The Adventures of Tom Sawyer question

For classics, try Hemingway. I think a lot of contemporary fiction might make good choices, esp. short stories. If I think of some suggestions, I'll post.

Agree w/those who think Tom Sawyer would be a challenge for a language learner; the dialects used are regional, old-fashioned, and quite dense.

Some more thoughts: Other American classic writers who come to mind include Richard Wright & John Steinbeck. Many of the more contemporary writers who are often read by U.S. high school students -- John Okada's No-no Boy, Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club, Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried -- might be good fits. Bobbie Ann Mason deliberately uses a smaller vocabulary range in her work than many authors; the "Best of American Short Stories" (or essays or nature writing, etc.) that come out every year often have good, reader-friendly selections (along w/a few that might be too complex or advanced for your friend). And I'd say there's nothing wrong w/choosing popular fiction, depending on your friend's interests -- Stephen King, Danielle Steel, Agatha Christie, Kelley Armstrong, etc. -- or YA fiction like The Hunger Games.

I used Newberry award books. These books, are engaging, and many of them have advanced vocabularies and more complicated sentence structures. I found that adult books, are too difficult for those working on their english skills, at least initially. And I'm talking about college students getting ready to take the TOEFL. They more quickly get a sense of the rythms of english and expland their vocabularies quickly.

For really advanced vocabulary work, there is no one better than O. Henry. Many native English speakers need a dictionary nearby when reading his short stories.

Tom Sawyer is hard for someone who is trying to improve English, because the voice is written to imitate a particular way of speaking to the time and region. I would recommend something more contemporary, problem is I can't think of what.

Ya I would not use Tom Sawyer in English. Twain uses many dialectic vocabulary that would only confuse and frustrate your friend. There are plenty of other great classics to read that don't involve a heavy dialect.

Some other options: "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins, "Little Britches" by Ralph Moody. I could dredge up more for you if you would like.

I second the recommendation of Hemingway, who writes short direct sentences. Of course, your friend can try any number of books and authors until he/she finds one at the appropriate level.

When I was learning French I read Camus' "L'Etranger" because the language is straightforward without any grammar tricks. Same idea may apply. The English transation of this work might be a good choice too if the subject is interesting.

I agree that Twain is too hard. The dialect is hard for fluent speakers, let alone someone who is new or relatively new to the language. There are some really great teen fiction books that would be great reads that aren't super flowery in language. Tangerine by Edward Bloor, Swallowing Stones by Joyce McDonald, and Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (if you want something humorous). I currently use all of these novels with students who are considered ESL/ELL and they love them all. They also have great success with comprehension and fluency. I hope this helps.

When my mother learned English she swore by Paul Gallico especially "Mrs Harris goes to New York" which she thought very funny. Grahame Greene too, "Travels with my aunt" thats also very funny especially the first half of the book (gets a bit boring towards the end). Alice in Wonderland. The diary of a nobody. Catcher in the Rye. Pick short books and books with plenty of dialogue in them. Agatha Christie. Stunningly bad books but very easy to read.

I think it is better to start from something more simple. For those who are learning English I highly recommend this service. It was very useful for me as well when I just started to learn English.

I third that recommendation of Hemingway for American English. He uses simple structure, relatively simple words (as opposed a number of other authors who use extensive "flowery" words) and does not often use slang words or words that some might find offensive. His books are fine for young readers and adults. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn use much dialect that is no longer (thankfully) in use in the English language. You might try even Agatha Christie, as she uses what we here in America refer to as "King's English": she's from an upper class and usual writes within that class, and she writes simply PLUS you will no doubt encounter a mystery to solve along the way.

As in my post above, I also third Agatha Christie. It seems we are in agreement about Christie and Hemmingway.

Also, there are any number of short story collections. An excellent one that I've read through a number of times is "Great Short Stories of the World" from Reader's Digest. This contains stories from writers all over the world, therefore there are many translations to English. And it gives one a beautiful view of various cultures around the world while still staying with relatively simple, inoffensive, "Reader's Digest" style of English. But there are many short story collections: you might choose one edited by Alfred Hitchcock for a mystery fan. For a horror fan, I'd absolutely try Taverns of the Dead, another excellent collection of short stories. And a recommendation for an adult after he/she has learned the English language: take a step to a classic of world literature: Umberto Eco's masterpiece, "The Name of the Rose" (translated, of course, from the original Italian). And then, and only then, if you want to take a GIANT step: I think one of the most beautifully written books in the English language (and one of the most polarizing) is Nabakov's stunner "Lolita" which Vanity Fair magazine calls the only true love story of the 20th century. And amazingly enough, Nabakov's native language is Russian. So this book is undoubtedly one of the most stunning achievements in all of world literature: I can't imagine how he did it but he must be a brilliant.

I think this book will be too hard for someone who is trying to improve their English. Authors like Paulo Coelho and Carlos Cuauhtemoch Sanchez made me switch from reading Spanish to reading English.

You can find their books in many language and they are simple and easy to follow, plus each book contains engaging characters making it easier for the reader to follow the story.

I highly recommend these authors if your friend like contemporary novels and books about family, personal, and love issues.
You can also try Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but his writing (when translated to English) may be a little more complicated, (just a little).

Good Luck to your friend!