 face it. In the greater social consciousness, there are two stars of this book: (1) the word 'nigger' and (2) the Sherwood Schwartz-style ending in which Tom Sawyer reappears and makes even the most casual reader wonder whether he might not be retarded.
Huckleberry Finn, for all his white trash pedigree, is actually a pretty smart kid -- the kind of dirty-faced boy you see, in his younger years, in a shopping cart at Wal-Mart, being barked at by a monstrously obese mother in wedgied sweatpants and a stalagmite of a father who sweats tobacco juice and thinks the word 'coloreds' is too P.C. Orbiting the cart, filled with generic cigarette cartons, tabloids, and canned meats, are a half-dozen kids, glazed with spittle and howling like Helen Keller over the water pump, but your eyes return to the small, sad boy sitting in the cart. His gaze, imploring, suggestive of a caged intellect, breaks your heart, so you turn and comparison-shop for chewing gum or breath mints. He is condemned to a very dim horizon, and there鈥檚 absolutely nothing you can do about it, so you might as well buy some Altoids and forget about it...
That boy is the spiritual descendant of Huckleberry Finn.
The 'nigger' controversy -- is there still one? -- is terribly inconsequential. It almost seems too obvious to point out that this is (a) firstly a 'period novel,' meaning it that occurs at a very specific historical moment at a specific location and (b) secondly a first-person narrative, which is therefore saddled with the language, perspective, and nascent ideologies of its narrator. Should we expect a mostly uneducated, abused adolescent son of a racist alcoholic who is living in the South before the Civil War to have a respectful, intellectually-enlightened perspective toward black people? Should the character of Huck Finn, in other words, be ahistorical, anachronistic? Certainly not, if we expect any semblance of honesty from our national literature.
Far more troubling to many critics is the ending of Huckleberry Finn, when -- by a freakishly literary coincidence -- Huck Finn is mistaken for Tom Sawyer by Tom鈥檚 relatives, who happen to be holding Jim (the slave on the run) in hopes of collecting a reward from his owners. There are all sorts of contrivances in this scenario -- the likes of which haven鈥檛 been seen since the golden age of Three鈥檚 Company -- which ends with Tom arriving and devising a ridiculously elaborate scheme for rescuing Jim.
All in all, the ending didn鈥檛 bother me as much as it bothered some essayists I鈥檝e read. That is, it didn鈥檛 strike me as especially conspicuous in a novel which relies a great deal on narrative implausibility and coincidence. Sure, Tom Sawyer is something of an idiot, as we discover, but in a novel that includes faked deaths and absurd con jobs, his idiocy seems well-placed.
In the end, I suppose the greatest thing I can say about this novel is that it left me wondering what happened to Huck Finn. Would his intellect and compassion escape from his circumstances or would he become yet another bigoted, abusive father squiring another brood of dirty, doomed children around a fluorescently-lit Wal-Mart?
February 25, 2025
This is a rant. I found Huckleberry Finn on my bookshelf had been changed to Huckleberry Finn Robotic Edition. Some very pc "authors" and "editors" took it upon themselves to change the N word to 'robot'. They then rewrote the book to take away any mention of humans and to 'roboticise' words such as 'eye' which becomes something like 'optical device'. The illustrations have also been changed. I have no problem with this, but I do have two major issues with this edition.
The first problem is with the librarians who think think this is close enough to the original that it should be combined and therefore share the ratings of Mark Twain's original book. There was a long discussion in the librarian thread where some librarians thought it was essentially the same book, perhaps most. So it was combined and the edition of the book I read was changed to that one. I DID NOT read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Robotic Edition.
This robot edition was a Kindle book. Think about it and the danger of these 'authors'. If this is acceptable and it is to a lot of the librarians, why not politically correct Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Agatha Christie (oh she's been done already. It was 10 Little N words, then 10 Little Indians, now it's Then there were 10, lol). Sooner or later print books will be in used bookshops, research libraries and old people's houses. They will become not books to be read but collector's items. For reading it will be the ebook where changes can be easily and instantaneously made.
And if politically-correcting everything becomes Amazon policy then the whole publishing world will follow and your children will never know the original story that Mark Twain wrote. They will never understand how N word people were treated and that is my second issue with this pc book.
They will never know that Jim, a grown man would not normally be expected to hang out with 13 year old boys, kowtowed to Tom and Huckleberry not just because they all liked each other, but because he was not free, he was a slave, property, and was subject to the usual treatment of property. He could be ordered to do anything no matter how stupid or harmful, he could be sold or mistreated not even for punishment but just because he had no human rights whatsoever.
Changing N people to robots negates all this. Yes it is more politically acceptable to Whites but how would a Black person feel having their history taken away from them? This is not pc as much as sanitising history and is wrong on every level. And it was done by the authors to make it easier for White teachers to teach this important book (is it important if it is about robots though?) without engendering awkward discussions about race, slavery, why some people have rights and others are property which has also meant the book is on many 'banned' school lists.
Do you find this acceptable? A lot of GR librarians don't see a damn thing wrong with it. But I do.
See
edited 27 Jan 2018
The first problem is with the librarians who think think this is close enough to the original that it should be combined and therefore share the ratings of Mark Twain's original book. There was a long discussion in the librarian thread where some librarians thought it was essentially the same book, perhaps most. So it was combined and the edition of the book I read was changed to that one. I DID NOT read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Robotic Edition.
This robot edition was a Kindle book. Think about it and the danger of these 'authors'. If this is acceptable and it is to a lot of the librarians, why not politically correct Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Agatha Christie (oh she's been done already. It was 10 Little N words, then 10 Little Indians, now it's Then there were 10, lol). Sooner or later print books will be in used bookshops, research libraries and old people's houses. They will become not books to be read but collector's items. For reading it will be the ebook where changes can be easily and instantaneously made.
And if politically-correcting everything becomes Amazon policy then the whole publishing world will follow and your children will never know the original story that Mark Twain wrote. They will never understand how N word people were treated and that is my second issue with this pc book.
They will never know that Jim, a grown man would not normally be expected to hang out with 13 year old boys, kowtowed to Tom and Huckleberry not just because they all liked each other, but because he was not free, he was a slave, property, and was subject to the usual treatment of property. He could be ordered to do anything no matter how stupid or harmful, he could be sold or mistreated not even for punishment but just because he had no human rights whatsoever.
Changing N people to robots negates all this. Yes it is more politically acceptable to Whites but how would a Black person feel having their history taken away from them? This is not pc as much as sanitising history and is wrong on every level. And it was done by the authors to make it easier for White teachers to teach this important book (is it important if it is about robots though?) without engendering awkward discussions about race, slavery, why some people have rights and others are property which has also meant the book is on many 'banned' school lists.
Do you find this acceptable? A lot of GR librarians don't see a damn thing wrong with it. But I do.
See
edited 27 Jan 2018
July 10, 2013
Hemingway said American fiction begins and ends with Huck Finn, and he's right. Twain's most famous novel is a tour de force. He delves into issues such as racism, friendship, war, religion, and freedom with an uncanny combination of lightheartedness and gravitas. There are several moments in the book that are hilarious, but when I finished the book, I knew I had read something profound. This is a book that everyone should read.
July 7, 2023
The ugly face of slavery and racism
Described in detail by one of the big storytellers
Twain just had the intuition and talent to create a milestone of enlightening literature, showing humankind its worst flaws by not moralizing, proselytizing, and thereby boring the audience. Instead, all the atrocities are shown in the actions, mentalities, and especially dialogues of the
Bigoted and primitive people of that time
That deem themselves superior, smart, and just sheer 脺bermensch. Many works against slavery, fascism, extremism, and faith use that storytelling trick of making the hatemongering trolls, the stupid, uneducated antagonistic people of that time, ridiculous in contrast to the progressive, sophisticated protagonists. In the case of Huckleberry Finn
Everyone except the protagonist is evil
Because the norms, rules, and laws of the time allow them to be. That麓s the subject Twain isn麓t directly pointing his finger at, but the underlying core of the tale, that opportunity makes thieves. And a society based on exploitation and brutality creates inhuman, full citizen status subjects with all democratic human rights that treat anyone inferior like an animal and worse than their dogs. That麓s
A scheme as old as history
And Twain digs deeper into it in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
/book/show/1...
He goes above the average evil citizen and describes the ones, kings, god emperors, and faith fueled fanatics, who want this mess to better rule the mad masses. One of the, subjective, main reasons why Huckleberry is so much more successful than the Yankee is that it麓s easier to read about bad people doing unfriendly things without directly attacking the system itself. The Yankee does this in a satiric way and is even today just too uncomfortable for people who believe that everything is fine. This
Humor and irony are the final ingredients
Other great works against slavery are mind opening and well written too, but come with a depressing and hopeless undertone. Twain doesn麓t just deliver the important messages, but he does it in combination with creating hilarious dialogues, motivations, and character evolutions that combine deep thoughts and giggles. When first reading Twain as a teenager I didn麓t get that, I didn麓t see the ingenuity of the whole plot that permanently delivers deep and cynical, postmodern social satire with tons of dark comedy elements.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
Described in detail by one of the big storytellers
Twain just had the intuition and talent to create a milestone of enlightening literature, showing humankind its worst flaws by not moralizing, proselytizing, and thereby boring the audience. Instead, all the atrocities are shown in the actions, mentalities, and especially dialogues of the
Bigoted and primitive people of that time
That deem themselves superior, smart, and just sheer 脺bermensch. Many works against slavery, fascism, extremism, and faith use that storytelling trick of making the hatemongering trolls, the stupid, uneducated antagonistic people of that time, ridiculous in contrast to the progressive, sophisticated protagonists. In the case of Huckleberry Finn
Everyone except the protagonist is evil
Because the norms, rules, and laws of the time allow them to be. That麓s the subject Twain isn麓t directly pointing his finger at, but the underlying core of the tale, that opportunity makes thieves. And a society based on exploitation and brutality creates inhuman, full citizen status subjects with all democratic human rights that treat anyone inferior like an animal and worse than their dogs. That麓s
A scheme as old as history
And Twain digs deeper into it in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
/book/show/1...
He goes above the average evil citizen and describes the ones, kings, god emperors, and faith fueled fanatics, who want this mess to better rule the mad masses. One of the, subjective, main reasons why Huckleberry is so much more successful than the Yankee is that it麓s easier to read about bad people doing unfriendly things without directly attacking the system itself. The Yankee does this in a satiric way and is even today just too uncomfortable for people who believe that everything is fine. This
Humor and irony are the final ingredients
Other great works against slavery are mind opening and well written too, but come with a depressing and hopeless undertone. Twain doesn麓t just deliver the important messages, but he does it in combination with creating hilarious dialogues, motivations, and character evolutions that combine deep thoughts and giggles. When first reading Twain as a teenager I didn麓t get that, I didn麓t see the ingenuity of the whole plot that permanently delivers deep and cynical, postmodern social satire with tons of dark comedy elements.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
September 14, 2021
(Book 825 from 1001 books) - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn = Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Adventures of Tom and Huck #2), Mark Twain
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain, first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885.
It is told in the first person by Huckleberry "Huck" Finn, the narrator of two other Twain novels (Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer, Detective) and a friend of Tom Sawyer.
It is a direct sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 芦亘乇丿賴 賮乇丕乇蹖 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 芦賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 芦爻乇诏匕卮鬲 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 芦賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 丕賳鬲卮丕乇丕鬲蹖賴丕 (丌诏丕賴貙 乇賵夭賳貙 毓賱賲蹖 賮乇賴賳讴蹖貙 丕賲蹖乇讴亘蹖乇貙 賳卮乇 讴賱丕睾貙 賮乇丕賳讴賱蹖賳貙 夭乇蹖賳貙 丕乇爻胤賵貙 賲賴鬲丕亘貙 丿丕丿噩賵貙 禺賵丕乇夭賲蹖貙 丕乇睾賵丕賳貙 诏賵鬲賳亘乇诏貙 賳丕跇貙 毓氐乇 丕賳丿蹖卮賴貙 賳賴丕賱 賳賵蹖丿丕賳貙 賯丿蹖丕賳蹖) 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 賲丕賴 丕讴鬲亘乇 爻丕賱 1994賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 丕亘乇丕賴蹖賲 诏賱爻鬲丕賳貨 趩丕倬 賳禺爻鬲 1328貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌诏丕賴貙 1349貨 趩丕倬 爻賵賲 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 乇賵夭賳貙 1348貨 丿乇308氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 亘丕夭鬲丕亘 賳诏丕乇貙 1387貙 丿乇 383氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789648223408貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 讴賱丕睾貙 1393貙 丿乇368氐貨 卮丕亘讴9786009418879貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴 19賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賮乇賵爻鬲 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賳賵噩賵丕賳丕賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賴賵卮賳诏 倬蹖乇賳馗乇貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 爻丕夭賲丕賳 讴鬲丕亘賴丕蹖 噩蹖亘蹖 賮乇丕賳讴賱蹖賳貙 1345貨 丿乇312氐貨 趩丕倬 卮卮賲 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 毓賱賲蹖 賮乇賴賳诏蹖貙 1377貙 丿乇 416氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丕賲蹖乇讴亘蹖乇貙 1389貙 丿乇 443氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789640013182貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮賴乇丕賲 倬賵乇丕賳賮乇貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 夭乇蹖賳貙 1362貨 丿乇 394氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇貨 賲卮賴丿貙 丕乇爻胤賵貙 1370貨 丿乇394氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賲賴鬲丕亘貙 1370貨 丿乇 394氐貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻賵丿丕亘賴 夭乇讴賮貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丿丕丿噩賵貙 1364貨 丿乇 255氐貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 爻乇诏匕卮鬲 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賳噩賮 丿乇蹖丕亘賳丿乇蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 禺賵丕乇夭賲蹖貙 1366貨 丿乇 380氐貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 乇賵蹖丕 诏蹖賱丕賳蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丕乇睾賵丕賳貙 1372貨 丿乇 136氐貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1390貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘乇丿賴 賮乇丕乇蹖 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 噩賵丕丿 賲丨蹖蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 诏賵鬲賳亘乇诏貙 1379貨 丿乇 228氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 賲卮賴丿貙 噩丕賵丿丕賳 禺乇丿貙 1375貙 丿乇 228氐貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1385貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 讴蹖賵賲乇孬 倬丕乇爻丕蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳丕跇貙 1390貙 丿乇 397氐貙 卮丕亘讴 9786009109746貨 毓賳賵丕賳 乇賵蹖 噩賱丿 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲丨賲丿 賴賲鬲 禺賵丕賴貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 毓氐乇 丕賳丿蹖卮賴貙 1391貨 丿乇 59氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786005550078貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮讴賵賮賴 丕禺賵丕賳貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳賴丕賱 賳賵蹖丿丕賳貙 1392貨 丿乇 175氐貨卮丕亘讴 9789645680440貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻丨乇丕賱爻丕丿丕鬲 乇禺氐鬲 倬賳丕賴貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賯丿蹖丕賳蹖貙 1394貨 丿乇 336氐貨 卮丕亘讴9786002517029貨
噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 芦賲噩蹖丿 丌賯丕禺丕賳蹖禄 賳蹖夭 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 禺賱丕氐賴 卮丿賴 乇丕 鬲乇噩賲賴 讴乇丿賴 丕賳丿 丿乇 177氐貨
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賳賵噩賵丕賳蹖 亘丕 倬丿乇蹖 丕賱讴賱蹖 丕爻鬲貙 芦賴讴賱亘乇蹖禄 丿乇 倬蹖 賳夭丕毓 亘丕 倬丿乇卮貙 丕夭 禺丕賳賴 賮乇丕乇 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 丿乇 乇丕賴 亘丕 亘乇丿賴 蹖 爻蹖丕賴倬賵爻鬲蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲 芦噩蹖賲禄 丌卮賳丕 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 丌賳賴丕 讴賱讴蹖 賲蹖鈥屫池ж操嗀� 賵 爻賵丕乇 亘乇 丕賲賵丕噩 乇賵丿禺丕賳賴 蹖 芦賲蹖鈥�.爻蹖鈥�.爻蹖鈥�.倬蹖禄 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屬聚屬呚й屬嗀� 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 亘賴 乇賵蹖丿丕丿賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 亘乇 丕蹖賳 丿賵 乇禺 賲蹖鈥屫囐嗀� 賵 賲蹖诏匕乇賳丿貙 賲蹖鈥屬矩必ж藏�
噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 芦丕亘乇丕賴蹖賲 诏賱爻鬲丕賳禄 丿乇 噩丕蹖蹖 丕夭 賲賯丿賲賴 蹖 讴鬲丕亘 賳賵卮鬲賴 丕賳丿: (丌賳趩賴 賲賴賲 丕爻鬲 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丿乇爻 禺卮賳 夭賳丿诏蹖貙 芦賴讴 (賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳)禄 乇丕 禺亘蹖孬 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 賮胤乇鬲 丕賵 禺賱丕賮 夭賳丿诏蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屫辟堌� 丿賱卮 卮讴 亘乇賲蹖鈥屫ж必� 丕賲丕 亘賴 賯爻丕賵鬲 丌賱賵丿賴 賳賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 亘蹖 丕毓鬲賳丕 賳賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 丌賳鈥屬囏� 讴賴 亘賴 丕賵 賳丕乇賵 夭丿賴 鈥屫з嗀� 丕诏乇 诏乇賮鬲丕乇 卮賵賳丿 賳賴 亘賴 鬲賵胤卅賴 丕賵爻鬲 亘賱讴賴 禺賱丕賮 賲蹖賱 丕賵爻鬲 賵 丕賵 丕夭 诏乇賮鬲丕乇蹖鈥屬囏й屫簇з� 睾賲诏蹖賳 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 賵 丿乇蹖睾 賲蹖鈥屫堌必� 讴賴 趩乇丕 丌丿賲鈥屬囏� 蹖讴丿蹖诏乇 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫⒇藏ж辟嗀� 芦賴讴禄 賴賲丿賲 丕爻鬲 亘丕 賴乇 丌賳趩賴 丿乇爻鬲 賵 倬丕讴 賵 夭蹖亘丕爻鬲貙 亘蹖 丌賳鈥屭┵� 禺賵丿 亘丿丕賳丿貙 賲蹖鈥屬佡囐呚� 丕诏乇 丿賳蹖丕 夭卮鬲蹖鈥屬囏� 丿丕乇丿貙 趩乇讴蹖鈥屬囏� 丿丕乇丿貙 卮丕丿蹖鈥屬囏� 賵 诏乇賲蹖鈥屬囏� 賳蹖夭 丿丕乇丿.)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
鬲丕乇蹖禺 08/08/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 21/06/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain, first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885.
It is told in the first person by Huckleberry "Huck" Finn, the narrator of two other Twain novels (Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer, Detective) and a friend of Tom Sawyer.
It is a direct sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 芦亘乇丿賴 賮乇丕乇蹖 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 芦賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 芦爻乇诏匕卮鬲 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 芦賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳禄貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 丕賳鬲卮丕乇丕鬲蹖賴丕 (丌诏丕賴貙 乇賵夭賳貙 毓賱賲蹖 賮乇賴賳讴蹖貙 丕賲蹖乇讴亘蹖乇貙 賳卮乇 讴賱丕睾貙 賮乇丕賳讴賱蹖賳貙 夭乇蹖賳貙 丕乇爻胤賵貙 賲賴鬲丕亘貙 丿丕丿噩賵貙 禺賵丕乇夭賲蹖貙 丕乇睾賵丕賳貙 诏賵鬲賳亘乇诏貙 賳丕跇貙 毓氐乇 丕賳丿蹖卮賴貙 賳賴丕賱 賳賵蹖丿丕賳貙 賯丿蹖丕賳蹖) 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 賲丕賴 丕讴鬲亘乇 爻丕賱 1994賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 丕亘乇丕賴蹖賲 诏賱爻鬲丕賳貨 趩丕倬 賳禺爻鬲 1328貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌诏丕賴貙 1349貨 趩丕倬 爻賵賲 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 乇賵夭賳貙 1348貨 丿乇308氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 亘丕夭鬲丕亘 賳诏丕乇貙 1387貙 丿乇 383氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789648223408貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 讴賱丕睾貙 1393貙 丿乇368氐貨 卮丕亘讴9786009418879貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴 19賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賮乇賵爻鬲 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賳賵噩賵丕賳丕賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賴賵卮賳诏 倬蹖乇賳馗乇貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 爻丕夭賲丕賳 讴鬲丕亘賴丕蹖 噩蹖亘蹖 賮乇丕賳讴賱蹖賳貙 1345貨 丿乇312氐貨 趩丕倬 卮卮賲 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 毓賱賲蹖 賮乇賴賳诏蹖貙 1377貙 丿乇 416氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丕賲蹖乇讴亘蹖乇貙 1389貙 丿乇 443氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789640013182貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮賴乇丕賲 倬賵乇丕賳賮乇貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 夭乇蹖賳貙 1362貨 丿乇 394氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇貨 賲卮賴丿貙 丕乇爻胤賵貙 1370貨 丿乇394氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賲賴鬲丕亘貙 1370貨 丿乇 394氐貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻賵丿丕亘賴 夭乇讴賮貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丿丕丿噩賵貙 1364貨 丿乇 255氐貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 爻乇诏匕卮鬲 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賳噩賮 丿乇蹖丕亘賳丿乇蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 禺賵丕乇夭賲蹖貙 1366貨 丿乇 380氐貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 乇賵蹖丕 诏蹖賱丕賳蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丕乇睾賵丕賳貙 1372貨 丿乇 136氐貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1390貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘乇丿賴 賮乇丕乇蹖 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 噩賵丕丿 賲丨蹖蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 诏賵鬲賳亘乇诏貙 1379貨 丿乇 228氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 賲卮賴丿貙 噩丕賵丿丕賳 禺乇丿貙 1375貙 丿乇 228氐貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1385貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 讴蹖賵賲乇孬 倬丕乇爻丕蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳丕跇貙 1390貙 丿乇 397氐貙 卮丕亘讴 9786009109746貨 毓賳賵丕賳 乇賵蹖 噩賱丿 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲丨賲丿 賴賲鬲 禺賵丕賴貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 毓氐乇 丕賳丿蹖卮賴貙 1391貨 丿乇 59氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786005550078貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮讴賵賮賴 丕禺賵丕賳貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳賴丕賱 賳賵蹖丿丕賳貙 1392貨 丿乇 175氐貨卮丕亘讴 9789645680440貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 賴丕讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳貨 丕孬乇: 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻丨乇丕賱爻丕丿丕鬲 乇禺氐鬲 倬賳丕賴貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賯丿蹖丕賳蹖貙 1394貨 丿乇 336氐貨 卮丕亘讴9786002517029貨
噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 芦賲噩蹖丿 丌賯丕禺丕賳蹖禄 賳蹖夭 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 禺賱丕氐賴 卮丿賴 乇丕 鬲乇噩賲賴 讴乇丿賴 丕賳丿 丿乇 177氐貨
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賳賵噩賵丕賳蹖 亘丕 倬丿乇蹖 丕賱讴賱蹖 丕爻鬲貙 芦賴讴賱亘乇蹖禄 丿乇 倬蹖 賳夭丕毓 亘丕 倬丿乇卮貙 丕夭 禺丕賳賴 賮乇丕乇 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 丿乇 乇丕賴 亘丕 亘乇丿賴 蹖 爻蹖丕賴倬賵爻鬲蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲 芦噩蹖賲禄 丌卮賳丕 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 丌賳賴丕 讴賱讴蹖 賲蹖鈥屫池ж操嗀� 賵 爻賵丕乇 亘乇 丕賲賵丕噩 乇賵丿禺丕賳賴 蹖 芦賲蹖鈥�.爻蹖鈥�.爻蹖鈥�.倬蹖禄 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屬聚屬呚й屬嗀� 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 亘賴 乇賵蹖丿丕丿賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 亘乇 丕蹖賳 丿賵 乇禺 賲蹖鈥屫囐嗀� 賵 賲蹖诏匕乇賳丿貙 賲蹖鈥屬矩必ж藏�
噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 芦丕亘乇丕賴蹖賲 诏賱爻鬲丕賳禄 丿乇 噩丕蹖蹖 丕夭 賲賯丿賲賴 蹖 讴鬲丕亘 賳賵卮鬲賴 丕賳丿: (丌賳趩賴 賲賴賲 丕爻鬲 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丿乇爻 禺卮賳 夭賳丿诏蹖貙 芦賴讴 (賴讴賱亘乇蹖 賮蹖賳)禄 乇丕 禺亘蹖孬 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 賮胤乇鬲 丕賵 禺賱丕賮 夭賳丿诏蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屫辟堌� 丿賱卮 卮讴 亘乇賲蹖鈥屫ж必� 丕賲丕 亘賴 賯爻丕賵鬲 丌賱賵丿賴 賳賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 亘蹖 丕毓鬲賳丕 賳賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 丌賳鈥屬囏� 讴賴 亘賴 丕賵 賳丕乇賵 夭丿賴 鈥屫з嗀� 丕诏乇 诏乇賮鬲丕乇 卮賵賳丿 賳賴 亘賴 鬲賵胤卅賴 丕賵爻鬲 亘賱讴賴 禺賱丕賮 賲蹖賱 丕賵爻鬲 賵 丕賵 丕夭 诏乇賮鬲丕乇蹖鈥屬囏й屫簇з� 睾賲诏蹖賳 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 賵 丿乇蹖睾 賲蹖鈥屫堌必� 讴賴 趩乇丕 丌丿賲鈥屬囏� 蹖讴丿蹖诏乇 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫⒇藏ж辟嗀� 芦賴讴禄 賴賲丿賲 丕爻鬲 亘丕 賴乇 丌賳趩賴 丿乇爻鬲 賵 倬丕讴 賵 夭蹖亘丕爻鬲貙 亘蹖 丌賳鈥屭┵� 禺賵丿 亘丿丕賳丿貙 賲蹖鈥屬佡囐呚� 丕诏乇 丿賳蹖丕 夭卮鬲蹖鈥屬囏� 丿丕乇丿貙 趩乇讴蹖鈥屬囏� 丿丕乇丿貙 卮丕丿蹖鈥屬囏� 賵 诏乇賲蹖鈥屬囏� 賳蹖夭 丿丕乇丿.)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
鬲丕乇蹖禺 08/08/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 21/06/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
July 14, 2022
Mark Twain tells us the story of Huckleberry Finn and Jim, who attempts to free themselves from society's restraints in this book. The racism aspect of this novel is one of the most discussed and debated topics.
The readers will have to encounter the N-word multiple times, which can be difficult for many people. The beauty of this book is that it can be viewed from various angles. The theme of how black and white people work together for their quest for freedom has inspired many people. There are many more layers to this book, including the empathy facet, which is not discussed in depth compared to the racism aspect. It is sad to see some people just considering it as a young adult book discussing racism which just high school children should read. This is unequivocally a true classic that all should read due to the author's exceptional writing skills and multiple embedded themes in it.
鈥淩ight is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain鈥檛 got no business doing wrong when he ain鈥檛 ignorant and knows better.鈥�
June 5, 2024
"I about made up my mind to pray; and see if I couldn't try to quit being the kind of boy I was, and be better. So I kneeled down. But the words wouldn't come. Why wouldn't they? It warn't no use to try and hide it from Him. Nor from me, neither. I knowed very well why they wouldn't come. It was because my heart wasn't right; it was because I warn't square; it was because I was playing double. I was letting on to give up sin, but away inside of me I was holding on to the biggest one of all. I was trying to make my mouth say I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write to [Jim's:] owner and tell where he was; but deep down in me I knowed it was a lie--and He knowed it. You can't pray a lie -- I found that out...
...It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: 'All right, then, I'll go to Hell'--and tore it up."
...It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: 'All right, then, I'll go to Hell'--and tore it up."
January 7, 2023
HUCK IL SELVAGGIO
Il film pi霉 recente 猫 del 1993 diretto da Stephen 鈥淟a Mummia鈥� Sommers. Huck 猫 un giovanissimo Elijah Wood, otto anni prima della Trilogia dell鈥橝nello, e suo padre nella foto 猫 Ron Perlman.
Romanzo d鈥檃vventure, romanzo di formazione, Huckleberry Finn 猫 forse il Grande Romanzo Americano, come e pi霉 di Moby Dick.
脠 cos矛 almeno per Hemingway che del libro di Twain scrisse:
Tutta la letteratura moderna americana deriva da un libro di Mark Twain intitolato Huckleberry Finn. La scrittura americana arriva da l矛. Non c鈥檈ra mai stato niente del genere prima. E non c鈥櫭� pi霉 stato pi霉 niente del genere dopo.
Viene infatti da dire che 猫 cos矛 almeno nella lingua: ben pi霉 鈥榮porca鈥�, ben pi霉 quotidiana, 鈥榤oderna鈥� e impregnata della terra di quella di Melville.
Huck e lo schiavo in fuga Jim.
L鈥檃vventura c鈥櫭� eccome, la formazione non saprei, forse no: perch茅 Huck fugge per essere libero, per vivere come vuole, e alla fine 猫 costretto a tornare indietro e rientrare in quella civilt脿 che rifiuta, dalla quale voleva allontanarsi e separarsi. Alla fine 猫 sconfitto, ma non domo.
Me ne stavo all鈥檃ria tutto il giorno, felice e contento, fumavo e pescavo e non studiavo mai. Cos矛 sono passati un paio di mesi e i miei vestiti sono tornati gli stracci sozzi di sempre, e io non riuscivo pi霉 a capire come mai m鈥檈ra piaciuto dalla vedova, dove bisognava lavarsi, mangiare nel piatto, pettinarsi, andare a letto e alzarsi regolare e starsene sempre con un libro in mano con Miss Watson che rompeva tutto il tempo. Non volevo pi霉 tornarci. Avevo smesso di dire parolacce perch茅 alla vedova non gli piaceva, ma adesso avevo ricominciato perch茅 pap脿 non aveva niente in contrario. Lass霉 nei boschi, tutto sommato, me la spassavo proprio.
La versione di Michael 鈥淐asablanca鈥� Curtiz del 1960. Sulla zattera insiem a Huck e Jim il Duca e il Re.
Nella sua fuga il ragazzino naviga per il grande fiume Mississippi ed 猫 istintivo pensare al fiume Congo, a Conrad e il suo Marlow, a quel cuore di tenebra che sembra riverberare in questo lungo e maestoso fiume americano dove anche Huck incontra gente ben selvaggia, pi霉 selvaggia di lui stesso.
Fa poca differenza se il viaggio di uno 猫 a risalire il corso d鈥檃cqua verso la sorgente e il suo cuore nero, quello dell鈥檃ltro 猫 invece a scendere verso la foce.
E quando sull鈥檌sola deserta del fiume incontra lo schiavo nero Jim, che 猫 fuggito alle catene, e lo porta con s茅 sulla zattera, come non pensare a Robinson Crusoe e Venerd矛?
In un mondo di adulti da evitare, sorta di feccia umana, violenti truffaldini lestofanti oppure bigotti e oppressivi, l鈥檜nico adulto che si salva 猫 proprio lo schiavo nero Jim.
Nella violenza del padre ubriacone che tiene chiuso e sequestrato il figlio come non ritrovare le figure di padri e tutori e maschi adulti che mettevano i brividi nei romanzi di Dickens?
Nel film di Michael Curtiz del 1960 Buster Keaton nella parte di Lion Tamer.
Romanzo d鈥檃vventura e (forse) di formazione, dicevo: ma anche romanzo picaresco per ragazzi e per adulti, pagine che parlano a grandi e piccini. Romanzo sulla fuga. Sulla libert脿.
Tom Sawyer, l鈥檃mico di sempre e delle altre avventure negli altri romanzi, uno prima e uno dopo questo, 猫 un monello che alla fine accetta la civilt脿 e impara le regole: non cos矛 Huck, che rimane selvaggio 鈥� il suo viaggio nella civilt脿 猫 in realt脿 un viaggio attraverso la moderna incivilt脿.
Nell鈥檈dizione originale del 1884 ecco l鈥檌ncontro tra Huck e Jim.
Ci sono ovviamente altri livelli di lettura, meno diretti ai ragazzi e pi霉 agli adulti, come si addice a un grande romanzo: Huck mette in scena la sua morte, rinuncia alla sua identit脿 per essere libero, dalla morte nasce la sua vita. E quindi una partenza ben nera.
Come nero 猫 Jim, nero il fiume percorso soprattutto di notte sotto le stelle, nero il mondo degli adulti (bianchi), nera la civilt脿 da cui 猫 meglio tenersi alla larga, fuggire, nera la modernit脿, a cominciare proprio dagli Stati Uniti. Nera 猫 la morale e nere sono le regole di questi adulti, del loro mondo 鈥榗ivile鈥� e 鈥榤oderno鈥欌€�
Huckleberry Finn in un disegno di E.W. Kemble dell'edizione originale 1884 del libro.
脠 bello vivere su una zattera. Il cielo, lass霉, era tutto tempestato di stelle, e noi ci sdraiavamo sulla schiena a guardarle e discutevamo se le aveva fatte qualcuno o se erano capitate l矛 per caso: Jim pensava che le aveva fatte qualcuno, io invece che erano capitate l矛 per caso 鈥� ci voleva troppo tempo per fare tutte quelle stelle. Jim ha detto che forse le aveva covate la luna, e a me mi sembrava sensato, cos矛 non ho detto niente anche perch茅 avevo visto una rana covare altrettanti ranocchi e perci貌 era possibile. Guardavamo anche le stelle cadenti e le scie che si lasciavano dietro. Jim diceva che erano guaste e cos矛 le buttavano fuori dal nido.
Huck e Jim sulla zattera, illustrazione dell'edizione del 1884.
Il film pi霉 recente 猫 del 1993 diretto da Stephen 鈥淟a Mummia鈥� Sommers. Huck 猫 un giovanissimo Elijah Wood, otto anni prima della Trilogia dell鈥橝nello, e suo padre nella foto 猫 Ron Perlman.
Romanzo d鈥檃vventure, romanzo di formazione, Huckleberry Finn 猫 forse il Grande Romanzo Americano, come e pi霉 di Moby Dick.
脠 cos矛 almeno per Hemingway che del libro di Twain scrisse:
Tutta la letteratura moderna americana deriva da un libro di Mark Twain intitolato Huckleberry Finn. La scrittura americana arriva da l矛. Non c鈥檈ra mai stato niente del genere prima. E non c鈥櫭� pi霉 stato pi霉 niente del genere dopo.
Viene infatti da dire che 猫 cos矛 almeno nella lingua: ben pi霉 鈥榮porca鈥�, ben pi霉 quotidiana, 鈥榤oderna鈥� e impregnata della terra di quella di Melville.
Huck e lo schiavo in fuga Jim.
L鈥檃vventura c鈥櫭� eccome, la formazione non saprei, forse no: perch茅 Huck fugge per essere libero, per vivere come vuole, e alla fine 猫 costretto a tornare indietro e rientrare in quella civilt脿 che rifiuta, dalla quale voleva allontanarsi e separarsi. Alla fine 猫 sconfitto, ma non domo.
Me ne stavo all鈥檃ria tutto il giorno, felice e contento, fumavo e pescavo e non studiavo mai. Cos矛 sono passati un paio di mesi e i miei vestiti sono tornati gli stracci sozzi di sempre, e io non riuscivo pi霉 a capire come mai m鈥檈ra piaciuto dalla vedova, dove bisognava lavarsi, mangiare nel piatto, pettinarsi, andare a letto e alzarsi regolare e starsene sempre con un libro in mano con Miss Watson che rompeva tutto il tempo. Non volevo pi霉 tornarci. Avevo smesso di dire parolacce perch茅 alla vedova non gli piaceva, ma adesso avevo ricominciato perch茅 pap脿 non aveva niente in contrario. Lass霉 nei boschi, tutto sommato, me la spassavo proprio.
La versione di Michael 鈥淐asablanca鈥� Curtiz del 1960. Sulla zattera insiem a Huck e Jim il Duca e il Re.
Nella sua fuga il ragazzino naviga per il grande fiume Mississippi ed 猫 istintivo pensare al fiume Congo, a Conrad e il suo Marlow, a quel cuore di tenebra che sembra riverberare in questo lungo e maestoso fiume americano dove anche Huck incontra gente ben selvaggia, pi霉 selvaggia di lui stesso.
Fa poca differenza se il viaggio di uno 猫 a risalire il corso d鈥檃cqua verso la sorgente e il suo cuore nero, quello dell鈥檃ltro 猫 invece a scendere verso la foce.
E quando sull鈥檌sola deserta del fiume incontra lo schiavo nero Jim, che 猫 fuggito alle catene, e lo porta con s茅 sulla zattera, come non pensare a Robinson Crusoe e Venerd矛?
In un mondo di adulti da evitare, sorta di feccia umana, violenti truffaldini lestofanti oppure bigotti e oppressivi, l鈥檜nico adulto che si salva 猫 proprio lo schiavo nero Jim.
Nella violenza del padre ubriacone che tiene chiuso e sequestrato il figlio come non ritrovare le figure di padri e tutori e maschi adulti che mettevano i brividi nei romanzi di Dickens?
Nel film di Michael Curtiz del 1960 Buster Keaton nella parte di Lion Tamer.
Romanzo d鈥檃vventura e (forse) di formazione, dicevo: ma anche romanzo picaresco per ragazzi e per adulti, pagine che parlano a grandi e piccini. Romanzo sulla fuga. Sulla libert脿.
Tom Sawyer, l鈥檃mico di sempre e delle altre avventure negli altri romanzi, uno prima e uno dopo questo, 猫 un monello che alla fine accetta la civilt脿 e impara le regole: non cos矛 Huck, che rimane selvaggio 鈥� il suo viaggio nella civilt脿 猫 in realt脿 un viaggio attraverso la moderna incivilt脿.
Nell鈥檈dizione originale del 1884 ecco l鈥檌ncontro tra Huck e Jim.
Ci sono ovviamente altri livelli di lettura, meno diretti ai ragazzi e pi霉 agli adulti, come si addice a un grande romanzo: Huck mette in scena la sua morte, rinuncia alla sua identit脿 per essere libero, dalla morte nasce la sua vita. E quindi una partenza ben nera.
Come nero 猫 Jim, nero il fiume percorso soprattutto di notte sotto le stelle, nero il mondo degli adulti (bianchi), nera la civilt脿 da cui 猫 meglio tenersi alla larga, fuggire, nera la modernit脿, a cominciare proprio dagli Stati Uniti. Nera 猫 la morale e nere sono le regole di questi adulti, del loro mondo 鈥榗ivile鈥� e 鈥榤oderno鈥欌€�
Huckleberry Finn in un disegno di E.W. Kemble dell'edizione originale 1884 del libro.
脠 bello vivere su una zattera. Il cielo, lass霉, era tutto tempestato di stelle, e noi ci sdraiavamo sulla schiena a guardarle e discutevamo se le aveva fatte qualcuno o se erano capitate l矛 per caso: Jim pensava che le aveva fatte qualcuno, io invece che erano capitate l矛 per caso 鈥� ci voleva troppo tempo per fare tutte quelle stelle. Jim ha detto che forse le aveva covate la luna, e a me mi sembrava sensato, cos矛 non ho detto niente anche perch茅 avevo visto una rana covare altrettanti ranocchi e perci貌 era possibile. Guardavamo anche le stelle cadenti e le scie che si lasciavano dietro. Jim diceva che erano guaste e cos矛 le buttavano fuori dal nido.
Huck e Jim sulla zattera, illustrazione dell'edizione del 1884.
June 20, 2020
"Yes; en I's rich now, come to look at it. I owns mysef, en I's wuth eight hund'd dollars. I wish I had de money, I wouldn't want no mo'."
Though this book is might have the appearance of the second book to the Adventure's of Tom Sawyer, it is not at all similar. Tom Sawyer was a simple, fun-filled story covering a brief series of events where as this is a much heavier work in almost every aspect. Aside from having certain shared characters, reader will find no find other similarity.
However, what you will find, is the long, hard and adventurous journey of Huck and Jim, highlighting many aspects of a slavery and the social aspects at the time. If you start reading this, expecting a continuation to Tom Sawyer, you'd be pleasantly surprised instead of disappointed, giving you a very different kind of entertainment.
Though this book is might have the appearance of the second book to the Adventure's of Tom Sawyer, it is not at all similar. Tom Sawyer was a simple, fun-filled story covering a brief series of events where as this is a much heavier work in almost every aspect. Aside from having certain shared characters, reader will find no find other similarity.
However, what you will find, is the long, hard and adventurous journey of Huck and Jim, highlighting many aspects of a slavery and the social aspects at the time. If you start reading this, expecting a continuation to Tom Sawyer, you'd be pleasantly surprised instead of disappointed, giving you a very different kind of entertainment.
January 29, 2025
Too Serious, Too Slow
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was fun while Huck Finn has a more somber tone. The pacing was also off and seemed to drag.
For the record, James by Percival Everett significantly departs from this book. Apparently, he too fell asleep in the last half of the book and decided to take the story in a different direction.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Hardcover Text 鈥� $99.99 on eBay
Audiobook 鈥� Free with Audible
Connect With Me!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was fun while Huck Finn has a more somber tone. The pacing was also off and seemed to drag.
For the record, James by Percival Everett significantly departs from this book. Apparently, he too fell asleep in the last half of the book and decided to take the story in a different direction.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Hardcover Text 鈥� $99.99 on eBay
Audiobook 鈥� Free with Audible
Connect With Me!
April 21, 2021
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賵 毓亘乇 乇丨賱鬲賴賲丕 賮賷 丕賱賲賷爻賷爻賷亘賷鉀�
..賷爻禺乇 鬲賵賷賳 亘賯賱賲 賱丕匕毓 賱丕 賷囟丕賴賶 賲賳 鬲賯丕賱賷丿 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷 亘胤亘賯丕鬲賴. 賲賳 丕賱賰匕亘 賵 丕賱禺乇丕賮丕鬲 ..丕賱噩賴賱 賵 丕賱鬲毓賱賷賲..丕賱孬丕乇 賵 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞
賯賷賲丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 鬲兀鬲賷 賲賳 丕賳賴丕 鬲賮乇賯 亘賷賳 丕賱賲亘丕丿賶亍 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳賷丞 丕賱氐丨賷丨丞 賵 丕賱賯賷賲 丕賱夭丕卅賮丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲爻鬲賲丿 亘賯丕亍賴丕 賲賳 鬲賯丕賱賷丿 亘丕賱賷丞 鬲鬲爻賱胤 毓賱賶 丕賱噩賲賵毓 賵 丕賱毓賯賵賱 賵 鬲氐亘丨 賱賴丕 賯賵丞 賯丕賴乇丞 賱兀賷 鬲賮賰賷乇 賮乇丿賷 丨乇
賷丨鬲賮賷 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷賵賳 亘賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘卮賰賱 賱丕賷氐丿賯猸�
. . 賮賴賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲氐賱丨 賱賷賯乇兀賴丕 丕賱賲乇亍 賮賷 丕賱毓丕卮乇丞..孬賲 賷賯乇兀賴丕 爻賳賵賷丕 賵 鬲賲賳丨賴 卮賷卅丕 噩丿賷丿丕
丿丕賷賲丕 亘鬲賮賰乇賳賷 賴匕賴 丕賱兀睾賳賷丞 亘 賴丕賰賱亘賷乇賷 賮賷賳 匕賱賰 丕賱氐亘賷 丕賱兀卮賯乇 丕賱賲胤丕賱亘 賱賱丕亘丿 亘丨賯 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳 賮賷 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 賲賱賰丕 賱賳賮爻賴 賲賴賲丕 賰賱賮賴 匕賱賰 賲賳 賲卮丕賯 賵 氐乇丕毓丕鬲
氐亘賷 丕賮丕賯 卮乇賷丿.. 賷賰乇賴 丕賱毓賲賱 丕賱賲賳鬲馗賲 賵 丕賱匕賴丕亘 賱賱賲丿乇爻丞 丕賵 丕賱賰賳賷爻丞 !! 賱丕 賷亘睾賶 爻賵賶 : 丨乇賷丞 賲賳賮賱鬲丞 亘賱丕 丨爻丕亘 丕賵 毓賯丕亘..賮賷賴 賱賲丨丕鬲 賲賳 亘賷鬲乇 亘丕賳 丕賱氐亘賷 丕賱丕亘丿賷
賳氐賷亘賴 賲賳 丕賱毓賱賲 賲丨丿賵丿..賵 賲賳 丕賱鬲乇亘賷丞 賲毓丿賵賲鈾�
..鬲乇賯 賱賴 丕乇賲賱丞 賵 鬲鬲亘賳丕賴 ..賵 賱賰賳賴 賷鬲亘胤乇 毓賱賶 丨賷丕丞 丕賱丿毓丞 賵 丕賱卮亘毓 丕賱賲氐丨賵亘 亘丕賱丕丿亘 賵 丕賱賳馗丕賲 亘丕賱胤亘毓..賵 賷賴乇亘 賲毓 毓亘丿 丕爻賲乇 賴丕乇亘. .賱賷賱毓亘丕 賱毓亘丞 丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱賰亘乇賶 ..丕賱氐乇丕毓 賱賳賷賱 丨乇賷鬲賰
賵 毓亘乇 乇丨賱鬲賴賲丕 賮賷 丕賱賲賷爻賷爻賷亘賷鉀�
..賷爻禺乇 鬲賵賷賳 亘賯賱賲 賱丕匕毓 賱丕 賷囟丕賴賶 賲賳 鬲賯丕賱賷丿 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷 亘胤亘賯丕鬲賴. 賲賳 丕賱賰匕亘 賵 丕賱禺乇丕賮丕鬲 ..丕賱噩賴賱 賵 丕賱鬲毓賱賷賲..丕賱孬丕乇 賵 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞
賯賷賲丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 鬲兀鬲賷 賲賳 丕賳賴丕 鬲賮乇賯 亘賷賳 丕賱賲亘丕丿賶亍 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳賷丞 丕賱氐丨賷丨丞 賵 丕賱賯賷賲 丕賱夭丕卅賮丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲爻鬲賲丿 亘賯丕亍賴丕 賲賳 鬲賯丕賱賷丿 亘丕賱賷丞 鬲鬲爻賱胤 毓賱賶 丕賱噩賲賵毓 賵 丕賱毓賯賵賱 賵 鬲氐亘丨 賱賴丕 賯賵丞 賯丕賴乇丞 賱兀賷 鬲賮賰賷乇 賮乇丿賷 丨乇
賷丨鬲賮賷 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷賵賳 亘賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘卮賰賱 賱丕賷氐丿賯猸�
. . 賮賴賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲氐賱丨 賱賷賯乇兀賴丕 丕賱賲乇亍 賮賷 丕賱毓丕卮乇丞..孬賲 賷賯乇兀賴丕 爻賳賵賷丕 賵 鬲賲賳丨賴 卮賷卅丕 噩丿賷丿丕
February 25, 2025
We catched fish, and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn鈥檛 ever feel like talking loud, and it warn鈥檛 often that we laughed, only a kind of low chuckle. We had mighty good weather, as a general thing, and nothing ever happened to us at all, that night, nor the next, nor the next.
~~~
Selected by Me for August 2021 Big Book Read (In August I am reading the entire Tom & Huck Series as well as Life on the Mississippi & Huck Out West)
Buddy Read with Aesaan
Random thought: The more I read the more I believe this is my very favorite book. I grow to love it more with each repeated reading.
In 1876, began writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the sequel to his widely popular novel . After eight years of reworking ~~ and sometimes destroying ~~ the manuscript, the novel was published. Fans of its predecessor were surprised to find that Huck Finn was not the romantic depiction of southern boyhood that Tom Sawyer was. Instead, the novel was a realistic look at the hypocrisy and senselessness of southern society. Huck Finn tells the story of a young boy searching for freedom and identity in this backwards society.
It鈥檚 hard for many Americans to accept a simple truth ~~ American history is not always pretty. There are atrocities we don鈥檛 like to be reminded of. For over 135 years, 鈥檚 has held up that mirror and challenged us to examine our souls. When Huck Finn was first introduced in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he was Tom鈥檚 untamed friend, the one who was always ready to play hooky and look for pirate treasure; the friend Tom could always trust to follow him without question. In his own story, Huck takes over as narrator with his distinctive voice, sharing with the reader not only his escapades since fleeing his abusive father, but also his growing philosophy about slavery and the changing country around him.
In many ways Huckleberry Finn is the story of Jim, the runaway slave who accompanies Huck on his adventures, as much as it is Huck鈥檚 story. A complicated character, Jim goes from silly to tragic, sometimes even within the same paragraph. He dreams of freedom, not just for himself but for his wife and children, sharing with Huck his desire to purchase each of them back ~~ and if he can鈥檛 buy them back, he鈥檒l steal them. To help emphasize the heartbreak of Jim鈥檚 plight, Huck witnesses a family split up by a slave auction. Those around Huck are upset by it too, and their inaction speaks volumes.
has been one of the most banned books in America. From complaints about its use of foul language and stereotypes, to being a bad influence on children, this book has never escaped controversy. While re-reading it again this go around, I wondered who exactly did Twain picture as his audience. Sometimes it feels like a young boy鈥檚 adventure, others it reads as a dour tale for adults. Yes, Huck dresses up like a girl and gets in comic misadventures, but this is more a novel about slavery, beatings, child abuse, alcoholism and murder. Huck鈥檚 America, much like 45鈥檚 America, is not a friendly one.
Viewing the novel as merely a contemporary tale of 罢飞补颈苍鈥檚 time, it is masterful how he handles Jim for that reader. Twain begins by hitting all of the stereotypes Americans of that period would have expected, then he builds on the character until he emerges as a hero, sacrificing his freedom to carry an injured white boy to safety. It is a subtle and brilliant statement against racism and for equality.
Lastly, Huckleberry Finn is a book about transitions. These transitions can be seen in the intermediate setting between transitions in which the novel takes place, Huck鈥檚 disenchantment with society over the course of the novel, and Huck鈥檚 moral maturation.
is filled with all sorts of transitions for Huck. Throughout the entire novel, Huck is in a state of Limbo. He鈥檚 fourteen years old, an awkward stage after childhood and before adulthood ~~ in the throes of puberty, while he鈥檚 floating down the Mississippi River, the boundary between individual freedom and an immature civilization. Huck transitions from a boy being civilized in St. Petersburg, Missouri, to a young man completely disenchanted with society. Finally, he transitions from being indoctrinated by southern morality to accepting his own individual morals and heading off to free Jim. Huck is constantly changing over the course of the novel. He starts out as the immature Missouri boy playing jokes on slaves, but by the end he is an enlightened young man ready to head west to a better tomorrow. Huckleberry Finn is the future of America.
Update 2022: I just completed my annual reading. I love the character of Huck so much.
Update 2023: It's amazing all the little things I picked up with this read. Twain is so good.
~~~
Selected by Me for August 2021 Big Book Read (In August I am reading the entire Tom & Huck Series as well as Life on the Mississippi & Huck Out West)
Buddy Read with Aesaan
Random thought: The more I read the more I believe this is my very favorite book. I grow to love it more with each repeated reading.
In 1876, began writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the sequel to his widely popular novel . After eight years of reworking ~~ and sometimes destroying ~~ the manuscript, the novel was published. Fans of its predecessor were surprised to find that Huck Finn was not the romantic depiction of southern boyhood that Tom Sawyer was. Instead, the novel was a realistic look at the hypocrisy and senselessness of southern society. Huck Finn tells the story of a young boy searching for freedom and identity in this backwards society.
It鈥檚 hard for many Americans to accept a simple truth ~~ American history is not always pretty. There are atrocities we don鈥檛 like to be reminded of. For over 135 years, 鈥檚 has held up that mirror and challenged us to examine our souls. When Huck Finn was first introduced in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he was Tom鈥檚 untamed friend, the one who was always ready to play hooky and look for pirate treasure; the friend Tom could always trust to follow him without question. In his own story, Huck takes over as narrator with his distinctive voice, sharing with the reader not only his escapades since fleeing his abusive father, but also his growing philosophy about slavery and the changing country around him.
In many ways Huckleberry Finn is the story of Jim, the runaway slave who accompanies Huck on his adventures, as much as it is Huck鈥檚 story. A complicated character, Jim goes from silly to tragic, sometimes even within the same paragraph. He dreams of freedom, not just for himself but for his wife and children, sharing with Huck his desire to purchase each of them back ~~ and if he can鈥檛 buy them back, he鈥檒l steal them. To help emphasize the heartbreak of Jim鈥檚 plight, Huck witnesses a family split up by a slave auction. Those around Huck are upset by it too, and their inaction speaks volumes.
has been one of the most banned books in America. From complaints about its use of foul language and stereotypes, to being a bad influence on children, this book has never escaped controversy. While re-reading it again this go around, I wondered who exactly did Twain picture as his audience. Sometimes it feels like a young boy鈥檚 adventure, others it reads as a dour tale for adults. Yes, Huck dresses up like a girl and gets in comic misadventures, but this is more a novel about slavery, beatings, child abuse, alcoholism and murder. Huck鈥檚 America, much like 45鈥檚 America, is not a friendly one.
Viewing the novel as merely a contemporary tale of 罢飞补颈苍鈥檚 time, it is masterful how he handles Jim for that reader. Twain begins by hitting all of the stereotypes Americans of that period would have expected, then he builds on the character until he emerges as a hero, sacrificing his freedom to carry an injured white boy to safety. It is a subtle and brilliant statement against racism and for equality.
Lastly, Huckleberry Finn is a book about transitions. These transitions can be seen in the intermediate setting between transitions in which the novel takes place, Huck鈥檚 disenchantment with society over the course of the novel, and Huck鈥檚 moral maturation.
is filled with all sorts of transitions for Huck. Throughout the entire novel, Huck is in a state of Limbo. He鈥檚 fourteen years old, an awkward stage after childhood and before adulthood ~~ in the throes of puberty, while he鈥檚 floating down the Mississippi River, the boundary between individual freedom and an immature civilization. Huck transitions from a boy being civilized in St. Petersburg, Missouri, to a young man completely disenchanted with society. Finally, he transitions from being indoctrinated by southern morality to accepting his own individual morals and heading off to free Jim. Huck is constantly changing over the course of the novel. He starts out as the immature Missouri boy playing jokes on slaves, but by the end he is an enlightened young man ready to head west to a better tomorrow. Huckleberry Finn is the future of America.
Update 2022: I just completed my annual reading. I love the character of Huck so much.
Update 2023: It's amazing all the little things I picked up with this read. Twain is so good.
October 8, 2023
鈥淗uman beings can be awful cruel to one another.鈥�
Like many, I鈥檝e read this book when I was a kid (twice actually, as a kid and a teen), and this was the first time I revisited it as a (hopefully) fully functional adult. And this time my reactions to it were quite magnified. The parts I liked before I loved now, and the parts that irked me in childhood now irritated the living daylights out of me.
Huckleberry Finn is a classic, and about half of it deserves that designation. Those are the parts where Twain shines 鈥� the parts with the mesmerizing and majestic Mississippi river, the ability to write injustice and abuse without proselytizing and falling into 鈥渕isery porn鈥� trap, and the sharp observation of the folks of the rural American South.
鈥淲e catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn鈥檛 ever feel like talking loud, and it warn鈥檛 often that we laughed 鈥� only a little kind of a low chuckle.鈥�
And then there are the parts when severe tonal dissonance kicks in and the whiplash of being in another book sets in. It first starts with a bit of annoyance in those endless 鈥渒ing鈥� and 鈥渄uke鈥� chapters, but peaks at impressive rate once Tom Sawyer and his hijinks pop up. Tom Sawyer, who belongs in a kids book at best, whose overactive imagination in this situation is no longer cute but dangerous and cruel and incredibly thoughtless 鈥� and almost physically painful. (Yes, I know Tom Sawyer is supposed to come across as ridiculous here, but it went on for way too long).
Oh, and how bleak and pointlessly violent was the world of rural American South of the 1830? Sometimes I wonder if humanity really deserves to continue on. Yes, there are quite a few funny parts (Huck鈥檚 rant about Henry VIII many 鈥渁chievements鈥� - from Domesday book to malmsey wine drowning to Boston Tea Party comes to mind*), but my overall take this time is of resolutely grim life. Slavery, violence, alcoholism, cruelty, ignorance, disregard for rights of others - I need to stare at the wall for a little while now.
* My favorite rant here, under spoiler tag for brevity sake:
Being a novel of its time it doesn鈥檛 go where I wish it did, but even classics belong to their time, and this one is not an exception. And people needed to start like Huck 鈥� deciding that 鈥滱ll right, then, I'll GO to hell鈥� 鈥� because you have to start somewhere.
3.5 stars, and my brain is busily editing Tom Sawyer out of this story).
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Buddy read with Nastya.
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺€斺€�
Also posted on .
October 13, 2022
I first read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when I was in high school. I don't remember if it was the full book or an abridged version in a textbook.
I only remembered three things about the book.
1. The Explanatory statement at the beginning of the book where Twain talks about dialects and such.
2. Huckleberry and Jim floating down the Mississippi River on a raft. (I definitely didn't remember how their adventure started or ended.)
3. I also remembered that Huck and others frequently used the N-word. (I didn't remember that they used the N-word 219 times!)
I reread Huck Finn by listening to the first thirty-two chapters of an audio book narrated by Elijah Wood. Then I read chapters thirty-three through forty-three using a text-based digital copy of the book I obtained from my local library. I started with an audio book because I wanted to get a feel for the various dialects.
I almost quit the book early on because I found the use of the N-word so offensive. I decided to continue reading the book after I read the PEN America essay titled Here鈥檚 Why Banning 鈥楬uck Finn鈥� Over The N-Word Sends The Wrong Message.
Huck Finn deals with serious topics such as slavery, child abuse, the flim-flamery we now call "white" crime, and the importance of personal loyalty and integrity. The book starts and ends like a humorous YA adventure but like a four star restaurant there's some serious meat and potatoes between the appetizer and dessert.
I do have to admit I found the comedic shtick between Tom Sawyer, Huck, and Jim to be tedious. I found myself skipping paragraphs, then pages, and finally chapters. Tom Sawyer seems to represent America's long standing bias against "intellectural" people. Tom reminded me of all the clever know-it-alls who do their own research during a pandemic. Tom and Huck express America's bias against deductive reasoning and its favorable view of "common sense".
I only remembered three things about the book.
1. The Explanatory statement at the beginning of the book where Twain talks about dialects and such.
2. Huckleberry and Jim floating down the Mississippi River on a raft. (I definitely didn't remember how their adventure started or ended.)
3. I also remembered that Huck and others frequently used the N-word. (I didn't remember that they used the N-word 219 times!)
I reread Huck Finn by listening to the first thirty-two chapters of an audio book narrated by Elijah Wood. Then I read chapters thirty-three through forty-three using a text-based digital copy of the book I obtained from my local library. I started with an audio book because I wanted to get a feel for the various dialects.
I almost quit the book early on because I found the use of the N-word so offensive. I decided to continue reading the book after I read the PEN America essay titled Here鈥檚 Why Banning 鈥楬uck Finn鈥� Over The N-Word Sends The Wrong Message.
Huck Finn deals with serious topics such as slavery, child abuse, the flim-flamery we now call "white" crime, and the importance of personal loyalty and integrity. The book starts and ends like a humorous YA adventure but like a four star restaurant there's some serious meat and potatoes between the appetizer and dessert.
I do have to admit I found the comedic shtick between Tom Sawyer, Huck, and Jim to be tedious. I found myself skipping paragraphs, then pages, and finally chapters. Tom Sawyer seems to represent America's long standing bias against "intellectural" people. Tom reminded me of all the clever know-it-alls who do their own research during a pandemic. Tom and Huck express America's bias against deductive reasoning and its favorable view of "common sense".
February 29, 2024
Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. earlier this month, I listened to and wanted to learn more about his friend, Huckleberry Finn; and,
2. February 2024 is my "Classics" Month!
Praises:
1. Huck's adventures are quite entertaining! From his escape from his abusive Pap to joining forces with Jim, a runaway slave, while they traverse the Mississippi, these events were at times anxiety-ridden, yet other times, hilarious;
2. loved the introduction of various characters which made this story so much fun to follow. Some of my favorites included Huck's visit to Mrs. Judith Loftus while dressed up as a girl, and the shenanigans of those rapscallion frauds, the Duke and the King. I was; however, pleasantly surprised by the arrival of Tom Sawyer himself! His wildly complicated ideas to free Jim, and the actions he and Huck undertook, all the while tempered by Jim's patient demeanor, had me laughing so hard that I had to pause the audiobook from time to time;
3. Huck himself is such a loveable character. He is "quick on his feet" as he maneuvers himself (and Jim) out of sticky situations. Most importantly, I appreciated his conscience when it came to Jim's freedom; and,
4. narrator Eric G. Dove does an excellent job with his fluency using various dialects.
Overall Thoughts:
I cringed with the frequent use of the "n" word, but being published in 1884, this story is historically accurate and reflects the times.
Personally, I enjoyed , but I loved !
1. earlier this month, I listened to and wanted to learn more about his friend, Huckleberry Finn; and,
2. February 2024 is my "Classics" Month!
Praises:
1. Huck's adventures are quite entertaining! From his escape from his abusive Pap to joining forces with Jim, a runaway slave, while they traverse the Mississippi, these events were at times anxiety-ridden, yet other times, hilarious;
2. loved the introduction of various characters which made this story so much fun to follow. Some of my favorites included Huck's visit to Mrs. Judith Loftus while dressed up as a girl, and the shenanigans of those rapscallion frauds, the Duke and the King. I was; however, pleasantly surprised by the arrival of Tom Sawyer himself! His wildly complicated ideas to free Jim, and the actions he and Huck undertook, all the while tempered by Jim's patient demeanor, had me laughing so hard that I had to pause the audiobook from time to time;
3. Huck himself is such a loveable character. He is "quick on his feet" as he maneuvers himself (and Jim) out of sticky situations. Most importantly, I appreciated his conscience when it came to Jim's freedom; and,
4. narrator Eric G. Dove does an excellent job with his fluency using various dialects.
Overall Thoughts:
I cringed with the frequent use of the "n" word, but being published in 1884, this story is historically accurate and reflects the times.
Personally, I enjoyed , but I loved !
March 11, 2009
I had mixed feelings about this book.
On the one hand, it's clear that Mark Twain was progressive for his day, satirizing the topsy-turvy morals of the slavery-era south. His heroes are two people at the bottom rung of the social ladder - a runaway slave, and the son of the town drunk. Though they're not valued by society, they turn out to be the two most honorable characters of the book. And I appreciated the questions it raised, about how we construct our own sense of morality in the context of broader social morals, and how we deal with potential conflicts between those two. I loved Huck for choosing to go to hell rather than turn in his friend.
On the other hand, it's such a far-fetched farce, with so many over-the-top scenes, one crazy situation after another, so many coincidences, such silliness, that I had a hard time enjoying it. At the end, Tom keeps adding all kinds of superfluous details into the escape plan, just to satisfy his sense of drama. The author seems to think this will be amusing - see how it's a funny game to Tom, see how he's influenced by all the adventure books he's ever read... And I just wanted to smack the kid, and say, "A man's life is in danger! How dare you treat this like a game of make-believe! Just get him out of there, you idiot!"
The humor reminded me a lot of Candide. That style (social satire, ironic farce, fable, whatever you want to call it) can be a great way to make a point. But it's not the same as a novel with well-developed characters and a realistic plot.
Sometimes I enjoy satire, but yesterday, I just wasn't in the mood. I felt like the atrocities committed in our country against African-Americans were just too horrific to laugh at.
I have heard that people often protest this book when it appears on school curricula, because of the repeated use of the n-word. I think I had an easier time accepting that word, because it reflected the common usage of the time, and it felt like part of the natural, authentic voice of the narrator. I had a harder time with the portrayal of Jim as a naive, superstitious, gullible, person, who seems completely dependent on a young white boy to figure out what to do. Jim is good, but he doesn鈥檛 come across as particularly smart. He's more an archetype - the noble savage - than a real person.
I think the main value of this book is as a historical artifact. You can see the important role it played if you look at what it was for the time it was written in, and how it influenced other books written in America. But I don鈥檛 think it could get published today. I'm glad to say, we've come a long way.
On the one hand, it's clear that Mark Twain was progressive for his day, satirizing the topsy-turvy morals of the slavery-era south. His heroes are two people at the bottom rung of the social ladder - a runaway slave, and the son of the town drunk. Though they're not valued by society, they turn out to be the two most honorable characters of the book. And I appreciated the questions it raised, about how we construct our own sense of morality in the context of broader social morals, and how we deal with potential conflicts between those two. I loved Huck for choosing to go to hell rather than turn in his friend.
On the other hand, it's such a far-fetched farce, with so many over-the-top scenes, one crazy situation after another, so many coincidences, such silliness, that I had a hard time enjoying it. At the end, Tom keeps adding all kinds of superfluous details into the escape plan, just to satisfy his sense of drama. The author seems to think this will be amusing - see how it's a funny game to Tom, see how he's influenced by all the adventure books he's ever read... And I just wanted to smack the kid, and say, "A man's life is in danger! How dare you treat this like a game of make-believe! Just get him out of there, you idiot!"
The humor reminded me a lot of Candide. That style (social satire, ironic farce, fable, whatever you want to call it) can be a great way to make a point. But it's not the same as a novel with well-developed characters and a realistic plot.
Sometimes I enjoy satire, but yesterday, I just wasn't in the mood. I felt like the atrocities committed in our country against African-Americans were just too horrific to laugh at.
I have heard that people often protest this book when it appears on school curricula, because of the repeated use of the n-word. I think I had an easier time accepting that word, because it reflected the common usage of the time, and it felt like part of the natural, authentic voice of the narrator. I had a harder time with the portrayal of Jim as a naive, superstitious, gullible, person, who seems completely dependent on a young white boy to figure out what to do. Jim is good, but he doesn鈥檛 come across as particularly smart. He's more an archetype - the noble savage - than a real person.
I think the main value of this book is as a historical artifact. You can see the important role it played if you look at what it was for the time it was written in, and how it influenced other books written in America. But I don鈥檛 think it could get published today. I'm glad to say, we've come a long way.
February 16, 2022
NOTICEThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn opens in the aftermath of , and for a time, it has the same joyous feel as the boys continue their antics of rebellious 12-year-olds. But the return of Huck Finn鈥檚 drunk of a father, Pap, hints at the darker, more serious themes of this novel. After being kidnapped and beaten, Huck escapes his father by faking his own death and then going on the run. He soon crosses paths with a runaway slave, Jim, and together they raft their way down the Mississippi.
PERSONS attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.
BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR
...
Jim said that bees won't sting idiots, but I didn't believe that, because I tried them lots of times myself and they wouldn't sting me.
...
Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.
Like its predecessor, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is largely a series of vignettes with a very loose overarching plot. Huck and Jim travel from Missouri through Kentucky and Arkansas and into the antebellum South, getting into scrapes and making escapes along the way. There鈥檚 some great humor in their conversations on the raft; their argument about the wisdom of King Solomon is priceless. And there鈥檚 classic Twain satire and exposing of hypocrisy here, from the feuding Grangerford and Shepardson families to the con men known as the Duke and the King.
So why was I reading this classic novel during Banned Books Week? For that, we have to talk about race and racism. The characters here (and the author, for that matter) are products of their 19th century time. The n-word is used relentlessly in this book, even by the slaves themselves, and it is jarring. Huck says casually racist things here that are heartbreakingly awful; on one occasion, for example, he compliments Jim by thinking 鈥淚 knowed he was white inside.鈥� And some critics fairly read this book as irredeemably problematic, reinforcing racist stereotypes and repeatedly deriving humor from a variation of a minstrel show.
But I come down on the side of those who read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as transcending and challenging the racist stereotypes of the time. Huck has been taught by society all his life to view blacks as slaves, as less than. And at a pivotal moment, he writes a letter to report where Jim can be found by his master, and at first he thinks the letter is the right thing to do:
I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now. But I didn鈥檛 do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking鈥攖hinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell. And went on thinking. And got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn鈥檛 seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind. I鈥檇 see him standing my watch on top of his鈥檔, 鈥榮tead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and such-like times; and would always call me honey, and pet me and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he鈥檚 got now; and then I happened to look around and see that paper.Huck says the wrong thing, and uses racist language, again and again throughout this book. But he ultimately recognizes and acts on his and Jim鈥檚 shared humanity and equality. That might be the best we can realistically expect from a book published in the 1880s. And some days, it鈥檚 obvious that our society has not come nearly as far on this score as we鈥檇 like to think we have.
It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I鈥檇 got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself:
鈥淎ll right, then, I鈥檒l go to hell鈥濃€攁nd tore it up.
Is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the Great American Novel? It鈥檚 written by an immortal, epically talented writer. It was one of the first books to truly capture the course, plain spoken language of its time. And by focusing on racism and slavery, it speaks to America鈥檚 original sin. So yeah, it just might be, even though I prefer . Highly recommended.
March 24, 2019
"That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don鈥檛 know nothing about it."
What makes a classic? A question I have had to ask myself repeatedly over the last few days, after students in Grade 8 received the task to come to the library and "check out a classic to read". There was a list with the usual suggestions, but students ventured out and started to explore shelves, and then came to me with a wide range of books, repeating the question:
"Is this a classic?"
Why did I turn down the diary of a wimpy kid, they wanted to know, and accept Huckleberry Finn, even though it was so much harder to understand, and also, they had heard it was racist?
All good questions, and I was careful not to give a too categorical answer. The last thing I wanted was for them to make the connotation that a classic is a boring must, while a "good book" is what the teachers and librarians would refuse.
Difficult.
I found myself talking about the Count of Monte Cristo and Voldemort, about Tom Sawyer and Oliver Twist in comparison to Harry Potter, and I made a case for trying to get through parts of Huckleberry Finn even though the language is challenging, mainly because it contains exactly the message that people become unfair "when they don't know nothing about it".
I found myself talking about discovering other times, other societies, other ideas of justice and hierarchy, and I talked about living in the mind of someone other than oneself. Imagine Huckleberry on that raft on the Mississippi, I said. Imagine him being in a conflict between the values he was taught and the humanity he discovered together with his fellow human, who happened to be a black man in distress. Which concept of life would be stronger?
Imagine a situation in which you would have to make a choice between what you are taught and what you perceive?
"That's interesting", a student said.
Another one replied:
"Yeah, but it really is racist too!"
And I thought:
"That makes a classic. A book that can still inspire discussions in a school library some 135 years after its initial publication."
So, dear Harry, I hope that in the year 2133, some librarian will tell students that you are a classic hero, still worthy of their attention, even though your worldview may seem a bit dated and out of touch with their perception of reality! And just imagine all the Voldemorts we will have had to fight to make sure there are still school libraries and reading kids by then!
To Huck and Harry!
What makes a classic? A question I have had to ask myself repeatedly over the last few days, after students in Grade 8 received the task to come to the library and "check out a classic to read". There was a list with the usual suggestions, but students ventured out and started to explore shelves, and then came to me with a wide range of books, repeating the question:
"Is this a classic?"
Why did I turn down the diary of a wimpy kid, they wanted to know, and accept Huckleberry Finn, even though it was so much harder to understand, and also, they had heard it was racist?
All good questions, and I was careful not to give a too categorical answer. The last thing I wanted was for them to make the connotation that a classic is a boring must, while a "good book" is what the teachers and librarians would refuse.
Difficult.
I found myself talking about the Count of Monte Cristo and Voldemort, about Tom Sawyer and Oliver Twist in comparison to Harry Potter, and I made a case for trying to get through parts of Huckleberry Finn even though the language is challenging, mainly because it contains exactly the message that people become unfair "when they don't know nothing about it".
I found myself talking about discovering other times, other societies, other ideas of justice and hierarchy, and I talked about living in the mind of someone other than oneself. Imagine Huckleberry on that raft on the Mississippi, I said. Imagine him being in a conflict between the values he was taught and the humanity he discovered together with his fellow human, who happened to be a black man in distress. Which concept of life would be stronger?
Imagine a situation in which you would have to make a choice between what you are taught and what you perceive?
"That's interesting", a student said.
Another one replied:
"Yeah, but it really is racist too!"
And I thought:
"That makes a classic. A book that can still inspire discussions in a school library some 135 years after its initial publication."
So, dear Harry, I hope that in the year 2133, some librarian will tell students that you are a classic hero, still worthy of their attention, even though your worldview may seem a bit dated and out of touch with their perception of reality! And just imagine all the Voldemorts we will have had to fight to make sure there are still school libraries and reading kids by then!
To Huck and Harry!
June 19, 2015
Why have I never read Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn before? Was it 罢飞补颈苍鈥檚 copious use of the N word? (I vaguely recall a primary school teacher abruptly halting a class read-aloud session, perhaps because of that.) Was it the air of earnest solemnity that surrounds so-called classics? Sheer laziness?
No matter. I鈥檝e read it now, and I鈥檒l never be the same again. Hemingway was right when he said (and I鈥檓 paraphrasing) all American literature comes from Huck Finn. While it鈥檇 be entertaining to read as a kid, it鈥檚 even more rewarding to approach as an adult.
Savour that wonderful opening paragraph (and tell me you can't hear Holden Caulfield in the cadences):
Everything to come is in those opening lines, penned in that distinct, nearly illiterate yet crudely poetic voice. You get a sense of Huck鈥檚 humility (compared to Tom Sawyer鈥檚 braggadocio); his intelligence; a cute postmodern nod to the author; the idea that storytelling contains 鈥渟tretchers鈥� but can also tell 鈥渢he truth鈥�; and the fact that everyone lies, including Huck. Especially Huck. He gets into so many tight spots that part of the joy is wondering how he鈥檒l get out of them.
The outlines of the plot should be familiar: Huck, a scrappy, barely literate boy, flees his abusive, alcoholic father by faking his death and travelling the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers with Jim, an escaped slave, on a raft.
Huck's gradual awakening to Jim's plight is subtle and touching, never sentimental. In a sense the book chronicles his growing conscience. And the colourful characters he and Jim meet and the adventures they have add up to a fascinating, at times disturbing look at a conflicted, pre-Civil War nation.
We meet a Hatfields vs. McCoys type situation; a group of rapscallions who put on a vaudeville-style act and try to fleece rubes; a scene of desperation and danger on a collapsed boat. We witness greed, anger and most of the other deadly sins 鈥� all from a little raft on the Mississipi. And before the midway point, we see the toll that a cruel joke can have on someone鈥檚 feelings.
To a contemporary reader, some of the humour can feel a little forced, and the gags do get repetitive, particularly when Huck鈥檚 savvier, better-read friend Tom enters the scene.
And then comes a passage like this:
Wow. You can see, hear and feel what he's describing. Hard to believe this was written more than 150 years ago.
In the book's closing pages, Huck tells us this:
Well, gosh, Huck, it war worth all yer trouble. We鈥檙e darn glad you dunnit. Yessir.
No matter. I鈥檝e read it now, and I鈥檒l never be the same again. Hemingway was right when he said (and I鈥檓 paraphrasing) all American literature comes from Huck Finn. While it鈥檇 be entertaining to read as a kid, it鈥檚 even more rewarding to approach as an adult.
Savour that wonderful opening paragraph (and tell me you can't hear Holden Caulfield in the cadences):
You don鈥檛 know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer; but that ain鈥檛 no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly 鈥� Tom鈥檚 Aunt Polly, she is 鈥� and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before.
Everything to come is in those opening lines, penned in that distinct, nearly illiterate yet crudely poetic voice. You get a sense of Huck鈥檚 humility (compared to Tom Sawyer鈥檚 braggadocio); his intelligence; a cute postmodern nod to the author; the idea that storytelling contains 鈥渟tretchers鈥� but can also tell 鈥渢he truth鈥�; and the fact that everyone lies, including Huck. Especially Huck. He gets into so many tight spots that part of the joy is wondering how he鈥檒l get out of them.
The outlines of the plot should be familiar: Huck, a scrappy, barely literate boy, flees his abusive, alcoholic father by faking his death and travelling the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers with Jim, an escaped slave, on a raft.
Huck's gradual awakening to Jim's plight is subtle and touching, never sentimental. In a sense the book chronicles his growing conscience. And the colourful characters he and Jim meet and the adventures they have add up to a fascinating, at times disturbing look at a conflicted, pre-Civil War nation.
We meet a Hatfields vs. McCoys type situation; a group of rapscallions who put on a vaudeville-style act and try to fleece rubes; a scene of desperation and danger on a collapsed boat. We witness greed, anger and most of the other deadly sins 鈥� all from a little raft on the Mississipi. And before the midway point, we see the toll that a cruel joke can have on someone鈥檚 feelings.
To a contemporary reader, some of the humour can feel a little forced, and the gags do get repetitive, particularly when Huck鈥檚 savvier, better-read friend Tom enters the scene.
And then comes a passage like this:
When I got there it was all still and Sunday-like, and hot and sun-shiny; the hands was gone to the fields; and there was them kind of faint dronings of bugs and flies in the air that makes it seem so lonesome and like everybody's dead and gone; and if a breeze fans along and quivers the leaves it makes you feel mournful, because you feel like it's spirits whispering 鈥� spirits that's been dead ever so many years 鈥� and you always think they're talking about YOU.
Wow. You can see, hear and feel what he's describing. Hard to believe this was written more than 150 years ago.
In the book's closing pages, Huck tells us this:
If I鈥檇 a knowed what a trouble it was to make a book I wouldn鈥檛 a tackled it, and ain鈥檛 a-going to no more.
Well, gosh, Huck, it war worth all yer trouble. We鈥檙e darn glad you dunnit. Yessir.
March 16, 2018
"賵兀賷賯賳鬲 兀賱丕 噩丿賵賶 賲賳 廿囟丕毓丞 丕賱賵賯鬲 賴亘丕亍, 賮兀賳鬲 賱丕 鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 兀賳 鬲毓賱賲 夭賳噩賷丕賸 賰賷賮 賷噩丕丿賱. 賵毓賳丿卅匕 賰賮賮鬲 毓賳 丕賱丨丿賷孬" 賴丕賰賱亘乇賷 賮賷賳, 亘毓丿 兀賳 乇賮囟 丕賱夭賳噩賷 兀賳 丕賱丕禺鬲賱丕賮 亘賷賳 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷 賵丕賱賮乇賳爻賷 賲孬賱 丕賱丕禺鬲賱丕賮 亘賷賳 丕賱賯胤丞 賵丕賱亘賯乇丞
廿匕丕 賱賲 鬲爻鬲胤毓 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 兀賳 鬲賵氐賱 賱賰 賯賷賲丞 丕賱毓賱賲 賵丕賱賲賳胤賯, 賵禺胤乇 丕賱毓賱賲 丕賱夭丕卅賮 賮賲丕 丕賱匕賷 爻賷賮毓賱責
廿匕丕 賱賲 鬲卮毓乇賰 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘賰賲賷丞 丕賱禺胤乇 賵丕賱禺丿丕毓 丕賱匕賷 賷鬲丨鬲賲 毓賱賷賰 兀賳 鬲丨鬲賲賷 賲賳賴 賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丕賱賲丨賷胤 亘賰, 賮賲丕 丕賱匕賷 鬲亘賯賶 賱賳卮賱賰 賲賳 爻匕丕噩丞 丕賱胤賮賵賱丞責
賮賰賲丕 賷賯賵賱 "亘乇賷丕賳 丿賷賵賳賳噩":
"賯丿 賷賰賵賳 賲丕乇賰 鬲賵賷賳 兀賰孬乇 丕賱賳賯丕丿 賮丕毓賱賷丞 毓賳丿 賳賯丿賴 賱噩賴賱 丕賱亘卮乇 賵禺丿毓賴賲 丨鬲賶 丕賱丌賳, 亘丕賱乇睾賲 賲賳 賲馗賴乇賴丕 賮賴賷 鬲亘丿賵 賵賰兀賳賴丕 賯氐氐 賲睾丕賲乇丕鬲, 賮賴賷 亘丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 賲噩賲賵毓丞 賲賳 廿賮卮丕亍丕鬲 氐丕丿賲丞 賱賱囟毓賮 丕賱亘卮乇賷, 賵丕賱鬲賷 鬲賯賵丿賴丕 丕賱禺乇丕賮丕鬲, 丕賱毓賳氐乇賷丞, 丕賱噩卮毓, 賵丕賱噩賴賱"
賮賷 乇賷賮賷賵 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱兀賵賱: 鬲賵賲 爻賵賷乇 鬲丨丿孬鬲 毓賳 乇賵毓鬲賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賰賯氐丞 賲睾丕賲乇丕鬲 賲爻賱賷丞, 賵賱賰賳 賮賷 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷 賲賳賴丕, 賵丕賱匕賷 賷購丨賰賶 賱賳丕 毓賱賶 賱爻丕賳 氐丿賷賯 鬲賵賲 爻賵賷乇 "賴丕賰賱亘乇賷 賮賷賳", 賳卮賴丿 鬲丨賵賱丕 賰亘賷乇丕賸 賵丕囟丨丕賸 賮賷 賲賵囟賵毓 丕賱賲睾丕賲乇丕鬲 賲賳匕 丕賱氐賮丨丕鬲 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賲賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞:
- 賮丿賷丞責 賵賲丕 賴賷 丕賱賮丿賷丞責
- 賱爻鬲 兀丿乇賷! 賵賱賰賳 賴匕丕 賲丕 賷賮毓賱賴 丕賱賲睾丕賲乇賵賳 丿丕卅賲丕賸! 賵賱賯丿 賯乇兀鬲 毓賳 丕賱賮丿賷丞 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲亘. 賵賲賳 孬賲 賮賴匕丕 賴賵 賲丕 賷噩亘 毓賱賷賳丕 兀賳 賳賮毓賱賴!!
- 賵賱賰賳 賰賷賮 賷賲賰賳賳丕 兀賳 賳賮毓賱 匕賱賰 賵賳丨賳 賱丕 賳毓乇賮賴責
- 賲賴賲丕 賷賰賳 賲賳 兀賲乇, 賮廿賳賴 賷噩亘 毓賱賷賳丕 兀賳 "賳賮毓賱" 匕賱賰! 兀賱賲 兀賯賱 賱賰 廿賳賴 賲匕賰賵乇 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲亘責 賴賱 鬲乇賷丿 兀賳 鬲兀鬲賷 毓賲賱丕賸 賷禺丕賱賮 賲丕 賵乇丿 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲亘責 賵兀賳 鬲賮爻丿 賰賱 賲睾丕賲乇鬲賳丕 亘匕賱賰責
...
- 賵賱賲丕匕丕 賱丕 賷賱鬲賯胤 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 賴乇丕賵丞 賵 "賷賮鬲丿賷賴賲" 亘賲噩乇丿 賲噩賷卅賴賲 廿賱賶 賴賳丕責!!
- 賱兀賳 匕賱賰 賱賷爻 賲匕賰賵乇丕賸 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲亘!..賴匕丕 賴賵 丕賱爻亘亘 賷丕 "亘賳 乇賵噩乇夭".. 賴賱 鬲乇賷丿 兀賳 鬲毓丕賱噩 丕賱兀賲賵乇 丨爻亘 丕賱賳馗丕賲 丕賱賲鬲亘毓 兀賲 亘胤乇賷賯丞 賲禺丕賱賮丞責 -賴匕賴 賴賷 丕賱賲爻兀賱丞 ..兀賱丕 鬲馗賳 兀賳 兀賵賱卅賰 丕賱匕賷賳 賵囟毓賵丕 丕賱賰鬲亘 賷毓乇賮賵賳 丕賱廿噩乇丕亍丕鬲 丕賱氐丨賷丨丞 丕賱鬲賷 賷賳亘睾賷 丕鬲禺丕匕賴丕責 賴賱 鬲馗賳 "兀賳賰" 鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 兀賳 鬲毓賱賲賴賲 卮賷卅丕賸責 賰賱丕 賷丕 爻賷丿賷! 爻賵賮 "賳賮鬲丿賷" 賴丐賱丕亍 丕賱兀卮禺丕氐 亘丕賱胤乇賷賯丞 丕賱賲鬲亘毓丞
- .. 賵賴賱 賳賮鬲丿賷 丕賱賳爻丕亍 兀賷囟丕責
- 賱丕, 賮丕賳 兀丨丿丕賸 賱賲 賷賯乇兀 毓賳 賲孬賱 賴匕丕 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲亘!
======================
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賴賷 廿丨丿賶 丕賱賰賱丕爻賷賰賷丕鬲 丕賱禺丕賱丿丞, 賵毓賳丿賲丕 賳賯賵賱 兀賳賴丕 賰賱丕爻賷賰賷丞 賱賷爻 賮賯胤 賲毓賳丕賴丕 兀賳賴丕 賯丿賷賲丞, 亘賱 賱兀賳賴丕 兀賷囟丕賸 兀氐賷賱丞 賮賷 兀賮賰丕乇賴丕 丕賱鬲賷 賷鬲丿丕賵賱賴丕 丕賱賱丕丨賯賵賳 鬲丨鬲 睾胤丕亍 賲爻賲賷丕鬲 兀禺乇賶, 賮賲孬賱丕 毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賯乇兀 賴匕丕 丕賱賲卮賴丿:
- 廿賳 賲丕 賷噩毓賱賳賷 兀卮毓乇 亘丕賱丨夭賳 賴匕賴 丕賱賲乇丞 , 賴賵 兀賳賳賷 爻賲毓鬲 氐賵鬲 亘丕亘 賷睾賱賯 亘毓賳賮 賲賳匕 賯賱賷賱 , 賮匕賰乇賳賷 匕賱賰 亘丕賱賲毓丕賲賱丞 丕賱爻賷卅丞 丕賱鬲賷 毓丕賲賱鬲 亘賴丕 丕亘賳鬲賷 丕賱賷夭丕亘賷孬 丕賱氐睾賷乇丞 賮賷 兀丨丿 丕賱兀賷丕賲 ! 賱賲 鬲賰賳 丨賷賳匕丕賰 賯丿 亘賱睾鬲 丕賱乇丕亘毓丞 賲賳 毓賲乇賴丕 , 賵兀氐賷亘鬲 亘丕賱丨賲賶 丕賱賯乇賲夭賷丞 , 賵賰丕賳鬲 廿氐丕亘鬲賴丕 卮丿賷丿丞 丕賱賵胤兀丞 賵賱賰賳賴丕 卮賮賷鬲 . 賵丕鬲賮賯 匕丕鬲 賷賵賲 兀賳 賰丕賳鬲 鬲賯賮 兀賲丕賲 丕賱賲賳夭賱 賮賯賱鬲 賱賴丕 :
- 兀睾賱賯賷 丕賱亘丕亘.
賵賱賰賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲賮毓賱 , 賵丕亘鬲爻賲鬲 賱賷 賮噩賳 噩賳賵賳賷 , 賮賯賱鬲 賱賴丕 賲乇丞 兀禺乇賶 亘氐賵鬲 賲乇鬲賮毓:
- 兀賱丕 鬲爻賲毓賷賳賷 責 兀睾賱賯賷 丕賱亘丕亘 .
賮賵賯賮鬲 噩丕賲丿丞 賮賷 賲賰丕賳賴丕 , 賵丕賱丕亘鬲爻丕賲丞 毓賱賶 卮賮鬲賷賴丕 , 賮丕夭丿丿鬲 爻禺胤丕賸 賵睾賷馗丕賸 賵氐丨鬲 :
- 爻兀噩毓賱賰 鬲胤賷毓賷賳 賲丕 兀賯賵賱賴 賱賰 .
賵賴賵賷鬲 亘賷丿賷 賮賵賯 乇兀爻賴丕 , 賮爻賯胤鬲 毓賱賶 丕賱兀乇囟 . 孬賲 鬲乇賰鬲賴丕 賵丿禺賱鬲 丕賱賲賳夭賱 賵賯囟賷鬲 賴賳丕賰 毓卮乇 丿賯丕卅賯 .. 賵毓賳丿賲丕 禺乇噩鬲 , 賰丕賳 丕賱亘丕亘 賱丕 賷夭丕賱 賲賮鬲賵丨丕 賵丕賱胤賮賱丞 賵丕賯賮丞 賵賯丿 禺賮囟鬲 乇兀爻賴丕 賵丕賱丿賲賵毓 鬲賳賴賲乇 賲賳 毓賷賳賷賴丕 .. 賵賯丿 夭丕丿賳賷 匕賱賰 噩賳賵賳丕 貨 賵賴賲賲鬲 亘丕賱丕賳賯囟丕囟 毓賱賷賴丕 , 賱賵賱丕 兀賳 丕賱乇賷丨 賴亘鬲 賮賷 鬲賱賰 丕賱賱丨馗丞 賮兀睾賱賯鬲 丕賱亘丕亘 禺賱賮 丕賱胤賮賱丞 .. 賵賱賲賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲鬲丨乇賰 賲賳 賲賰丕賳賴丕 . 賮兀丨爻爻鬲 亘兀賳 賯賱亘賷 賷賰丕丿 賷賮賱鬲 賲賳 亘賷賳 囟賱賵毓賷 , 賵鬲賯丿賲鬲 賳丨賵 丕賱亘丕亘 賵賮鬲丨鬲賴 亘賱胤賮 賵賴丿賵亍 賵兀亘乇夭鬲 乇兀爻賷 賲賳 禺賱賮賴 , 賮廿匕丕 亘丕賱胤賮賱丞 賱丕 鬲夭丕賱 賵丕賯賮丞 賮賷 賲賰丕賳賴丕 貨 賵毓賳丿卅匕 氐丨鬲 賮賷賴丕 氐賷丨丞 賲丿賵賷丞 賲賮丕噩卅丞 , 賵賱賰賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲鬲丨乇賰 .. 兀賵丕賴 賷丕 賴丕賰 .. 賱賯丿 丕賳賮噩乇鬲 亘丕賰賷丕 , 賵丨賲賱鬲 丕賱胤賮賱丞 亘賷賳 匕乇丕毓賷 賵賯賱鬲 賱賴丕 : 兀賷鬲賴丕 丕賱胤賮賱丞 丕賱賲爻賰賷賳丞 , 賮賱賷睾賮乇 丕賱賱賴 丕賱毓馗賷賲 賱噩賷賲 丕賱賲爻賰賷賳 賲丕 兀鬲丕賴 賲賳 兀孬乇 毓馗賷賲 , 賱兀賳 噩賷賲 賱賳 賷睾鬲賮乇 賱賳賮爻賴 賴匕丕 丕賱廿孬賲 胤丕賱賲丕 亘賯賷 毓賱賶 賯賷丿 丕賱丨賷丕丞" .. 賷丕 丕賱賴賷 賷丕 "賴丕賰" ..
賱賯丿 賰丕賳鬲 丕賱胤賮賱丞 丕賱鬲毓爻丞 亘賰賲丕亍 氐賲丕亍 .. 賵賲毓 匕賱賰 毓丕賲賱鬲賴丕 賱賰 禺卮賵賳丞.!
鬲匕賰乇鬲 賲卮賴丿 賲卮丕亘賴 爻乇丿賴 爻鬲賷賮賳 賰賵賮賷 賮賷 賰鬲丕亘 丕賱毓丕丿丕鬲 丕賱爻亘毓 丕賱兀賰孬乇 賮毓丕賱賷丞, 乇睾賲 兀賳賴 爻乇丿賴 賰賲卮賴丿 丨賯賷賯賷.
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賵賯丕賱鬲 賱賷 丕賱丌賳爻丞 賵丕胤爻賵賳 丕賳賴 賷賳亘睾賷 毓賱賷 兀賳 兀氐賱賷 賰賱 賷賵賲 丨鬲賶 兀爻鬲胤賷毓 毓賱賶 賰賱 賲丕 兀胤賱亘賴 賮賷 氐賱丕鬲賷! 賵賱賯丿 噩乇亘鬲 匕賱賰, 賵賱賰賳 丕賱氐賱丕丞 賱賲 鬲丨賯賯 賱賷 兀賷 賲胤賱亘! ... 賱賯丿 賰賳鬲 兀丨丿孬 賯丕卅賱丕賸: "廿匕丕 賰丕賳 丕賱賳丕爻 賷爻鬲胤賷毓賵賳 丕賱丨氐賵賱 毓賱賶 賲丕 賷乇賷丿賵賳 亘丕賱氐賱丕丞 賮賱賲丕匕丕 賱丕 賷爻鬲毓賷丿 "賵賷賰賵賳 賵賷賳" 丕賱賳賯賵丿 丕賱鬲賷 賮賯丿賴丕 賮賷 鬲乇亘賷丞 丕賱禺賳丕夭賷乇責 賵賱賲丕匕丕 賱丕 鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱兀乇賲賱丞 丿賵噩賱丕爻 兀賳 鬲爻鬲乇丿 毓賱賷丞 "丕賱爻毓賵胤" 丕賱賮囟賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 爻乇賯鬲 賲賳賴丕責 賵賱賲丕匕丕 賱丕 鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱丌賳爻丞 賵丕胤爻賵賳 兀賳 鬲夭賷丿 賲賳 賵夭賳賴丕" 賵毓賳丿卅匕 兀賷賯賳鬲 兀賳賴 賱賷爻 賮賷 丕賱廿賲賰丕賳 兀賳 賷丨賯賯 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 兀賲賳賷鬲賴 亘丕賱氐賱丕丞! 賵匕賴亘鬲 廿賱賶 丕賱兀乇賲賱丞 賵賯賱鬲 賱賴丕 乇兀賷賷, 賮賯丕賱鬲 兀賳 丕賱卮賷亍 丕賱匕賷 賷爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 丕賱丨氐賵賱 毓賱賷賴 賲賳 丕賱氐賱丕丞 賴賵 "丕賱賴亘丕鬲 丕賱乇賵丨賷丞" 賱丕 丕賱賴亘丕鬲 丕賱賲丕丿賷丞!!
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賮賷 丕賱睾丕賱亘 爻鬲禺乇噩 賲賳 賴匕賴 丕賱鬲噩乇亘丞 賲鬲卮賰賰 賷毓賲賱 毓賯賱賴 賮賷 賰賱 丕賱丕丨鬲賲丕賱丕鬲, 賮胤賵亘賶 賱賱賲鬲卮賰賰賷賳.
"賮兀噩亘鬲 : 兀賰亘乇 丕賱馗賳 兀賳 賴丐賱丕亍 丕賱噩賳 兀睾亘賷丕亍 賱兀賳賴賲 賱丕 賷丨鬲賮馗賵賳 亘丕賱賯氐乇 賱兀賳賮爻賴賲 亘丿賱丕賸 賲賳 兀賳 賷卮賷丿賵賴 賱睾賷乇賴賲 ! 賮賱賵 兀賳賳賷 賰賳鬲 賵丕丨丿丕賸 賲賳賴賲 , 賱賲丕 賱亘賷鬲 賳丿丕亍 兀賷 卮禺氐 賷丨賰 賲氐亘丕丨丕賸 賯丿賷賲丕賸 賲賳 丕賱氐賮賷丨 !! 亘賱 賱賵 兀賳賳賷 賰賳鬲 賵丕丨丿丕賸 賲賳 賴丐賱丕亍 丕賱噩賳, 賱鬲禺賱賷鬲 毓賳 毓賲賱賷 !"
November 20, 2012
I had to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in middle school, and I fervently wish that they had made us read Huck Finn instead. I mean, I understand why they didn't (giving middle schoolers an excuse to throw around racial slurs in a classroom setting is just asking for a lawsuit from somebody's parents), but Huck Finn is better. It's smarter, it's funnier, and Huck's adventures stay with you a lot longer than Tom's, because Huck's experiences were richer and more interesting, whereas The Adventures of Tom Sawyer could easily have been titled The Adventures of an Entitled Little Asshole.
If Tom had to go through half of what happens to Huck in this story, he'd be balled up in the corner crying after five minutes. The action of Huck Finn is set in motion when Huck's father shows up and decides that he's going to be responsible for his son now (the story picks up right where Tom Sawyer left off, with Huck and Tom becoming rich, hence Finn Sr.'s sudden involvement in his kid's life). Huck's father essentially kidnaps him, taking him to a cabin in the middle of nowhere and getting drunk and beating his son. Huck escapes by faking his own death (and it's awesome) and begins traveling up the Mississippi river. He runs into Jim, a slave who belonged to the Widow Douglas's sister. Jim overheard his owner talking about selling him, so he decided to run away and try to go north. Huck, after some hesitation, goes with him. From this point, the structure of the book closely mirrors Don Quixote: a mismatched pair of companions travels the country, having unrelated adventures and comic intervals. On their travels, Huck and Jim encounter con men, criminals, slave traders, and (in the best mini-story in the book) a family involved in a Hatfields-and-McCoys-like feud with a neighboring clan. The story comes full circle when Tom Sawyer shows up and joins Jim and Huck for the last of their adventures, and the best part of this is that Tom Sawyer's overall ridiculousness becomes obvious once we see him through Huck's eyes.
Huck is a great narrator, and I think one of the reasons I liked this book more than its counterpart was because it's narrated in first person, and so Huck's voice is able to come through clearly in every word. In addition to the great stories, there are also some really beautiful descriptions of the Mississippi river, as seen in this passage about the sun rising on the river:
"The first thing to see, looking away over the water, was a kind of dull line - that was the woods on t'other side - you couldn't make nothing else out; then a pale place in the sky; then more paleness, spreading around; then the river softened up, away off, and warn't black any more, but grey; you could see little dark spots drifting along, ever so far away - trading scows, and such things; and long black streaks - rafts; sometimes you could hear a sweep screaking, or jumbled up voices; it was so still, and sounds come so far; and by and by you could see a streak on the water which you know by the look of the streak that there's a snag there in a swift current which breaks on it and makes that streak look that way; and you see the mist curl up off of the water, and the east reddens up, and the river, and you make out a log cabin on the edge of the woods, away on the bank on t'other side of the river, being a wood-yard, likely, and pulled by them cheats so you can throw a dog through it anywheres; then the nice breeze springs up, and comes fanning you from over there, so cool and fresh, and sweet to smell, on account of the woods and the flowers; but sometimes not that way, because they've left dead fish laying around, gars and such, and they do get pretty rank; and next you've got the full day, and everything smiling in the sun, and the song-birds just going it!"
(also that was one single sentence. Damn, Mark Twain.)
A fun, deceptively light series of stories that's funny and sad when you least expect it. Well done, The List - you picked a good one, for once.
...why are you still here? The review's over.
Oh, I get it. You want me to talk about the racism, right? You want me to discuss how Huck views Jim as stolen property instead of a person and criticize the frequent use of the N-Word and say "problematic" a lot, right?
Well, tough titties. I'm not getting involved in that, because it's stupid and pointless, and I'm just going to let Mark Twain's introduction to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn speak for itself, and the work as a whole: "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."
If Tom had to go through half of what happens to Huck in this story, he'd be balled up in the corner crying after five minutes. The action of Huck Finn is set in motion when Huck's father shows up and decides that he's going to be responsible for his son now (the story picks up right where Tom Sawyer left off, with Huck and Tom becoming rich, hence Finn Sr.'s sudden involvement in his kid's life). Huck's father essentially kidnaps him, taking him to a cabin in the middle of nowhere and getting drunk and beating his son. Huck escapes by faking his own death (and it's awesome) and begins traveling up the Mississippi river. He runs into Jim, a slave who belonged to the Widow Douglas's sister. Jim overheard his owner talking about selling him, so he decided to run away and try to go north. Huck, after some hesitation, goes with him. From this point, the structure of the book closely mirrors Don Quixote: a mismatched pair of companions travels the country, having unrelated adventures and comic intervals. On their travels, Huck and Jim encounter con men, criminals, slave traders, and (in the best mini-story in the book) a family involved in a Hatfields-and-McCoys-like feud with a neighboring clan. The story comes full circle when Tom Sawyer shows up and joins Jim and Huck for the last of their adventures, and the best part of this is that Tom Sawyer's overall ridiculousness becomes obvious once we see him through Huck's eyes.
Huck is a great narrator, and I think one of the reasons I liked this book more than its counterpart was because it's narrated in first person, and so Huck's voice is able to come through clearly in every word. In addition to the great stories, there are also some really beautiful descriptions of the Mississippi river, as seen in this passage about the sun rising on the river:
"The first thing to see, looking away over the water, was a kind of dull line - that was the woods on t'other side - you couldn't make nothing else out; then a pale place in the sky; then more paleness, spreading around; then the river softened up, away off, and warn't black any more, but grey; you could see little dark spots drifting along, ever so far away - trading scows, and such things; and long black streaks - rafts; sometimes you could hear a sweep screaking, or jumbled up voices; it was so still, and sounds come so far; and by and by you could see a streak on the water which you know by the look of the streak that there's a snag there in a swift current which breaks on it and makes that streak look that way; and you see the mist curl up off of the water, and the east reddens up, and the river, and you make out a log cabin on the edge of the woods, away on the bank on t'other side of the river, being a wood-yard, likely, and pulled by them cheats so you can throw a dog through it anywheres; then the nice breeze springs up, and comes fanning you from over there, so cool and fresh, and sweet to smell, on account of the woods and the flowers; but sometimes not that way, because they've left dead fish laying around, gars and such, and they do get pretty rank; and next you've got the full day, and everything smiling in the sun, and the song-birds just going it!"
(also that was one single sentence. Damn, Mark Twain.)
A fun, deceptively light series of stories that's funny and sad when you least expect it. Well done, The List - you picked a good one, for once.
...why are you still here? The review's over.
Oh, I get it. You want me to talk about the racism, right? You want me to discuss how Huck views Jim as stolen property instead of a person and criticize the frequent use of the N-Word and say "problematic" a lot, right?
Well, tough titties. I'm not getting involved in that, because it's stupid and pointless, and I'm just going to let Mark Twain's introduction to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn speak for itself, and the work as a whole: "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."
April 3, 2024
-丕丨丿賶 丕賲鬲毓 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱鬲賷 賯乇兀鬲賴丕 丕亘丿丕. 鬲氐賱丨 賱賰賱 丕賱兀毓賲丕乇貙 賮賰賱賲丕 賳囟噩 丕賱賯丕乇卅 賳囟噩鬲 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賲毓賴 賵丕爻鬲賯賶 賲毓丕賳 噩丿賷丿丞 賲賳賴丕.
- 丕賱賯氐丞 毓賱賶 賱爻丕賳 氐亘賷 賲乇丕賴賯貨 鬲賳胤賱賯 亘亘胤卅 賮賷 丕賱賮氐賵賱 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賱賰賳 爻丨乇賴丕 賷亘丿兀 賮賷 丕賱賰賵禺 丕賱賲賳毓夭賱 賲毓 丕賱賮賰乇丞 丕賱賲噩賳賵賳丞 賱賱賮鬲賶貙 賵鬲賳胤賱賯 丕賱乇丨賱丞 丕賱爻丕丨乇丞.
-丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賰丕賳鬲 賲賲鬲丕夭丞貙 賮 "賴丕賰賱亘乇賷" 賲睾丕賲乇 匕賰賷 賵賮胤賳 賵胤賷亘貙 "噩賷賲" 丕賱毓亘丿 賵賯氐丞 鬲賱丕賯賷賴賲丕 賵丕賱氐賮丕鬲 丕賱賲毓胤丕丞 賱賴 賲賳 "鬲賵賷賳" 賰丕賳鬲 賲匕賴賱丞貙 "丕賱丿賵賯"賵 "丕賱賲賱賰" 賲賳 丕賮囟賱 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 賵噩丿鬲賴丕 賮賷 乇賵丕賷丞 賷賵賲丕賸 賱賲丕 賷賲鬲賱賰丕賴 賲賳 丕爻丕賱賷亘 卮賷胤丕賳賷丞.
- 賱賲 賷胤賱 鬲賵賷賳 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬貙 賱賰賳賴 噩毓賱賴丕 賲鬲賵丕鬲乇丞 亘胤乇賷賯丞 賱丕 鬲卮毓乇賰 亘丕賱賲賱賱 賵鬲噩毓賱賰 鬲毓賷卮 賮賷 丕賱賯氐丞 賲賳鬲馗乇丕賸 賲丕 丕賱匕賷 爻賷丨氐賱 鬲丕賱賷丕賸貙 賵丕賱鬲賳賵賷毓 丕賱丨丕氐賱 亘賷賳 丕氐賳丕賮 丕賱賲睾丕賲乇丕鬲 賵賲賵丕賯毓賴丕 (睾丕亘丞貙 賳賴乇貙 賯乇賷丞貙 爻賷乇賰貙 賲夭乇毓丞...) 丕鬲賶 賱賷毓夭夭 丕賱鬲卮賵賷賯 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞.
-丕賱兀爻賱賵亘 爻賱爻 毓賱賶 毓丕丿丞 "賲丕乇賰 鬲賵賷賳"貙 爻丕禺乇 賵賲亘胤賳 賮賷 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀賲丕賰賳 賵賲賳 賴賳丕 賮賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 毓賲乇 丕賱賯丕乇卅 爻賷爻鬲賯賷 賲毓賳賶 噩丿賷丿 賲亘胤賳 亘賷賳 爻胤賵乇 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞.
- "賴丕賰賱亘乇賷" 賱賷爻 亘胤賱丕賸 丕賲乇賷賰賷丕 賰賲丕 丕毓鬲丕丿鬲 賴賵賱賷賵賵丿 鬲氐賵賷乇賴貙 賮賴賵 賱賷爻 賲毓 丕毓胤丕亍 丕賱丨乇賷丞 賱賱毓亘賷丿貙 賱賰賳賴 胤賷亘 丕賱賯賱亘 賵賰丕賳 噩賲賷賱丕賸 丕賳 賳乇賶 賵噩賴丞 丕賱賳馗乇 賴匕賴 賲賳 丿賵賳 丕賱賲夭丕賷丿丕鬲 丕賱賲鬲毓丕乇賮 毓賱賷賴丕!!
- "鬲賵賷賳" 賷賯賵賲 亘丕賱爻禺乇賷丞 賲賳 "爻賵賷乇"賮賷 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞貙 賵賷氐賵乇賴 賰賰丕卅賳 噩賱賷丿賷 賱丕 賷賴鬲賲 爻賵賶 亘兀賮賰丕乇賴 丿賵賳 丕禺匕 丕丿賳賶 丕毓鬲亘丕乇 賱賲卮丕毓乇 丕賱丌禺乇賷賳.
- 丕賱鬲乇噩賲丞 賲賲鬲丕夭丞 賵爻賱爻丞貙 賵丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱賲爻鬲毓賲賱丞 亘爻賷胤丞.
- 兀賳氐丨 丕賱噩賲賷毓 亘賯乇兀鬲賴丕 賱兀賳賴丕 爻鬲囟丨賰賰賲 賲賳 丕賱氐賲賷賲 賮賷 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀賲丕賰賳 (禺氐賵氐丕 賲毓 "丕賱賲賱賰"賵"丕賱丿賵賯")貙 賵爻鬲賯乇兀賵賳 賮賷賴丕 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱賱賲爻丕鬲 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷丞貙 丕賱毓丕胤賮賷丞 賵亘毓囟 丕賱丨亘賰丕鬲 丕賱賲卮賵賯丞 噩丿丕賸.
- 丕賱賯氐丞 毓賱賶 賱爻丕賳 氐亘賷 賲乇丕賴賯貨 鬲賳胤賱賯 亘亘胤卅 賮賷 丕賱賮氐賵賱 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賱賰賳 爻丨乇賴丕 賷亘丿兀 賮賷 丕賱賰賵禺 丕賱賲賳毓夭賱 賲毓 丕賱賮賰乇丞 丕賱賲噩賳賵賳丞 賱賱賮鬲賶貙 賵鬲賳胤賱賯 丕賱乇丨賱丞 丕賱爻丕丨乇丞.
-丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賰丕賳鬲 賲賲鬲丕夭丞貙 賮 "賴丕賰賱亘乇賷" 賲睾丕賲乇 匕賰賷 賵賮胤賳 賵胤賷亘貙 "噩賷賲" 丕賱毓亘丿 賵賯氐丞 鬲賱丕賯賷賴賲丕 賵丕賱氐賮丕鬲 丕賱賲毓胤丕丞 賱賴 賲賳 "鬲賵賷賳" 賰丕賳鬲 賲匕賴賱丞貙 "丕賱丿賵賯"賵 "丕賱賲賱賰" 賲賳 丕賮囟賱 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 賵噩丿鬲賴丕 賮賷 乇賵丕賷丞 賷賵賲丕賸 賱賲丕 賷賲鬲賱賰丕賴 賲賳 丕爻丕賱賷亘 卮賷胤丕賳賷丞.
- 賱賲 賷胤賱 鬲賵賷賳 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬貙 賱賰賳賴 噩毓賱賴丕 賲鬲賵丕鬲乇丞 亘胤乇賷賯丞 賱丕 鬲卮毓乇賰 亘丕賱賲賱賱 賵鬲噩毓賱賰 鬲毓賷卮 賮賷 丕賱賯氐丞 賲賳鬲馗乇丕賸 賲丕 丕賱匕賷 爻賷丨氐賱 鬲丕賱賷丕賸貙 賵丕賱鬲賳賵賷毓 丕賱丨丕氐賱 亘賷賳 丕氐賳丕賮 丕賱賲睾丕賲乇丕鬲 賵賲賵丕賯毓賴丕 (睾丕亘丞貙 賳賴乇貙 賯乇賷丞貙 爻賷乇賰貙 賲夭乇毓丞...) 丕鬲賶 賱賷毓夭夭 丕賱鬲卮賵賷賯 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞.
-丕賱兀爻賱賵亘 爻賱爻 毓賱賶 毓丕丿丞 "賲丕乇賰 鬲賵賷賳"貙 爻丕禺乇 賵賲亘胤賳 賮賷 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀賲丕賰賳 賵賲賳 賴賳丕 賮賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 毓賲乇 丕賱賯丕乇卅 爻賷爻鬲賯賷 賲毓賳賶 噩丿賷丿 賲亘胤賳 亘賷賳 爻胤賵乇 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞.
- "賴丕賰賱亘乇賷" 賱賷爻 亘胤賱丕賸 丕賲乇賷賰賷丕 賰賲丕 丕毓鬲丕丿鬲 賴賵賱賷賵賵丿 鬲氐賵賷乇賴貙 賮賴賵 賱賷爻 賲毓 丕毓胤丕亍 丕賱丨乇賷丞 賱賱毓亘賷丿貙 賱賰賳賴 胤賷亘 丕賱賯賱亘 賵賰丕賳 噩賲賷賱丕賸 丕賳 賳乇賶 賵噩賴丞 丕賱賳馗乇 賴匕賴 賲賳 丿賵賳 丕賱賲夭丕賷丿丕鬲 丕賱賲鬲毓丕乇賮 毓賱賷賴丕!!
- "鬲賵賷賳" 賷賯賵賲 亘丕賱爻禺乇賷丞 賲賳 "爻賵賷乇"賮賷 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞貙 賵賷氐賵乇賴 賰賰丕卅賳 噩賱賷丿賷 賱丕 賷賴鬲賲 爻賵賶 亘兀賮賰丕乇賴 丿賵賳 丕禺匕 丕丿賳賶 丕毓鬲亘丕乇 賱賲卮丕毓乇 丕賱丌禺乇賷賳.
- 丕賱鬲乇噩賲丞 賲賲鬲丕夭丞 賵爻賱爻丞貙 賵丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱賲爻鬲毓賲賱丞 亘爻賷胤丞.
- 兀賳氐丨 丕賱噩賲賷毓 亘賯乇兀鬲賴丕 賱兀賳賴丕 爻鬲囟丨賰賰賲 賲賳 丕賱氐賲賷賲 賮賷 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀賲丕賰賳 (禺氐賵氐丕 賲毓 "丕賱賲賱賰"賵"丕賱丿賵賯")貙 賵爻鬲賯乇兀賵賳 賮賷賴丕 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱賱賲爻丕鬲 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷丞貙 丕賱毓丕胤賮賷丞 賵亘毓囟 丕賱丨亘賰丕鬲 丕賱賲卮賵賯丞 噩丿丕賸.
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January 21, 2022tom sawyer was a vexation on my spirit and I鈥檓 so glad I finished this so I never have to hear from him again
January 8, 2011
One of my absolute favourite books, which I have read multiple times. A major classic. If at all possible, get an edition with the original illustrations.
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(Expanded review based on conversation with )
Here in Switzerland, l'affaire du mot N hasn't quite had the high profile it's received on its home territory. In fact, I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't even heard of it until Jordan gave me a few pointers earlier today. So, no doubt all this has been said before, but I still can't resist the temptation to add my two centimes worth.
In case you're as ignorant as I was about hot topics in the literary world, the furore concerns an edition of Huckleberry Finn in which the word 'nigger' has been systematically replaced with 'slave'. My initial response was plain surprise. One of the aspects of the book I enjoy most is Twain's appallingly exact ear for dialogue. He's reproducing the language actually used in the American South of the 1840s, and this, above all, is what gives the novel its force; so why on earth would anyone want to change it? For example, here's Huck's Paw in full flow:
If you're curious to know more about the tradition of improving great works of literature by removing dubious words, you might want to take a quick look at which Jordan and I were giggling over. Bowdler, it turns out, had acted from the best of motives. When he was young, his father had entertained him by reading aloud from Shakespeare; but
I won't criticise Dr Bowdler or his equally well-meaning modern followers. I just think it's a shame Mark Twain never had the opportunity to write a story about them.
___________________________________
(Expanded review based on conversation with )
Here in Switzerland, l'affaire du mot N hasn't quite had the high profile it's received on its home territory. In fact, I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't even heard of it until Jordan gave me a few pointers earlier today. So, no doubt all this has been said before, but I still can't resist the temptation to add my two centimes worth.
In case you're as ignorant as I was about hot topics in the literary world, the furore concerns an edition of Huckleberry Finn in which the word 'nigger' has been systematically replaced with 'slave'. My initial response was plain surprise. One of the aspects of the book I enjoy most is Twain's appallingly exact ear for dialogue. He's reproducing the language actually used in the American South of the 1840s, and this, above all, is what gives the novel its force; so why on earth would anyone want to change it? For example, here's Huck's Paw in full flow:
"Oh, yes, this is a wonderful govment, wonderful. Why, looky here. There was a free nigger there from Ohio -- a mulatter, most as white as a white man. He had the whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and the shiniest hat; and there ain't a man in that town that's got as fine clothes as what he had; and he had a gold watch and chain, and a silver-headed cane -- the awfulest old gray-headed nabob in the State. And what do you think? They said he was a p'fessor in a college, and could talk all kinds of languages, and knowed everything. And that ain't the wust. They said he could vote when he was at home. Well, that let me out. Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? It was 'lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they'd let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I'll never vote agin. Them's the very words I said; they all heard me; and the country may rot for all me -- I'll never vote agin as long as I live. And to see the cool way of that nigger -- why, he wouldn't a give me the road if I hadn't shoved him out o' the way. I says to the people, why ain't this nigger put up at auction and sold? -- that's what I want to know. And what do you reckon they said? Why, they said he couldn't be sold till he'd been in the State six months, and he hadn't been there that long yet. There, now -- that's a specimen. They call that a govment that can't sell a free nigger till he's been in the State six months. Here's a govment that calls itself a govment, and lets on to be a govment, and thinks it is a govment, and yet's got to set stock-still for six whole months before it can take a hold of a prowling, thieving, infernal, white-shirted free nigger.I'm sorry, but I'm honestly unable to see how anyone could think the above passage was racist or might be improved by substituting 'slave' for 'nigger'. It's incidents like this which create the popular European myth that Americans don't understand the concept of irony.
If you're curious to know more about the tradition of improving great works of literature by removing dubious words, you might want to take a quick look at which Jordan and I were giggling over. Bowdler, it turns out, had acted from the best of motives. When he was young, his father had entertained him by reading aloud from Shakespeare; but
Later, Bowdler realised his father had been extemporaneously omitting or altering passages he felt unsuitable for the ears of his wife and children. Bowdler felt it would be worthwhile to present an edition which might be used in a family whose father was not a sufficiently "circumspect and judicious reader" to accomplish this expurgation himself.He undertook to create a suitably amended version. Or, to be exact, he got his sister to do it and then gave out the books under his own name. Again, his reasons were unimpeachable: it would have reflected badly on her to admit that she had understood the naughtier passages.
I won't criticise Dr Bowdler or his equally well-meaning modern followers. I just think it's a shame Mark Twain never had the opportunity to write a story about them.
October 5, 2022
賰賱賴 賷丿賱毓 賳賮爻賴..亘丕賱毓賯賱 賵 亘丕賱丕氐賵賱 丕賵毓賶 鬲丿賱毓賴丕 夭賷丕丿丞
丿丕賷賲丕 亘鬲賮賰乇賳賷 賴匕賴 丕賱兀睾賳賷丞 亘 賴丕賰賱亘賷乇賷 賮賷賳 匕賱賰 丕賱氐亘賷 丕賱兀卮賯乇 丕賱賲胤丕賱亘 賱賱丕亘丿 亘丨賯 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳 賮賷 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 賲賱賰丕 賱賳賮爻賴 賲賴賲丕 賰賱賮賴 匕賱賰 賲賳 賲卮丕賯 賵 氐乇丕毓丕鬲
氐亘賷 丕賮丕賯 卮乇賷丿.. 賷賰乇賴 丕賱毓賲賱 丕賱賲賳鬲馗賲 賵 丕賱匕賴丕亘 賱賱賲丿乇爻丞 丕賵 丕賱賰賳賷爻丞 !! 賱丕 賷亘睾賶 爻賵賶 : 丨乇賷丞 賲賳賮賱鬲丞 亘賱丕 丨爻丕亘 丕賵 毓賯丕亘..賮賷賴 賱賲丨丕鬲 賲賳 亘賷鬲乇 亘丕賳 丕賱氐亘賷 丕賱丕亘丿賷
賳氐賷亘賴 賲賳 丕賱毓賱賲 賲丨丿賵丿..賵 賲賳 丕賱鬲乇亘賷丞 賲毓丿賵賲鈾�
..鬲乇賯 賱賴 丕乇賲賱丞 賵 鬲鬲亘賳丕賴 ..賵 賱賰賳賴 賷鬲亘胤乇 毓賱賶 丨賷丕丞 丕賱丿毓丞 賵 丕賱卮亘毓 丕賱賲氐丨賵亘 亘丕賱丕丿亘 賵 丕賱賳馗丕賲 亘丕賱胤亘毓..賵 賷賴乇亘 賲毓 毓亘丿 丕爻賲乇 賴丕乇亘. .賱賷賱毓亘丕 賱毓亘丞 丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱賰亘乇賶 ..丕賱氐乇丕毓 賱賳賷賱 丨乇賷鬲賰
賵 毓亘乇 乇丨賱鬲賴賲丕 賮賷 丕賱賲賷爻賷爻賷亘賷鉀�
..賷爻禺乇 鬲賵賷賳 亘賯賱賲 賱丕匕毓 賱丕 賷囟丕賴賶 賲賳 鬲賯丕賱賷丿 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷 亘胤亘賯丕鬲賴.. 賲賳 丕賱賰匕亘 賵 丕賱禺乇丕賮丕鬲 ..丕賱噩賴賱 賵 丕賱鬲毓賱賷賲..丕賱孬丕乇 賵 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞
賯賷賲丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 鬲兀鬲賷 賲賳 丕賳賴丕 鬲賮乇賯 亘賷賳 丕賱賲亘丕丿賶亍 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳賷丞 丕賱氐丨賷丨丞 賵 丕賱賯賷賲 丕賱夭丕卅賮丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲爻鬲賲丿 亘賯丕亍賴丕 賲賳 鬲賯丕賱賷丿 亘丕賱賷丞 鬲鬲爻賱胤 毓賱賶 丕賱噩賲賵毓 賵 丕賱毓賯賵賱 賵 鬲氐亘丨 賱賴丕 賯賵丞 賯丕賴乇丞 賱兀賷 鬲賮賰賷乇 賮乇丿賷 丨乇
賷丨鬲賮賷 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷賵賳 亘賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘卮賰賱 賱丕賷氐丿賯猸�
. . 賮賴賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲氐賱丨 賱賷賯乇兀賴丕 丕賱賲乇亍 賮賷 丕賱毓丕卮乇丞 ..孬賲 賷賯乇兀賴丕 爻賳賵賷丕 賵 鬲賲賳丨賴 卮賷卅丕 噩丿賷丿丕
丿丕賷賲丕 亘鬲賮賰乇賳賷 賴匕賴 丕賱兀睾賳賷丞 亘 賴丕賰賱亘賷乇賷 賮賷賳 匕賱賰 丕賱氐亘賷 丕賱兀卮賯乇 丕賱賲胤丕賱亘 賱賱丕亘丿 亘丨賯 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳 賮賷 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 賲賱賰丕 賱賳賮爻賴 賲賴賲丕 賰賱賮賴 匕賱賰 賲賳 賲卮丕賯 賵 氐乇丕毓丕鬲
氐亘賷 丕賮丕賯 卮乇賷丿.. 賷賰乇賴 丕賱毓賲賱 丕賱賲賳鬲馗賲 賵 丕賱匕賴丕亘 賱賱賲丿乇爻丞 丕賵 丕賱賰賳賷爻丞 !! 賱丕 賷亘睾賶 爻賵賶 : 丨乇賷丞 賲賳賮賱鬲丞 亘賱丕 丨爻丕亘 丕賵 毓賯丕亘..賮賷賴 賱賲丨丕鬲 賲賳 亘賷鬲乇 亘丕賳 丕賱氐亘賷 丕賱丕亘丿賷
賳氐賷亘賴 賲賳 丕賱毓賱賲 賲丨丿賵丿..賵 賲賳 丕賱鬲乇亘賷丞 賲毓丿賵賲鈾�
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賷丨鬲賮賷 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷賵賳 亘賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘卮賰賱 賱丕賷氐丿賯猸�
. . 賮賴賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲氐賱丨 賱賷賯乇兀賴丕 丕賱賲乇亍 賮賷 丕賱毓丕卮乇丞 ..孬賲 賷賯乇兀賴丕 爻賳賵賷丕 賵 鬲賲賳丨賴 卮賷卅丕 噩丿賷丿丕
October 26, 2020
THE Greatest American Novel?
Well...
No wonder the Spanish think themselves intellectually/culturally superior with their Quixote, undoubtedly a blueprint for this mischievous Every Boy! Huck Finn is the full embodiment of THE American Fantasy: mainly that dire misconception that the protagonist of the world is you and that everything gravitates around that essential nucleus. Everyone in town thinks Huck dead, and what does he do but follow the tradition of a plot folding unto itself (as Don Q finds his story become medieval pop culture in Part II of that superior novel) as he disguises himself as a little girl and tries to squeeze information out of some lady about his myth-in-the-making trek. It seems everyone cares for this vagrant, a perpetual Sancho P to Tom Sawyer's Quixote, whose redeemable features include (a pre-transcendental) openmindedness and an inclination to live only in the NOW. But the narrator, a very unreliable one at that, surrounds himself with bad bad men, playing the role of accomplice often, always safe and sound under the dragon's wing. Very American in his lemming mentality & in his misconceptions (though about his hometown and wilderness he knows much indeed).
So: disguise used as an integral plot device several times throughout; brawny men taking a boy hostage; nakedness by the riverbed; costume changes, improvised Shakespearean shows, men almost always described as "beautiful" (and women solely as "lovely")....
***GAY!!***
Yeah, it really is hard to discern the allegory behind all of this hype. The humor is obvious, but I have to admit that this picaresque novel about a boy who avoids "sivilization" at all costs is beaten mercilessly by a more modern, therefore more RELEVANT tale of the South, "Confederacy of Dunces." Although it must be admitted that "Huck Finn" does manage to surpass other often-praised classics, like the droll "Wuthering Heights."
Well...
No wonder the Spanish think themselves intellectually/culturally superior with their Quixote, undoubtedly a blueprint for this mischievous Every Boy! Huck Finn is the full embodiment of THE American Fantasy: mainly that dire misconception that the protagonist of the world is you and that everything gravitates around that essential nucleus. Everyone in town thinks Huck dead, and what does he do but follow the tradition of a plot folding unto itself (as Don Q finds his story become medieval pop culture in Part II of that superior novel) as he disguises himself as a little girl and tries to squeeze information out of some lady about his myth-in-the-making trek. It seems everyone cares for this vagrant, a perpetual Sancho P to Tom Sawyer's Quixote, whose redeemable features include (a pre-transcendental) openmindedness and an inclination to live only in the NOW. But the narrator, a very unreliable one at that, surrounds himself with bad bad men, playing the role of accomplice often, always safe and sound under the dragon's wing. Very American in his lemming mentality & in his misconceptions (though about his hometown and wilderness he knows much indeed).
So: disguise used as an integral plot device several times throughout; brawny men taking a boy hostage; nakedness by the riverbed; costume changes, improvised Shakespearean shows, men almost always described as "beautiful" (and women solely as "lovely")....
***GAY!!***
Yeah, it really is hard to discern the allegory behind all of this hype. The humor is obvious, but I have to admit that this picaresque novel about a boy who avoids "sivilization" at all costs is beaten mercilessly by a more modern, therefore more RELEVANT tale of the South, "Confederacy of Dunces." Although it must be admitted that "Huck Finn" does manage to surpass other often-praised classics, like the droll "Wuthering Heights."
July 3, 2017
Pretty good, kinda silly - but I think that is what Twain was going for - 3.5 stars.
Twain is the king of the Yarn. Huckleberry Finn is a collection of outlandish tales all with lies and trickery at their heart. At the time of its release I am sure it became a bible for scoundrels and mischevious teens.
This book is controversial, and even frequently banned, because of its portrayal of black slaves and the use of the N-word. I venture into shaky ground here by offering my opinion as I am white, but I don't think I will cause too much trouble. I can accept that at the time of writing the words and language were fairly normal so as a time period piece it is true. However, I can't say I have read a book that takes place in that time period that so flippantly tosses the n-word around. Regarding banning of this book - I can definitely tell why some parents might be concerned about their kids reading this book. I think a lot of it depends on how it is being taught - I would hope the teacher would put an emphasis on explaining the language being used.
Summary:
- A good book
- Kind of silly
- A handbook for deception
- An understandably controversial reflection of the prejudices at the time it was written
- Some may need guidance regarding the the way racial differences are portrayed in this book.
Twain is the king of the Yarn. Huckleberry Finn is a collection of outlandish tales all with lies and trickery at their heart. At the time of its release I am sure it became a bible for scoundrels and mischevious teens.
This book is controversial, and even frequently banned, because of its portrayal of black slaves and the use of the N-word. I venture into shaky ground here by offering my opinion as I am white, but I don't think I will cause too much trouble. I can accept that at the time of writing the words and language were fairly normal so as a time period piece it is true. However, I can't say I have read a book that takes place in that time period that so flippantly tosses the n-word around. Regarding banning of this book - I can definitely tell why some parents might be concerned about their kids reading this book. I think a lot of it depends on how it is being taught - I would hope the teacher would put an emphasis on explaining the language being used.
Summary:
- A good book
- Kind of silly
- A handbook for deception
- An understandably controversial reflection of the prejudices at the time it was written
- Some may need guidance regarding the the way racial differences are portrayed in this book.
May 21, 2023
"All right, then, I'll GO to hell" --
This is Huck's decision, rather than turn in his friend, Jim. They had been through many things together.
Here's the story....
Huck faked his death and ran away from his drunken father. On Jackson鈥檚 Island, in the middle of the Mississippi River, Huck encounters Jim, a runaway slave and his friend. Jim fled because he overheard his owner, Miss Watson, planning to sell him to a plantation. Huck and Jim ultimately must escape the island because their campfire is spotted.
Later in their adventures Huck reports...
I got a piece of paper and a pencil, all glad and excited, and set down and wrote:
鈥楳iss Watson, your runaway nigger Jim is down here two mile below Pikesville, and Mr. Phelps has got him and he will give him up for the reward if you send.鈥�
I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now. But I didn't do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking -- thinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell.
And went on thinking. And got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind.
I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and such-like times; and would always call me honey, and pet me and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the ONLY one he's got now; and then I happened to look around and see that paper.
It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself:
"All right, then, I'll GO to hell" -- and tore it up.鈥�
Huck's epiphany is that Jim is a human being, no matter what people call him or how they treat him, and Huck is willing to risk his soul to help him.
===========
I don't listen to many audiobooks, but if you like them may I suggest the brilliantly narrated version by Elijah Wood. He captures the colloquial speech brilliantly in a way I never got from the written page.
This is Huck's decision, rather than turn in his friend, Jim. They had been through many things together.
Here's the story....
Huck faked his death and ran away from his drunken father. On Jackson鈥檚 Island, in the middle of the Mississippi River, Huck encounters Jim, a runaway slave and his friend. Jim fled because he overheard his owner, Miss Watson, planning to sell him to a plantation. Huck and Jim ultimately must escape the island because their campfire is spotted.
Later in their adventures Huck reports...
I got a piece of paper and a pencil, all glad and excited, and set down and wrote:
鈥楳iss Watson, your runaway nigger Jim is down here two mile below Pikesville, and Mr. Phelps has got him and he will give him up for the reward if you send.鈥�
I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now. But I didn't do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking -- thinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell.
And went on thinking. And got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind.
I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and such-like times; and would always call me honey, and pet me and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the ONLY one he's got now; and then I happened to look around and see that paper.
It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself:
"All right, then, I'll GO to hell" -- and tore it up.鈥�
Huck's epiphany is that Jim is a human being, no matter what people call him or how they treat him, and Huck is willing to risk his soul to help him.
===========
I don't listen to many audiobooks, but if you like them may I suggest the brilliantly narrated version by Elijah Wood. He captures the colloquial speech brilliantly in a way I never got from the written page.
December 30, 2023
Finally got to this after about 50 years. A fun read and continuation of the Tom Sawyer story. Not politically correct for our times. But who cares. It's Mark Twain, by golly.
July 13, 2022
With this, completing 6 of 339 from The Rory Gilmore Reading List.
4.5/5 stars
Although, it might look as if this The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, it is not the same. Apart from the names, there is no other similarity between the two.
I was baffled by the style of writing. It was different. The tone was different too. I enjoyed reading about Huckleberry Finn more than Tom Sawyer.
If you happen to be one who's always in the hunt of character development while picking a book. Sadly, this one might not be the one for you. I for one couldn't find any difference in Huckleberry Finn from start to end, as far as character is concerned. He remains the same throughout the story.
This book has racism, misogyny and bad parenting behaviour. So look out for those while you decide to read it.
Review Posted: 21 May 2022.
Visit to read this and all my other reviews.
4.5/5 stars
Although, it might look as if this The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, it is not the same. Apart from the names, there is no other similarity between the two.
I was baffled by the style of writing. It was different. The tone was different too. I enjoyed reading about Huckleberry Finn more than Tom Sawyer.
If you happen to be one who's always in the hunt of character development while picking a book. Sadly, this one might not be the one for you. I for one couldn't find any difference in Huckleberry Finn from start to end, as far as character is concerned. He remains the same throughout the story.
This book has racism, misogyny and bad parenting behaviour. So look out for those while you decide to read it.
Review Posted: 21 May 2022.
Visit to read this and all my other reviews.
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