The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

by Mark Twain

book data

3,380 ratings, 3.95 average rating, 167 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		32%
4		38%
3		23%
2		4%
1		1%

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published

December 3rd 2002 (first published 1960) by Signet Classics

binding

Paperback, 544 pages

characters

Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn

isbn

0451528646 (isbn13: 9780451528643)

description

Few books capture both the simplicity and complexities of American life quite like these enduring "boyhood" classics by Mark Twain.

The Adv...more

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02/29/08

Jason Pettus rated it:

Read in February, 2008

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reposted here illegally.)

The CCLaP 100: In which over a two-year period I read a hundred so-called "classics," then write essays about whether I think they deserve the label
This week: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain (1876)
Book #6 of this essay series

The story in a nuts...more

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2 comments

04/12/08

Silvana rated it:

(review of isbn 1853260118)

bookshelves: children, classics, own

Read in January, 2009

I like Huck's story better than Tom's. Probably because it is darker. Tom's story is alright, he's a very smart and creative kid and he sometimes made me laugh, especially the part when he was asked about the first two disciples during Sunday School and he answered David and Goliath, haha...

Anyway, Huck's story is better because it gives more insight on the real life and people along the Mississippi river when there's still slavery. Huck surely met with various, interesting character...more

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3 comments

01/23/09

Zarinahh2012 added it

Huck Finn Book Review
What do you think about the book “The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn?” Well me, I really didn’t like it that much. To me this book was confusing, races and some parts of this book was very boring. If you don’t catch the beginning of a book, it is going to be hard to follow the rest. This book was just not for me.
First, to me this book was confusing. The reason why this book was confusing because it was difficult to read. Especially because of the way tha...more

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01/13/09

T-bird rated it:

bookshelves: classics, fun, reviewed

Read in December, 2008

Huck Finn Book Report

This story is about a boy named Huck Finn who runs away from home and has various adventures. It is set in the 1800's-southern United States. Aside from Huck the main characters are Jim, the king and duke, Huck’s dad, and Miss Watson. Huck has conflicts about becoming civilized. Huck has many brawls while traveling with Jim

Huck is like any child. They become civilized yet still have a yearn for adventure. He can’t stand being bottled up...more

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03/16/08

Lmcwil rated it:

bookshelves: childrens

Read in January, 1995

I don't understand why these are only listed as one book- I distinctly remember reading Tom Sawyer, and then some years later, reading Huck Finn. Anyways, I liked them both although I recall particularly appreciating the latter. As far as I recall, Tom Sawyer was basically just a fun read, whereas Huck Finn seemed more of a social commentary, with a certain dark brooding about it. I read these both ages ago, prolly when i was about 13 or 14; I would definitely recommend.

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05/15/09

Lydia Husser rated it:

Read in June, 2009

Huck Finn requires some patience to read, but it is well worth the effort. It was difficult for me, tucked away in one of the most Northern corners of the country, to understand the South as it was (and is). Not that racial tension doesn't happen here, but we generally aren't reminded on a daily basis of the deep, lasting effects that slavery had.

Huck and Jim's relationship was the most difficult part of the story. They were friends, but there was definitely a sense of superiority of...more

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07/07/08

Michelle rated it:

bookshelves: read-2008

Read in August, 2008

Not as much fun as Huckleberry Finn, but then when I re-read Huck, Tom was the most annoying part. He's such a bone-head.

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03/21/09

Russell Ince rated it:

I discovered Mark Twain whilst at University and it was probably Tom Sawyer that got me reading as a habit as opposed to an occasional thing to do when necessary for a piece of coursework! I've re-read Tom Sawyer a couple of times and although ostensibly a children's adventure story it resonates with adults through it's recollections of childhood.

If Tom Sawyer had been cryogenically frozen and brought into the modern age he would, no doubt, become a best friend with or gr...more

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09/24/08

ben rated it:

(review of isbn 140681296X)

bookshelves: ebooks, fiction

Read in November, 2008

These are powerful short stories full of cynical humor. The $30,000 Bequest is a story about moral ruin brought on by the love of money and stock market speculation. A Dog's Tale is a dramatic and realistic story of human cruelty to animals. The First Writing Machines is a description of the author's early adoption of the typewriter. He says that the typewriter only wrote capital letters, which reminds me of old fashioned computer terminals. On top of that, they wrote only Gothic letters, w...more

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09/17/08

Travis rated it:

Read in October, 2008

I hadn't really read these since I was a kid. What is amazing about these two books is how distinct the two characters are, and how late in the game you realize it (say, fifty pages from the end of the second book.) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has spectacular beginning sections - the first three chapters or so - that function separately as little fables. Tom Sawyer himself has some wonderful dark moments in there - I particularly love that he misbehaves constantly but becomes almost suicidal wh...more

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05/08/08

Brian Johnson rated it:

Read in January, 2007

Huckleberry Finn

Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain is one of the most well rounded books every written and it has everything that a reader could ask for in a book to keep the reader from wanting to put the book down. This is a story based on adventure and race and religion that makes this story what it is and how great of a novel it truly is. Throughout this whole story, Huck is going through anything that a young kid should not be having to go through but the only good thing a...more Huckleberry Finn

Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain is one of the most well rounded books every written and it has everything that a reader could ask for in a book to keep the reader from wanting to put the book down. This is a story based on adventure and race and religion that makes this story what it is and how great of a novel it truly is. Throughout this whole story, Huck is going through anything that a young kid should not be having to go through but the only good thing about it is that he is never alone. He either has two other main characters to help him out through tough situations or just make those situations even harder and these two characters are Jim or Tom.
Huckleberry Finn is the main character of this story and he goes through everything that you could think of. One of the main things that Huck has had to deal with was his drunken father. He has never been brought up as a socially accurate person and he helps Jim who is an African American slave who has escaped from Miss Watson. Jim is legally Miss Watson’s property but sense Huck has never really been taught things that kids with normal lives have been taught, he doesn’t know right from wrong but he feels that it is right to help Jim who has become one of Huck’s best friends. Sense Huck is just a kid, he doesn’t really know the rules for society so he basically just makes up his own rules and it seems as if this kid is a very smart kid who learned how things go on his own and it seemed to work out very well for him.
Tom Sawyer one of the other main characters of the story who is best friends with Huck and is the same age as him. The thing about these two characters is that they are complete opposites. Huck was basically born into poverty and not really knowing anything about society but Tom on the other hand has been raised by a good family and he has learned everything from the people that he has been around and all believes in is the rules. Huck on the other hand just believes in making rules on his own and doing what he thinks is right and what he does happens to be the right thing even though he is the one in the story who has not been taught what the normal thing in society is. If Huck was raised just as Tom was raised, I think that Huck would be the exact same as Tom is now.
Jim is an African American slave owned by Miss Watson. He has escaped from her captivity and is being helped out by Huck. Jim actually is a really smart man and he is also a very superstitious man but these superstitions help him reveal how smart he really is. Jim actually has a wife and kids in which he loves more than anything and thinking about them help him get away from being a slave and he will do whatever it takes to be with them again some day. This factor about the story proves that society is not as correct as Tom thinks it is. Just because Jim is a slave does not mean that he is just a person with no feelings and nothing to live for. If anything he has more to live for than a lot of people in this story.
I think that this story really is the Great American Novel and it is by far one of my favorite books that I have ever read in my life. You could not ask for a more fulfill story that has some of the best aspects of an adventure story that you could ever imagine. I’m not going to go into much of the detail of the story because I don’t want to ruin anything about the story and I just think that it would be so much better if you would just read it just knowing everything that I have told you so far. I think that everything that I have told you is enough to make you want to read this book and let you have a great time while reading it.
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05/08/08

Casey Coley rated it:

Read in January, 2007

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most well known stories in American literature. This novel, often referred to as the Great American Novel, continues from where it left off in the Tom Sawyer novel. In this novel, Huck Finn is taught by Miss Watson and soon finds that he does not enjoy being taught manners. During this time Huck’s pap comes back and takes him away where he hides Huck and, at times, almost harms him. Huck proposes a plan that fools the town into...more The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most well known stories in American literature. This novel, often referred to as the Great American Novel, continues from where it left off in the Tom Sawyer novel. In this novel, Huck Finn is taught by Miss Watson and soon finds that he does not enjoy being taught manners. During this time Huck’s pap comes back and takes him away where he hides Huck and, at times, almost harms him. Huck proposes a plan that fools the town into thinking he is dead. After this, Huck runs off down the river where he meets up with one of Miss Watson’s slaves, Jim. Huck and Jim work together to make sure neither of them are caught. The two travel down the Mississippi River overcoming many obstacles and coming very close to being caught. On the journey, the two meet families that are fighting, two runaway convicts, and even Tom Sawyer’s Aunt and Uncle. The story goes on to show the connection and relationship between Huck and Jim and how they become very closely attached to each other.
This novel is an excellent novel and well deserved of being call the “Great American Novel.” Throughout the novel, Twain adds many tiny specific details that make it that much better than all the other novels. An example of this is the description of Jim’s necklace and the description of the Duke and King while they were putting on their play. Twain also adds affectionate details in the story that makes the reader want to continue reading and not put it down. And example of this is when Huck and Jim become separated on the lake due to the fog. When the two are reunited again, Jim comments that he was worried sick about Huck and thought that he could be dead. This affection increases knowing that the relationship is between a slave and a young white boy during the times of slavery and racism.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of my favorite novels, even if I was forced to read it for an English class. After complaining about the size and moaning about the text, and after actually reading it, I found that it is a very enticing story that is difficult to stop reading. The way the story progresses during the journey on the river is genius work on Twain’s part. In a nut shell the entire story is nothing but a boy and a slave on a raft traveling down a river, not knowing where exactly they are going, but instead letting fate take them wherever. Twain takes this broad plot and twists it, adding in the stop at the Shepherdson’s and Grangerford’s, as well as the stop into town where the two royal convicts perform their Shakespearean play. These little stops and additions to the story line are what makes this novel great and inspiring to all other novels.
Out of all the novels I have read, Huck Finn has been by far the most adventurous. This novel contains hidden treasure, family fighting, and a great amount of lying. Huck and Tom acquire the hidden treasure in the previous story. After this discovery, these two and their gang, pretend they are rebels that will rob the people and live as bandits. Huck is the first to mature and realize that the things they are doing are not adventures but instead just games. The family fighting occurs between the Shepherdson’s and Grangerford’s. The intense fighting doesn’t begin until Miss Sophia, a Shepherdson, runs off with Harney, a Grangerford. During this time, the two families fight until one family kills all of the opposite family. Once again, Huck is the mature one and does not see the point of the constant fighting over something that occurred a long time ago in the past. The lying that is constant throughout the novel comes mainly from Huck and his attempt to conceal his identity. In one scene, Huck dresses as a young girl and goes into town to hear the news on what the people are talking about since he had been “killed”. During this time he talks with an old woman who does not fall for his act and recognizes that he is a boy. Huck creates a quick lie that saves him yet again. This time the woman is not able to detect falseness and is tricked in his lies.
If there is any novel out there that would be exciting, adventurous, sad, and worth reading, then The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is that novel. There is no doubt in my mind that this novel is the Great American Novel based on the talent of Twain’s writing. Many people will look at Huck Finn and cower at the size of the book and make that their decision on whether to read it or not. If one would take the time and read the first chapter or two, then they will be transported into the world of Huck Finn and they will become curious, making them want to read more. To be able to say I have read the Great American Novel and enjoyed it is a great accomplishment. This shows you have true respect for literature in the American Society and can judge between those novels that are great and those that are good.
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05/08/08

Ani rated it:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
By Mark Twain
Review by Anneliese Edge

I can honestly say I have never been to the Mississippi River, but the author of the this great American novel made me feel as if I were actually with Huck and Jim on their many adventures down this historical river. The novel is about a young boy named Huckleberry Finn who is searching for adventure and is longing for freedom. This young boy was taken away by his drunk of a father because h...more The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
By Mark Twain
Review by Anneliese Edge

I can honestly say I have never been to the Mississippi River, but the author of the this great American novel made me feel as if I were actually with Huck and Jim on their many adventures down this historical river. The novel is about a young boy named Huckleberry Finn who is searching for adventure and is longing for freedom. This young boy was taken away by his drunk of a father because he wanted to possess the money Huck had earned with his “partner in crime”, Tom Sawyer. Huck tells us of how he has lived with The Widow Douglass who controls him with rules and order, but he wants to be free of it all. He gets away from them both which lead him to his journey throughout the book on the Mississippi River. He is joined by another runaway who is searching for the same things, freedom and adventure. He happens to have been a slave of the Widow Douglass’ sister, Miss Watson. The slave, Jim decides to join Huck on this treacherous adventure to seek what they both have wanted their whole lives.

I loved this book because of the deep and compassionate relationship between Jim and Huck. Huck has been brought up with slaves all his life and he has to get accustomed to the fact that Jim is running away. He knows he could face severe consequences if they were caught together, but he pushes the doubtful feelings aside because he knows the feeling Jim gets when he thinks about freedom. I love how they can both connect through that even if they wanted freedom for different reasons and in different ways. They journey together and become such close friends that they would risk their own lives for the other. As I traveled farther into the novel with them I saw that the racial issues began to fade away with each dangerous obstacle in their paths. They learned to care for one another based on what they knew and not on what they saw from appearance.

As Jim and Huck go further down the Mississippi they come across many dangers and also many new characters. We meet a so-called “Duke and King” who are greedy liars, The Grangerfords and Sheperdsons who are two rivaling families, and Aunt Sally who is Tom Sawyer’s aunt. These characters provide Huck and Jim with items for survival even if they were unaware. They had to do some stealing, especially with such greedy people like the Duke and King. Some of the characters provided Huck with comfort and support he has needed all his life from a family. He was seen as apart of them and not as someone who just needed to be taught something because he was so uneducated. He was taught some life lessons that he felt would be a lot more beneficial than any school lesson he could be taught by the Widow. I saw this as another similarity Jim and Huck shared because they both lacked many things that were seen as beneficial in their society. They could relate even better to the other because they had an understanding for each other.

The major theme of this book is racial integration which revolves around the time period of the novel when this was a very intense issue. Huck and Jim see passed this and that is what makes it such a truly great American novel. They do mix and connect with each other well; they had so much to relate to despite the color of their skin. They both came from similar backgrounds of not having much time to do anything worth while or having choices to make on their own. Even though they felt this in two completely different ways it’s what they lived for. They wanted it enough to escape everything they had ever known because they knew it was a risk worth taking if they could every reach their desire, freedom.

So much of what went on in this book including racism and poverty still exists in our world today making it the best great American novel that anyone from any generation can relate to and understand. As I read I became connected to the two men because I wanted them to reach their goal of freedom so it could prove to everyone that people are people no matter what they look like, we all want the same things. Everyone wants acceptance and rights to live their lives the way they want. This story tells of how no one should be denied the opportunity to adventure and explore any way one pleases. Jim and Huck proved this to us through their adventures even if they were separated at times, but to find out if they make it together as one again than read this novel.

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05/07/08

Lindsey rated it:

bookshelves: book-review

Read in March, 2006

recommended to Lindsey by: A Teacher
recommends it for: Anyone who wants to read a good book

Lindsey Whitley

American Novel-5th

May 6, 2008

Book Review

Written by Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatest American novels shows true definition of being timeless. In this novel it really shows how much struggle African Americans went through just to be accepted and not even accepted equally. It showed how alone some people can be, and how a person can find a friend without even looking. This book opened up a world of mess...more Lindsey Whitley

American Novel-5th

May 6, 2008

Book Review

Written by Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatest American novels shows true definition of being timeless. In this novel it really shows how much struggle African Americans went through just to be accepted and not even accepted equally. It showed how alone some people can be, and how a person can find a friend without even looking. This book opened up a world of messages and luckily the world that we no longer know. This book rings for freedom and shows how the main character, being Huck can achieve his onset goal. This novel explores into the true life of Southern culture and what it was to live in those difficult times.

The novel begins with Huck wanting to flee from his abusive father and find his true definition of happiness, which was freedom. He does not want to be tied down anymore to the chains his father has held upon him. He feels then need to free and search for something to truly make him happy. Huck experiences what being truly alone feels like, until he unexpectedly finds a new companion. This friend is named Jim, and he is the prime explain of wanting to be free. Jim is a run away slave who is longing to be loved, appreciated, and free. The slave part really concerned Huck at first because he did not want to get into any kind of trouble. He soon learned that Jim was a good and loyal traveling companion.

This novel is also famous because most of the events of the novel take place near the Mississippi River. This is where Twain uses a little bit of history so it can be somewhat historical correct, this involving the Mississippi River. Huck and Jim go on many adventures together throughout the whole novel. Twain used great language to really bring the characters to life so the reader could get a feel for the characters. This was very important because it almost puts the reader in the shoes of Huck himself. Freedom is the main focus in this novel, with Jim freeing himself from slavery, and Huck being free from his bad times.

With every novel there are good and bad sides to a character. For this very reason is what makes it so great. Huck must make a hard decision that could affect everything for the rest of his life. This truly shows how Huck has grown from the little boy that he was in the very beginning of the book. The maturity that is takes for a young boy to make a very big choice that could ruin everything.

Twain uses such detail that makes the reader want to keep reading on and on. This is a major quality for being one of the greatest American novels ever written. Despite that it was written so very long ago it really shows how life truly was and how people of all ages had to deal with it. A person of any age or time, however can understand this book. Another reason why the book is timeless and will always be remembered. Inside this novel are different mood sets that keep the reader involved. For instant their in humor in Huckleberry Finn that is used to keep the reader interested in the upcoming events.

Great friendships are developed in this novel. Huck and Jim soon build a very close bond that cannot be broken. One part of the novel Huck gets separated from Jim and lives with family known as the Grangerfords for a little while. Here in the novel he does make another friend, his name is Buck. This friend however is nothing compared to the bond he has with Jim. Huck and Buck are around the same age and he learns the hardships that families can sometimes cause one another. Huck also learns that violence can really affect family and their connection with one another. Despite all the factors Jim still comes back for Huck and even has a raft for their escape. Jim being very caring does not even give up on Huck he knows that he is truly a good boy. Jim also knows that Huck not only being his friend could maybe set Jim truly free from slavery.

This novel earns the right to be called one of the greatest American novels. It is set for any reader of any age to understand. The dialect used is simple to follow and the storyline is a masterpiece. Twain did a wonderful job of writing a novel that really was accurate in the social times and the way things truly were in the south. Therefore again making it one of the best.
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09/30/07

David rated it:

bookshelves: 10th

Read in February, 2008

recommended to David by: planner?
recommends it for: anyone interested?

A classical novel of growing boys in the southern states of US during the period of 1800s. This book contains 2 novels: Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. These kids encounter numerous adventures with themes of adolescent, growth, childhood love, race, etc.

This is basically how most stories are written. Maybe because this was written during such an early period, these 2 novels are the parents of other novels. The novel progresses and the change from a mere southern child to a brave cou...more

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06/23/07

John rated it:

Read in April, 2004

recommends it for: Everyone

This the best volume without annotations, as it compactly contains both The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, with the split in the middle that explains the former is the story of a boy, and the latter is the story of a man.

The former captures the spirit of boyhood extremely well, with an unrivaled sense of humor and ignorance. It's just anecdotal enough to be read in tiny doses or in a steady stream, and builds to a satisfying climax - though plot is a...more

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04/17/08

Jason rated it:

bookshelves: classic, fiction

Read in April, 2008

'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' is a good, fun read. A bit colloquial possibly for today's kids, but if they love reading I would definitely suggest it. 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' is a flawed work of art. It's as if Michelangelo had added a couple of hairy moles to the face of Mona Lisa. For what it is, the first half of the book is great. It is a story reflecting racism so entrenched that even the author doesn't realize how patronizing and condescending he is being. But the novel succeeds ...more

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09/29/08

Rodney rated it:

Read in March, 2009

recommends it for: Anyone

These sets of adventures are wonderful, but also shows how personal life can be portrayed slightly more vividly than retelling stories. Maybe you're wondering what do I mean.

Ok, I see this book as a series of of biographical and autobiographical stories. While Tom Sawyer is a fictitious character, his stories are all based on real-life, childhood stories of Mark Twain's friends. Also, the stories of Huckleberry Finn are all based on the real-life, childhood stories of Twain, himse...more

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10/19/08

Don rated it:

Read in February, 2009

This book is pretty good. I like how the plots wrap up incredibly quickly. Loose ends are tied up in ways that seem unexpected. And that keeps them fun. There is also a lot of whimsy in each of the stories. Twain fits in as much folksy "common knowledge" as he can. And so his heroes are fairly self-reliant throughout the stories. These books, like many other good works of fiction, are front loaded with exposition. All this is meant to set the stage for later plot twists. But sometimes ...more

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04/01/09

Blskelly rated it:

Read in January, 2000

One of my favorites of all time. Loved, loved, loved the adventures of Huck Finn! I could not put it down - suspense, laughter, and friendship all rolled into one and written in a style that will challenge you. I would recommend this book to ANYONE!!!!!!

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