The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Bantam Classics)
Referring to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, H. L. Mencken noted that his discovery of this classic American novel was "the most stupendous event of my whole life"; Ernest Hemingway declared that "all modern American literature stems from this one book," while T. S. Eliot called Huck "one of the permanent symbolic figures of fiction, not unworthy to take a place with Ulysses, Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Hamlet."
The novel's preeminence derives from its wonderfully imaginative re-creation of boyhood adventures along the Mississippi River, its inspired characterization, the author's remarkable ear for dialogue, and the book's understated development of serious underlying themes: "natural" man versus "civilized" society, the evils of slavery, the innate value and dignity of human beings, and other topics. Most of all, Huckleberry Finn is a wonderful story, filled with high adventure and unforgettable characters.
The novel's preeminence derives from its wonderfully imaginative re-creation of boyhood adventures along the Mississippi River, its inspired characterization, the author's remarkable ear for dialogue, and the book's understated development of serious underlying themes: "natural" man versus "civilized" society, the evils of slavery, the innate value and dignity of human beings, and other topics. Most of all, Huckleberry Finn is a wonderful story, filled with high adventure and unforgettable characters.
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Community Reviews
This isn't going to be a seriously thought-out review but I just want to put some of my thoughts down and see if anyone agrees.
So If anyone's read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, they'll know that it's basically about Tom and Huck being boys, causing trouble, and generally being bad-asses. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is nothing like that.
The book is about Huck Finn being caught between 2 morals/2 societies. Huck has grown up with Pap being a terrible father and they're basically the 'scum' of their town, but now he's living with The Widow who is really rich and is trying to civilize him. He feels lonely in both societies which he solves by making the town think he's dead and then runs off with the Widow's sister's former slave. So Huck thinks he's being a terrible person by not turning in Jim for being a run away slave. He doesn't ever consider that treating Jim nicely is the right thing to do. Huck thinks that he's doing an awful thing by helping a slave escape to freedom and that buck is going to hell for doing so. Over the course of the book Huck and Jim bond and make a great relationship, but what bothers me is that Huck thinks Jim is an exception to the previously set racial definitions. He thinks that Jim is acting like a white man, and that *only Jim* is a black man capable of worrying about families and having real emotions. Huck clearly starts to care for Jim, but he thinks that Jim is a special case. Later on they meet a slave named Nat, which I think shows the full circle of Jim's character change (Nat is extremely superstitious and has silly logic like Jim did in the beginning). I think that Twain could also be pointing out that Nat could be just as talented as Jim if given the chance. If Jim could change into the person he is at the end of the book, so could any other former slave. Unfortunately, the people I've discussed this book with so far don't really support that idea....
Lastly, I would just like to point out what a little scumbag Tom Sawyer is and how I hate him as much as I hate Victor Frankenstein. They are both just terrible people. Tom Sawyer KNEW that Jim was a free man and that he wasn't really stealing him from slavery, yet he doesn't tell anyone
So If anyone's read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, they'll know that it's basically about Tom and Huck being boys, causing trouble, and generally being bad-asses. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is nothing like that.
The book is about Huck Finn being caught between 2 morals/2 societies. Huck has grown up with Pap being a terrible father and they're basically the 'scum' of their town, but now he's living with The Widow who is really rich and is trying to civilize him. He feels lonely in both societies which he solves by making the town think he's dead and then runs off with the Widow's sister's former slave. So Huck thinks he's being a terrible person by not turning in Jim for being a run away slave. He doesn't ever consider that treating Jim nicely is the right thing to do. Huck thinks that he's doing an awful thing by helping a slave escape to freedom and that buck is going to hell for doing so. Over the course of the book Huck and Jim bond and make a great relationship, but what bothers me is that Huck thinks Jim is an exception to the previously set racial definitions. He thinks that Jim is acting like a white man, and that *only Jim* is a black man capable of worrying about families and having real emotions. Huck clearly starts to care for Jim, but he thinks that Jim is a special case. Later on they meet a slave named Nat, which I think shows the full circle of Jim's character change (Nat is extremely superstitious and has silly logic like Jim did in the beginning). I think that Twain could also be pointing out that Nat could be just as talented as Jim if given the chance. If Jim could change into the person he is at the end of the book, so could any other former slave. Unfortunately, the people I've discussed this book with so far don't really support that idea....
Lastly, I would just like to point out what a little scumbag Tom Sawyer is and how I hate him as much as I hate Victor Frankenstein. They are both just terrible people. Tom Sawyer KNEW that Jim was a free man and that he wasn't really stealing him from slavery, yet he doesn't tell anyone
My feelings about the book summed up in four words: I wanted more Jim.
This book is a classic. You know, I know it, the gnat in the plant in my cubicle knows it. So why was I thirty-one before I read it in its entirety? I had a "problem" in school. While I was happy to read above and beyond what was considered a "cool" amount to read, I practically refused to read what was assigned. My attitude was "Do NOT tell me what to read." This was assigned. Therefore, I did not read (most of) it. I also figured that I knew everything I needed to know about it from one of my favorite movies as an adolescent: The Adventures of Huck Finn - starring a young and adorable Elijah Wood. Read my lips: It is absolutely worth it to read as an adult.
Back to more Jim. As I was reading, I found myself dog-earring like crazy. 95% of these little folds are on pages where Jim is speaking. His wisdom on "half a chile" and loyalty throughout were enough to break my heart. This is not to say that I don't love our narrator. Huck is fantastic. He is a young (and often disobedient) boy, but his thoughts and feelings and insights are phenomenal.
My only complaint is that I felt the last portion with Tom dragged on a bit too long. I actually preferred the way the movie handled it with climaxing with the duke and the king. However, this part did drive it home (even with it being too darn long) when they were "playing" prisoner with Jim when slavery would have be the worst imprisonment of all.
Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.
This book has every damn right to be a classic.
4.5 but rounding to 5
This book is a classic. You know, I know it, the gnat in the plant in my cubicle knows it. So why was I thirty-one before I read it in its entirety? I had a "problem" in school. While I was happy to read above and beyond what was considered a "cool" amount to read, I practically refused to read what was assigned. My attitude was "Do NOT tell me what to read." This was assigned. Therefore, I did not read (most of) it. I also figured that I knew everything I needed to know about it from one of my favorite movies as an adolescent: The Adventures of Huck Finn - starring a young and adorable Elijah Wood. Read my lips: It is absolutely worth it to read as an adult.
Back to more Jim. As I was reading, I found myself dog-earring like crazy. 95% of these little folds are on pages where Jim is speaking. His wisdom on "half a chile" and loyalty throughout were enough to break my heart. This is not to say that I don't love our narrator. Huck is fantastic. He is a young (and often disobedient) boy, but his thoughts and feelings and insights are phenomenal.
My only complaint is that I felt the last portion with Tom dragged on a bit too long. I actually preferred the way the movie handled it with climaxing with the duke and the king. However, this part did drive it home (even with it being too darn long) when they were "playing" prisoner with Jim when slavery would have be the worst imprisonment of all.
Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.
This book has every damn right to be a classic.
4.5 but rounding to 5
So much has already been said about this book, it's tough to add anything profound.
I'll say this though: whether it was Twain's intention or not, Huck’s “naïve” outlook on the lack of differences between black and white was really well delivered; not so much stated as it was implied. Reminds me of Scout Finch, and the fantastic character arc she travels in To Kill a Mockingbird. I love the disruptiveness of this thinking, particularly coming from a time when it would have been regarded by many as heresy.
Beyond this, I’m not sure about the conclusions others have come to on this book. As brilliant as Twain must have been (his wit rivals that of Vonnegut, in my opinion), I can't help but think he didn't intend on so many of the other ideas that others have attached to the story. Listen…of course his ideas went deeper than Huck and Jim's rafting road trip, but to hear what others say about the book reminds me of some commentaries on the Mona Lisa. Brilliant creative work? Yes. A subtle message in every brush stroke? Probably not.
I’m sure that the same applies to dozens of other creative icons from history – as soon as they’re silenced by their mortality, the world sets about weaving subtle meanings into their work.
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