Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reviews

• A controversial masterpiece

  
  By A8F2AZWB20X1H on 2000-02-11
  Okay, we all know the plot, so there's no sense in rehashing it; but this book has generated a great deal of heat and very little light lately, it's been banned in some school districts and attacked as racist garbage, so this review will address the question: Is "Huckleberry Finn", in fact, a racist book?

  The charge of racism stems from the liberal use of the N word in describing Jim. Some black parents and students have charged that the book is humiliating and demeaning to African-Americans and therefore is unfit to be taught in school. If there has been a racist backlash in the classroom, I think it is the fault of the readers rather than the book.

  "Huckleberry Finn" is set in Missouri in the 1830's and it is true to its time. The narrator is a 13 year old, semi-literate boy who refers to blacks by the N-word because he has never heard them called anything else. He's been brought up to see blacks as slaves, as property, as something less than human. He gets to know Jim on their flight to freedom (Jim escaping slavery and Huck escaping his drunken, abusive father), and is transformed. Huck realizes that Jim is just as human as he is, a loving father who misses his children, a warm, sensitive, generous, compassionate individual. Huck's epiphany arrives when he has to make a decision whether or not to rescue Jim when he is captured and held for return to slavery. In the culture he was born into, stealing a slave is the lowest of crimes and the perpetrator is condemned to eternal damnation. By his decision to risk hell to save Jim, he saves his own soul. Huck has risen above his upbringing to see Jim as a friend, a man, and a fellow human being.

  Another charge of racism is based on Twain's supposed stereotyping of Jim. As portrayed by Twain, Jim is hardly the ignorant, shuffling Uncle Tom that was so prevalent in "Gone With the Wind" (a book that abundantly deserves the charge of racism). Jim may be uneducated, but he is nobody's fool; and his dignity and nobility in the face of adversity is evident throughout the book.

  So -- is "Huckleberry Finn" a racist book? No. It's of its time and for its time and ours as well, portraying a black man with sensitivity, dignity, and sympathy. If shallow, ignorant readers see Jim as a caricature and an object of derision, that's their problem. Hopefully they may mature enough in their lifetime to appreciate this book as one of the greatest classics of American literature.

  And for those who might be wondering -- this reviewer is black.
  
  

• A book not meant for everyone, but everyone should READ it.

  
  By A2LZ98NT17B32Q on 2001-02-21
  When I first read this book, I was so taken with it, that I read from chapter 18 through the end of the book in one night. I was up until 3:30 in the morning, reading ahead of my 11th grade assignment, and loving every minute along the way. later in college, when I studied the book more, closer, and with a more educated eye (whatever that means) my love for the book increased. Now, as a teacher myself, I look forward to having my students read this book and discussing it in class.

  But now as for the title of my review:

  I can't help feeling bad for people who think that this is not a good novel because "we don't talk like that anymore." Are we to abandon books that are no longer contemporary to ourselves? I also take issue with people who claim that this book is a racist tirade based upon the use of the word "nigger," or because the escape route Jim took was down the Mississippi instead of up river. While currently offensive, Mark Twain used the term as a literary fact that most, if not all young boys of the south spoke in such a manner. Once more, Jim explained why he was going South before he headed north. the simple fact is that if you are going to criticize a book, then you should read it. mark Twain said as much in his essay, "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses."

  From reading a number of the reviews of this book, I have come to the opinion that while many read the book, more than a few are refusing to give Twain credit for subtext and the use of allegory. One reviewer down the line says that the book is racist because Twain makes a young boy to be twice as smart as Jim. Upon closer reading, Twain is showing what Huck feels to be true. Huck only thinks that he is smarter. The reader should pick up on the fact that Twain writes Jim as an intuitive father figure for Huck, one who teaches a true morality as opposed to the morality of the South.

  Simply put, you get what you put in to the reading of this book. If you think is is going to be a boring read because you "have to" read it for a summer reading list or school assignment, then that's what it will be. If you think it will be a difficult read because you don't want to try and read in dialects other than your own, it will be a hard read. If you are looking to justify the book as racist because of a single word that presentism doesn't excuse, then have at it. This book can be all of those things. However, this book also has the potential to enlighten the reader, give something wonderful to the reader, and teach about the human condition.
  
  

• This book has no point...that's the point!

  
  By on 1999-10-01
  After reading many of the reviews below, I have come to the conclusion that perhaps this novel should not be taught at the high school level. Personally, when I read "Huckelberry Finn" my junior year, I thought that it was an enjoyable break from reading other early American classics, but judging from some of the reviews, others didn't agree. I don't understand exactly what was considered so "boring" about this novel. This book provides the reader with action, humor, and morals; what any 'classic' should do. For those who think of themselves as highly intellectual and felt that the novel didn't have a point, you may want to check your IQ, because I think your ego is in for a massive let-down. Although Twain clearly states at the beginning of the novel that he doesn't want his readers to try to find a point in his 'coming of age' story, the theme of the novel almost smacks the reader in the face. The 'point' is that friendship is more important than social standards and sometimes you have to put yourself at risk in order to save those that you care about. This classic will remain so as long as those who are forced to read it lighten up a little and actually open their minds to a great piece of literature.
  
  

• Twain at his best!

  
  By AN7LJWCGEWFYU on 2004-08-23
  Back during my school days this was still not a book that was considered to be politically incorrect and so I was supposed to read it. As was far too often the case, I got by on little more than watching the movie version and never bothered to read this masterpiece. A few months ago I picked up a copy to put in my library for my grandson to use when he got old enough to go to school. Unfortunately this has been classified as a children's book and so I had little intention of reading it when I bought it.
  
  After discussing a book about President Grant and Mark Twain with a friend I decided that I should read this book and I soon found out just how much of an adventure I had been missing. Twain's well deserved reputation as a storyteller is on clear display in this book from cover to cover. The reader is drawn into the lives of the characters to the point of being really disturbed when something bad happens to them. Sure, they steal and they lie but you will love them in spite of everything.
  
  The story basically follows the adventures of young Huckleberry Finn and a runaway slave named Jim. Finn is trying to escape has father and the efforts of the townspeople to civilize him while Jim is trying to escape slavery. More to the point, Jim is trying to escape being sold down the river, which was always a worry for slaves in the upper south.
  
  There is a strong moral point to this book as Huck slowly learns to love Jim as a friend and not think of his skin color. Early on Huck is worried about helping a runaway slave and isn't sure what to do. Having been raised in Missouri, Huck has been taught that helping a slave run away is one of the worst sins imaginable and that African-Americans are pretty much worthless except as slaves. It takes a while for the truth to come to Huck but he finds that he is determined to help his friend get his freedom, no matter what. Huck ends up risking his own life to do just that.
  
  This book is a pure joy to read and I suggest you read it without looking for a political agenda. Just let the story flow and enjoy each word. The dialects used may slow you down a bit at first but they add so much to the flow of the book that they are quite indispensable. This is a wonderful story, full of youthful innocence and backwoods charm. Just one little warning though, once you start reading you won't be able to put this book down.
  
  

• Excellent Audio CD of Classic

  
  By A3IKBHODOTYYHM on 2004-03-09
  Finally, a reading of a classic that is worth the money.

  This story's narration covers a total of 9 Cds, and each disc has about 97 tracks (each track is only about 30 to 45 seconds). The good aspect of this is that it is quite easy to find your spot and, then pick up where you left off, if you happen to stop reading in the middle of a chapter. The negative aspect of short tracks is that it is difficult to skip around to particular chapters without "guessing" where a chapter might end (because there is no insert to tell which chapters are contained in each disc).

  Overall, Dick Hill does a superb job of reading in this unabridged version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Hill's voice personifies Huck's narrative, and he keeps the Southern flavor of Twain's novel intact. What makes this reading particularly great is that Hill has a great ability to not only take on Huck, but other characters as well. Hill changes his voice for other characters such as Tom Sawyer, Jim, the Duke and the king, Pap and others. For this reason, this CD is a great tool for the reluctant readers in classes, and serves as a great supplement for the study of this novel.

  I have found that buying audios to classic to be a gamble because you never really know what you are getting, but this is one of the best I've gotten.
  
  

• great
  By on 1999-11-10
  It is said that there are two great moments in all of American literature; one occurs in when Ishmael joins Queequeg in observing a pagan ritual. The other is found in when Huck decides against turning Jim in, even though his soul would rot in hell for it. The point is that Huck really believed that he was going to be damned for helping Jim (which was why the decision was so difficult to make), but was willing to face the consequences anyway.

  The major letdown of this book is that last part with Tom Sawyer. The book's tone changes suddenly; it becomes almost juvenile. Those last chapters are what's keeping me from giving this book the full five stars.

  As for the dialects, I had surprisingly little trouble with them even though English is not my first language. A suggestion; if you come across a word you really don't get, try reading it aloud. If that doesn't work, read the whole sentence aloud. You'll be able to deduce what the word is supposed to be.
  
  

• At least the children can write, a little...
  By A1BTBC5UQKCB2K on 1999-04-14
  It amuses me no end to see so many irate reviews, obviously written by spoiled schoolkids resenting their stoopid 'ol teacher making them read this stoopid 'ol book by some stoopid 'ol dead guy.

  There's rich material there for a cynic like Twain, or even more for one the likes of Ambrose Bierce or H. L. Mencken. Tiny, immature, ill formed minds incapable of grasping a truth deeper than Nintendo or Playstation lash out in outrage at a genius who holds up a mirror to expose their ignorance.

  The fact is, this is THE American experience of the 19th century, a microcosm of the defining characteristic of our country's beginning and of our national shame and curse. How did a nation, conceived in liberty, holding self evident so many truths about Man's rights, institutionalize the degredation of Black Americans, the utter denial of their very humanity? How could the noble idealistic American eagle ever swallow such a poisonous pill?

  Huck's bitter determination to "go to hell" in order to save his friend Jim is to me the most moving and courageous moment in all literature. Huck "knows" that Jim is not really human, that he is mere property, that he has no rights and deserves no consideration, and that Huck's social duty is to return the slave owner's lost property. Yet he knows even more deeply that Jim is his friend, mentor, companion, and in not saving him he will lose his own soul, regardless of what his society holds to be true. Thus Huck makes himself an outcast and outlaw in civilized society, and thus he prefigures the cataclysm of the Civil War, in which this vile contradiction nearly destroyed our nation. All the blood spilled during that war, however, has not expunged our Original Sin, and we have been paying for it ever since, and perhaps always shall.

  So try to expand your mind, at least accept the concept that the past is not a Real World episode in period costume, that people of another time did think and talk and act differently, that what "everybody knows" today will surely be as ludicrous a century hence as slavery may seem to us now. Reflect, also, on the courage of those who recognized evil ahead of their time and stood up to it, even though in this case such a hero is a fictionalized semi-literate boy.
  
  

• a central text in the American Canon
  By A3QVAKVRAH657N on 2000-10-01
  A subject of controversy today, as it has been since its publication, Huckleberry Finn is by any measure, despite obvious flaws, one of the great works of American Literature. Much confusion surrounds the interpretation of Twain's story, mostly because of the presence of Jim, who was one of the first multi-dimensional black characters in all of fiction. There has been a resulting tendency to grant him primacy of place in analysis of the novel and to read it as a statement, pro or con, about Slavery. This is really not the appropriate way to understand the story. Jim is obviously vital, but his story is secondary, or at least only complimentary, to that of Huck himself. For our purposes, we'll try looking at the novel as if Huck was the central character, which of course he is, a fact which would apparently surprise most modern critics.

  Approached in this way, we can see that, far from being an aberrational instant of a major popular author tackling the race question, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn instead falls directly into the mainstream of American Literature, with clear antecedents in The Last of the Mohicans and Moby Dick and obvious successors in everything from the Western to the hard-boiled detective story and most directly in works like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Cool Hand Luke. If we look at just the novels named above, we find that they all share the same central theme--dissatisfaction with the secure but restrictive clutches of "civilization" and the desire for freedom. Each of them is about men who have escaped or are trying to escape from some form of civil society, from some system that denies them liberty.

  This is particularly important in the case of Huck Finn because, while academics view it strictly through the lens of Jim's escape from Slavery, the core of the novel is Huck's dash for freedom. Indeed, while Twain is often criticized for the elaborate scheme that Tom and Huck develop to free Jim at the end of the novel--criticized because it turns his state of slavery into a joke and a source of amusement for the boys--the critics miss the point that it is Huck who ultimately ends up reenslaved. This is why the story concludes with his famous vow:

  I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can't stand it. I been there before.

  I think you've got to grant Twain the benefit of the doubt here and assume that he was not merely setting up a sequel. Presumably we can take this statement seriously and it would appear to reveal the entire point of the book--Huckleberry Finn views the formal structures of civilization as intolerable. It is in this sense that the book fits into the continuum of our Literature and of our politics and gives it a valid claim to being one of the great American novels.

  Before we go, a couple of other similarities in these books deserve mention. One conspicuous shared aspect of these novels is that they are all specifically about men. Women appear only as oppressors or figures of idolatry. I believe this is a function of the concrete difference in the political philosophies of the two genders--men tend to favor freedom and the risk it entails, while women most often opt for security even at the cost of surrendering liberty. Even if you disagree with this theory, which would put you in good company, it is certainly true that the central story line of all of these books involves the heroes moving away from more secure settings into riskier but freer environments.

  The other noticeable similarity of the stories is the frequent presence of the "noble savage" character. Whether it be Chingachgook or Queequeg or Jim or The Chief, they represent man in the state of nature, unsullied by the dandifying influences of civilization. They are nearly aspirational figures, archetypes brought along in order to show the hero what he could be like if he succeeds in freeing himself. This is a curious residue of the idyllic beliefs of men like Jean-Jacque Rousseau and Thomas Jefferson. I won't take the time here to discuss this fully; I merely note that the theme recurs and point out that the idea that primitive man was somehow more free than modern man is asinine. Hobbes had it right when he referred to life in the state of nature as "nasty, brutish and short."

  From the foregoing analysis, it may seem to some folks that I am trying to diminish Jim's stature or deny Twain's originality; this is not the case. Instead, I am suggesting that in mankind's long and schizoid struggle between Freedom and Security, America is the place, more than any other, which has sought to vindicate the cause of Freedom. It is natural, therefore, that our very best literature draws upon these ideas. Huckleberry Finn has many flaws--it is overlong; it has really jarring changes in tone; at times it is merely cruel when trying to be funny; and for the modern reader, the portrayal of Jim is quite disconcerting, so condescending as to make us uncomfortable--but it is above all else a quintessentially American novel and Huck is an archetypal American figure. As a nation, we represent the ideal of "lighting out for the Territory", of providing captive peoples with freedom and opportunity. It is in this context that, regardless of its shortcomings, Huckleberry Finn must be reckoned a central text in the American Canon.

  GRADE: A-
  
  

• An American Classic
  By A1A3HX1GQKM2KD on 2005-09-13
  One hundred and twenty years after its publication, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains the quintessential American novel. It is an amazingly well crafted piece of work, as complex or as simple as you want it to be. On one level, it is a dissertation on society, slavery, morality and the meaning of civilization. On another, it is simply an entertaining yarn. Whether you are 8 or 88, there is something here for you.
  
  At the heart of the novel is the unlikely but heartfelt friendship between Huck and Jim, a runaway slave. Both are outcasts of sort, running away from a society they cannot comprehend. It is through his friendship with Jim and their adventures together on the river that Huck truly finds himself. He is continually confronted with the question of right and wrong and he learns to stay true to himself and follow his own heart, regardless of conventional, social, or religious mores. Huck's instincts rarely fail him. And, as Huck suspects all along, he learns more on the river than he ever did in school or Sunday school.
  
  Many readers see the ending (Huck's adoption and continued "civilization") as a disappointment. I disagree. Huck has grown so much that his individuality has already been forged. Aunt Sally can't change him, no matter how hard she tries to "sivilize" him. Besides, Huck always has the option of escape.
  
  The book has been lambasted in recent years for its shocking language. But I think it is important to understand that Twain was simply being honest and faithful to the dialect, language, and social sensibility of the times. It would be unfair (and a mistake) to apply present day sensibilities and standards of political correctness (well intended or not) to this book. The language may seem harsh but it should seem harsh. There is value in that as well.
  
  It would also be lazy to infer that Twain was racist simply because he uses the "n" word in this book and because of his characterization of Jim as simple and naive. Jim is uneducated, yes, but in Twain's world, uneducated can also mean unspoiled, completely human, noble, and honest. Rather than demeaning Jim, Twain is holding him as an example of the dignity inherent in all human beings.
  
  The value of the individual versus the influence of society. The hope and opportunity of freedom versus the comfort and security of civilization. These are themes that have reverberated throughout American literature, American history, and the American psyche. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn develops those themes brilliantly in a captivating story with vibrant and unforgettable characters. It is, and always will be, an American classic.
  
  
• Pleasantly surprised!
  By A8VCL2UA6C0YR on 2007-01-04
  I teach high school English, and some students just can't catch Twain's humor without hearing his "voice." I found these recordings to be an effective way to jump-start my students' understanding of Twain's style of writing...many would have jumped ship straight to the cliff (notes, that is.) I planned 2-3 class periods to listen to some of my favorite passages, and it was a great success. Interest was up, and essays improved. Enjoy!
  
  
• Racist literature? no WAY!
  By A22MWUCJ2ZP81L on 2001-10-25
  I can never understand why some people consider "Huckleberry Finn" to be a racist novel. It had the exact opposite effect on me.

  I read this book when I was about 13 years old. Being brought up in a lilly-white suburb, I was a blatant racist. I had no direct contact with black people; I only knew what I heard from friends. Reading "Huckleberry Finn" made me understand the historical prejudices that people had against black people and how it held them back. It turned my views on blacks completely around, and I still vividly remember the arguments I had with my friends about race after I read this book.
  
  

• Why read Huck Finn?
  By A1IU7S4HCK1XK0 on 2003-01-29
  There are many reasons to read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" --

  1. It is a great American classic novel
  2. It documents a period in history from the common-man's viewpoint.
  3. It is banned by some libraries and schools (a must-read, therefore on my list always!)
  4. It can teach you to write.
  5. It's a great adventure story that can be read aloud to groups, or enjoyed by yourself!

  The Fischer et al. edition attempts to reconstruct "Huck Finn" in the way Twain probably intended. In particular, there is a section showing how Twain revised the "Sunrise on the River" passage to perfectly reproduce the sound of English as spoken by Huck --so reading this is almost as if we are listening to a tape recording of Huck talking. If you are unsure about "Huck Finn", turn to the Sunrise passage and read it aloud. Then tell me you AREN'T an admirer of this novel.

  As a lesson for writers, Twain's search to perfect his craft and reproduce the very sound of his characters, along with a splendid use of language and an ability to create adventuresome plot are unparalleled in American literature. Banned? Are you people NUTS? This is possibly one of the greatest American books ever written.

  A MUST-READ if you love American literature, or really English language literature in general.
  
  

• Update your Library
  By A3DAOZAWVB0M6X on 2003-05-31
  I have been a long-time lover of Mark Twain's books. And being analytical, I want to know why something is written the way it is; I want to know the historical details behind his expression. So when I find that the Mark Twain Library has published Huckleberry Finn the way Mark Tain wanted it (unlike every edition that's ever been published, including the first!), I had to get it. Using all the explanatory notes--which are NOT cumbersome--and the glossary, and other notes about the text, I came away knowing that this book was truly what it is proclaimed to be: the best American novel ever written.

  Having read just about all one can get their hands on by Mark Twain, this shed all new light on what Mark Twain was really saying when I read Huck Finn this time. The humour was more obvious, the sarcasm was more justified. The book itself opens up this door, but it helps to know what was in Mark's brain throughout his writing career.

  Truly a must have for anyone into Mark Twain. I have purchased all that the MTL has put forth so far, and put my other editions in the yard sale box as errant texted that no longer interest me. I think any fan of Mark Twain will be tempted to do the same. Why read errant editions when one can have the author's intended, authoritative publication--with the original neat pixtures, too. I was so taken by this last reading of H. Finn that I've taken to memorizing some of the glossary terms. They are truly classic; bring'm back.

  I am reminded of E. A. Poe's expectation that his works be published only as originally intended. This should not need to be requested by any author. To modify an author's writings for any reason is a type of sacrilege. Of course, even Poe's books are published different than he wanted. But thankfully, there are publishers who seek to restore the only versions worthy of publication. The Mark Twain Library is doing this, and any wanta-be authority in Mark Twain will never be such with "Penguins" and other bird-brained mass-market editions sitting on the shelf, or rather, in their hands.
  
  

• A Must-Read "Must-Read Novel"
  By on 2003-12-14
  "All modern literature stems from this one book. There was nothing before, there has been nothing as good since." I wish I could have been the one to coin that description of Twain's best known work. I guess coming from Ernest Hemingway it does carry a bit more weight. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is one of the more commonly referred to works when people speak of the "Great American Novel." A fictional account of a young boy's voyage down the Mississippi River, Huck Finn guarantees that as long as he is around people will still care about American literature. It combines Twain's knack for humor with very real and mature social issues.

  The main character is of course Huckleberry Finn. When "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" . . . Huck had found $12,000 and was living with the Widow Watson. At the beginning of this book Huck is kidnapped by his Pap, who only has come back to get his son's money. Huck escapes his father and soon finds himself floating down the Mississippi River with a slave named Jim. Jim was the property of the Widow Watson and overheard her plans to sell him to a slave trader. When he realized he would be leaving the relative comfort of the widow's home he decided to escape.

  Brought up by a racist, abusive and drunken father, Huck at first sees the escape by Jim as totally wrong. However, as the two travel along the river enjoying one adventure after another Huck finds himself growing fond of his companion and the two form a strong bond.

  "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" can only be described with one word, classic. It is one of the few novels that can be read by a child and then re-read year after year without becoming the least bit stale. Such staying power is rare and is proof positive that this book before most others most assuredly belongs on the shelves of every school library. But don't read it because it's a classic -- read it because it's fun! And let me suggest another quick pick: The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
  
  

• Being "sivilized" doesn't mean anything
  By A2345R7ZMUGURZ on 2007-03-19
  I absolutely loved this book. It was assigned for my American Lit class this semester. The book is told in the voice of Huck Finn, the son of the town drunk. Huck starts the novel living with the widow Douglas, who wants to "sivilize" him. He won't put up with that, however, and starts on a series down the Mississippi river in which he befriends a runaway slave named Jim. I will refrain from giving any more thoughts on the book, because although I'm sure most people know the story, I don't want to ruin it for anyone.
  
  
• An important window on the development of American English.
  By on 1999-10-14
  I'm intrigued to read how many modern readers have objected to the "wordiness" of this nineteenth-century masterpiece in their reviews here. By modern standards, it may well be rather long-winded. Or it could just be that we have a harder time understanding the words and phrases Twain uses, which evoke images less familiar to us than they were to his original audience.

  What intrigues me about this is that Mark Twain himself levelled this same charge of wordiness against James Fenimore Cooper's "Leatherstocking Tales", which were written in the early 1800s. In a famous essay, Twain picked apart Cooper's description of a woodsman making camp, line by line. Each word, each phrase, each sentence was evaluated for its value in setting the scene, and far more than half of each were discarded. At the end, Twain gave his readers his own--much shorter--rendition of the passage, then congratulated himself on having improved it greatly by shortening it.

  Languages and usage change over time. By John Milton's standards of the mid-1600s, Cooper's sentences and descriptions might well have seemed terse and choppy. By Mark Twain's time, the same sentences sounded long-winded. Today--80 years after Ernest Hemingway taught us to expect our vivid descriptions in telegraphic prose--even Twain can sound wordy, reading Cooper can be an enormous struggle, and few beyond English majors learn to appreciate Milton's "Paradise Lost" as a complete work.

  But we can learn a great deal about ourselves and our own times by reading popular writers from our ancestors' times. First, it teaches us tolerance, as we see that "the past is a different country: they do things differently there." Second, it warns us that our own ideas, speech patterns and writing styles may also seem quaint, antiquated, ungrammatical--even boring--to our grandchildren. Learning to expect this can help us avoid taking ourselves and our times quite so seriously.

  Life goes on, and so does the language.
  
  

• Huckleberry Finn- My Review by Lindy McKelvey
  By on 2000-09-29
  The book I chose to read for my book report was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. The conflict is man vs. society which is illustrated at the climax when Huck is forced to decide society or his heart. His action's results conclude the story. Huckleberry Finn, the main character in this story is perhaps one of the most well known fictional characters ever. His literal point of veiws provide humor and comic relief in suspenseful situations. He is definately a realist and takes everything literally. In Tom Sawyer, he appeared to be tough, yet in this story, his compassionate side is revealed. He percieves others only by how he feels society would feel about them. This is shown in his attitude towards Jim. Huck is very curious at this point in his life and in the story he is trying to determine what his veiws, opinions, and religious beliefs really are. This makes him succeptable to change throughout the story. Others look at Huck as an uncivilized person. The story does not say much about the people around him since the majority of the story is spent with only Jim and it is told in first person. He changes dramatically in that throughout the story, particularly at the climax, he is faced with many decisions where he has to do the right thing which is the wrong thing in societies eyes. I think that he becomes more secure in knowing what is right. The theme of this story is, " Freedom Versus Civilization". What I liked in this story is that it had a little bit of everything. This story not only portrays the historical Mississippi River, but it also tells a heart- warming story with humor. This story makes you want to cheer on Huck when he is making those decisions. You become not a reader of the story, but a spectator of the events.
  
  
• An Excellent Portal For A Young Mind
  By A1GAFEFX1RSEN9 on 2000-10-21
  I received this book as a Christmas present in 1955 when I was eight years old. I had wanted a baseball glove and was deeply disappointed. It sat for three years, unread and unwanted. When I finally did pick it up and begin to read, I was transported in a way that was to change my life. It would be years before I would understand the meaning of such words as irony, satire and metaphor, but I sensed these things in the way I believe they were intended as I read Huckleberry Finn for the first time.

  I am perplexed and disturbed when I hear how thoroughly misunderstood and controversial this book has become to some, and it saddens me that those that deem it offensive fail to understand how sympathetic it was towards more positive race relations at the time when it was written.

  William Faulkner spoke of what was most important to writing in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize for Literature. He suggested that the best writing deals with problems of the human heart in conflict with itself. Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" succeeds in a beautiful and remarkable way by subtly illustrating the conflict in Huckleberry's mind between what he has been told by society and what he feels in the intellect of his heart.

  I shall always be grateful to Mark Twain for this work. It was the portal through which my young mind first grasped the immensity of great literature.
  
  

• I'm not sure how one reviews a landmark...
  By AAZ5OJ2OOJ2DK on 2003-06-15
  Plain and simple, this is a book that you have to read again and again and again just for good measure. One cannot possibly appreciate modern American literature as it exists today without reading Huck Finn. Twain's style is one-of-a-kind, and his keen sense of politics and history is one that rarely exists in modern times. Get past the racial implications of this book and look at what Twain is -saying-. Huck Finn is a character who is a rogue, a modern scoundrel; however, we trust his moral judgement and are able to look inside another time and place through his journey with Jim up the Mississippi. So get out your maps and notebook and enjoy Twain at his finest.
  
  
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
  By A7EY9KEVQVG6D on 2004-02-20
  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a really interesting book about a boy and his adventures. The main character, Huck, narrates it. This gives it a certain amount of intimacy that it would not otherwise have. One of the things I found most interesting about this book is that Huck befriends a slave, Jim and helps him escape to freedom. This presents a large moral dilemma for him, because he does not want to be considered an abolitionist, but Jim is his friend. In the end he decides to help Jim and they raft down the Mississippi together. The description of their friendship is the best description I have ever read. Another aspect of the book that makes it all the more interesting to read is the colorful characters they meet along the way. Mark Twain has an incredible imagination and you then find yourself becoming attached to the characters as you move through the book. This is one of Mark Twain's greatest strengths. In the end I would recommend this book to readers of all ages because I think someone of any age could get something from it. Whether you read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a means of entertainment, to gain a life lesson, or to understand the social pressure associated with befriending a black man prior to the Civil War, you will definitely be able to gain something from reading this novel.
  
  
• Genius Work but Difficult to Teach
  By A1SAS4IXOMMUF1 on 2007-07-09
  The temptation to teach Huck to high school students must be taken seriously. No matter the racial makeup of the class, the "N" word has to be defused before reading begins. We can explain and discuss and meltdown some of the ascerbity of the word, but unless the issue is fully resolved, the 200-plus appearances of such a slander will eventually work us back to tender. Background reading on Twain is a must. His short story, "Disgraceful Persecution of a Boy," about a boy returning from Sunday School who stops to stone a Chinaman (in San Francisco) makes a pointed comment about the "teaching" of prejudice. This story makes good pre-reading since a reference with a similar point is made in "Huck Finn." When a river boat has an accident, a riverside discussion goes: "Was anybody hurt?" "Nope. Killed a N- though." This bit of dialog slipped in and overheard is painfully offensive and yet such a perfect contrast to Huck's feelings and the "teaching" he has received, both from the Widow Douglas and from life itself. Jim, of course, is the subject of Huck's racial feelings. Throughout the story, Jim is a father, brother and friend to Huck, but never a servant. He is everything, a good man tormented with love for his lost family and Huck, yet in his world, he is literally bound (by chains and threats) and so cannot come close to the dignity of African Americans of today. Huck and Jim's world requires that we board a mental time-machine and accept both the life on the raft and the values on shore as they were then, not now. Teach the book with joy after preparing with compassion.
  
  
• This is not kiddie literature
  By A3UJ50L3ST5G95 on 2000-04-29
  I agree with those reviewers who say that this is not a children's book and should not be required reading in schools. I mean, a kid might enjoy Huck and Jim's mischief, but they wouldn't really appreciate the quality and wittiness of this book. I also can't understand why some people say this is a racist book; the impression I got is that Twain was actually mocking the narrow-mindedness and prejudice of white society at that time. Anyway, I think this book is funny and satirical, and the characters are very well defined and charismatic; their combination of naivete and wisdom is really endearing. Okay, some of the situations are quite absurd, and sometimes Huck's penchant for criticizing everything that doesn't sit well with him are somewhat tiring, but on the whole this is a great story, and I reccommend it to everyone that can keep an open mind while reading, because I believe this book is definitely not an easy read, despite what others say, or at least not as easy as it seems on the surface.
  
  
• indeed, a classic--and never boring
  By A2FS7LH39P1DPA on 2001-01-20
  Maybe this book should not, as one reviewer noted, be assigned in high school. But then maybe no books should be assigned to people who are quicker to judge than to understand. Stupid, boring, difficult...hardly.

  Well--of course it's difficult (like everything that's good), for some good reasons. First of all, it's an illiterate white boy from the deep South--of course he speaks dialect (which is not the same as "he cain't spell"). Second, it's tough subject matter Twain tackles. What would you do in this situation? The right thing, which is what you've been told to do--turn Jim in? Or should you follow your heart, as Huck finally does, thinking it'll send him straight to hell? What would Jesus do?

  I find this book a rollercoaster ride, one adventure after another. Like many other readers, I am disturbed by the last couple of chapters, but given how Huck is under the influence of Tom Sawyer, it's not unintelligible.

  However, I have a bone to pick with this particular edition, by the Oxford UP. The introduction by Emory Elliot is less than satifying. For instance, he claims Twain was highly original in making this illiterate character the narrator of his novel, when of course there was a plethora of for instance slave narratives, often told by semi-literate narrators. He goes on to state that Twain was the first American author to explore "divorce, social strife, and violence"--seemingly forgetting all about, for instance, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," written well before "Huck," where all these issues are discussed.

  That said, I am happy to see that this edition features as an appendix the infamous "Raftmen's Passage," essential to the plot but excised by Twain (really, by his editor), and this restores the "original" structure of the novel, making the turn downstream, down South, acceptable. Also, the explanatory notes are quite good. Finally, this OUP edition is worth buying for the cover alone, which has a detail from a gorgeous Homer-painting.
  
  

• Amazing Edition of a Classic Work
  By AEGR7IBHUM3R7 on 2002-07-31
  Mark Twain's 1885 novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," has had a long history, during which it has been and still is both reviled and celebrated. Essentially the story of the picaresque travels and adventures of a young Missouri boy and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, in 1840's America. Taking cues from books like "Don Quixote" and Jonathan Swift's works, and a fraught relationship to Sir Walter Scott's historical romances and those of his protege, James Fenimore Cooper, Twain constructs a masterful first person narrative, through the eyes of 14 year old Huckleberry and a profound and hilarious satire on American culture.

  "Huckleberry Finn" begins in tension - Huckleberry's fortune and wardship with the well-meaning widow Douglas has him in a bind. The widow wants to 'sivilize' him, taking him out of the happy go lucky, easy going lifestyle he loves, while his fortune of six thousand dollars has him living in perpetual anxiety of his father, a violent drunkard whose absence only makes Huck more anxious about his return. When Huck's pap does return, sure enough, Huck is remanded, more or less, to Pap's custody, and kept prisoner in a secluded cabin. Though he is no longer being 'sivilized,' his time with Pap becomes more and more tense and lonely, driving Huck to stage his own death and run away from Pap and from civilization. Early in his escape, on a small island in the Mississippi River, he meets Jim, a slave from his town of St. Petersburg, who has run away, planning to raise money in the north to buy his family out of slavery. Together, Jim and Huck form a friendship that will take them up and down and all around the Mississippi River.

  "Huckleberry Finn" deals with a great many social issues, and none more interestingly than with conventional morality. With Huck, he effectively creates an outside position from which to view American culture as he sees it, with all of its pretentions and faults. Huck doesn't put much stock in widow Douglass' or Miss Watson's strictly defined notions of religion or morality - throughout the novel, we see him in constant conflict with himself over the fine line between what is considered right and wrong, and what is accepted as such. Huck's inner negotiations with prayer and morality, good and evil, are at the heart of the novel. His post-Emersonian, proto-Nietzschean manner of dealing with himself and his relationship to society is fascinating and compelling. His relationship with the runaway slave Jim, of course, is also a focal point of the novel - the ways in which Jim and Huck depend on and care for each other is both moving and of course, socially and politically suggestive and significant, especially in the historical context of the novel, both the setting, prior to the Civil War, and its published era, at the tail end of Reconstruction. Those who would be offended by racial epithets in common parlance during this time period would be advised to take historical context into account before railing against the novel's racial politics - if one gets unduly caught up in nitpicking such things, one falls into the trap of the satire, become a target in the process.

  As satire or black comedy, "Huckleberry Finn" has at every moment the ability to make us laugh out loud at ourselves and at the situations in the novel - from the fraudulent actions of the King and the Duke, to Tom Sawyer's needlessly elaborate scheme to free Jim from slavery, to well-born cultured families feuding, to all the cross-dressing that goes on in the novel (and there is a lot of it!). Again, though, as black comedy, we may often catch ourselves laughing, then wondering, hey, that isn't very funny - this is the brilliance of Twain's artistic achievement; to make us laugh while looking critically at ourselves. A book that is uniquely American, Twain's humour, wit, and style contribute to give us a look at both Antebellum and post-Reconstruction America through the eyes of innocence and experience, to see how far the nation had come since the days of Washington, and how far it still had (and has) to go.

  This 1998 Norton Critical Third edition of "Huckleberry Finn" is truly amazing. It restores the entire text from the manuscript, including among other things, the "Raftsman's episode" and all of the original illustrations. The supplementary materials in this edition are top-shelf also, with excerpts covering the controversy surrounding the novel, from its publication to the present. The critical selections are excellent as well, especially the incisive and yet startlingly personal essays by T.S. Eliot and Toni Morrison. This is probably the best current edition out there of this tremendous, and tremendously complicated American classic.
  
  

• Still The Crown Jewel of American Literature
  By A2ZE73RFY0GD3K on 2005-10-12
  I read this fine book long ago as a child, and while Mark Twain's condemnation of slavery/racism did not escape me then (and was refreshed by this re-reading), it was truly gratifying as an adult to fully appreciate how genuinely nefarious was his pair of swindlers, the Duke and the Dauphin. As a kid I thought their little plots were merely amusing, but after getting out into the world and encountering the sorts of folks who make their living by ripping other people off, I could understand how any citizens of that era would have had no qualms whatever about dipping such a duo in hot tar and then feathers. The young American West must have been rife with such con artists, and their ilk was marvelously presented in "Huckleberry Finn."
  
  And as for the word we're not allowed to say, it's amazing that "Huckleberry Finn" is banned in many places for its literary use of that word in a serious work of social satire/commentary -- while a film like "Pulp Fiction," with its own liberal use of that word, and no serious purpose beyond entertainment via plot and violence, is roundly praised. Odd indeed.
  
  
• The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn
  By on 2000-02-25
  The novel I read was called The adventuers of HuckleBerry Finn. I am writing this novel becuse it was a blessed and exhilarght tale. HuckleBerry Finn escaps from his evil drunken father. His father would beat him sometimes and he got tierd of that. Huck befrinds Jim a runaway slave and togather they flot down the Mississippi river. They encounter theives, murders, conmen and hucksters. Mrak Twains unremiting tale of age and learning about lifes pains and pleasures!
  
  
• An Unvarnished Look at the Human Soul
  By A1K1JW1C5CUSUZ on 2000-05-02
  For such a simple story, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn often proves to be elusive for its readers. Here are some guideposts to look out for:

  This story is told by Huck, and is not in the classic shape of a novel. Rather it is a precursor to Ulysses and Remembrance of Things Past, where other great writers attempted to capture the essence of our internal dialogue.

  Huck is also hiding a lot from himself. You as the reader can quickly see through him, though. He is trying to put a brave and positive face on a very dangerous situation. We all do that.

  Huck also has to face himself before the book ends. What really is important? We can all spout a lot of moral talk, but what we do is critical.

  If we lived in Huck's times, we would also see that there was an emormous moral dilemma. The rules of humanity were often not applied to black people. You could choose to go along and feel like a hypocrite (if you thought about what you were doing), or you could do the right thing. Sensitive people of that day often found it hard to do the right thing. If your neighbors were open-minded and you lived in the North, you might do one thing. If your neighbors were slaveholderes and lived in the South, you might do another.

  Also, think about the trip down the river as an analogy for going through life. How will it turn out if you just let your direction go with the current?
  
  

• The American "Heart of Darkness"
  By A1NPNGWBVD9AK3 on 2000-05-09
  True, this novel is over the heads of many high school English students. This is the "darkest" American novel I know of, which is probably one of the reasons that induced Hemingway to say that American literature begins and ends here. Like Conrad's Marlowe, Huck is journeying "upriver" into a region of the human psyche best left unobserved by any but the most stalwart of heart. His eyes are opened on the voyage. His ultimate character is shaped by what he experiences. His is a passage from naivete to wide-opened observer.What begins as an idyllic raft trip turns more and more turbulent the closer to Illinois he gets. What begins as a Tom Sawyer lark becomes more and more Faulknerian. Yes,it is a voyage from inexperience to experience. Yes, it is a quest story. Yes, it is a novel about man's inhumanity to man, etc. etc. But there is so much more at work here..Twain shared much in common with Swift. We are looking primarily at the underbelly of humanity here, not its bright spots. The ending, as pointed out by numerous critics,is problematical. Exactly what is Huck's position vis-a-vis Jim? Has all that has occured previously been given up in the moment he is counseled by Tom? Is Huck so ready to overthrow his hard-fought allegiance in order to conform to society's dictums? Twain offers no clear resolution, but this should not keep this novel from being taught in high school or college classrooms, when students are given the liberty to consrtuct their own conclusions.Personally, I believe what Twain is telling us is that we can never exhibit our true natures in society without risking being stoned to death. Conventional pressures have not really changed that much from Twain's day to the present. Just by espousing my support for this novel I am opening myself up to criticism aimed my way from the righteously correct. American society hasn't changed all that much. Religious piety and indignation has been supplanted by political correctness. Harriet Beacher Stowe, bless her, is alive and well. There are people out there convinced that Uncle Tom's Cabin is a more significant work than Huck Finn. What would Vonnegut say here?
  
  
• Very interesting and exciting to read.
  By on 1999-11-10
  This book is about a teenage boy name, Huckleberry Finn. The main theme of this story is that regular society is trying to make Huck civilized, trying to teach him the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, and for the most part, he doesn't like that. Huck would runaway to seek freedom for himself. In his adventure to freedom, he runs into Jim, a runaway slave. They would both run into different people in different situations, which were sometimes good and sometimes bad. Both of them encountered many different adventures together. Must read if you want to know what happens at the end. Would they find freedom for themselves or would they get back at being civilized?
  
  
• A young runaway as sternwheeler America's "Don Quixote".
  By on 1999-10-12
  I first read this book (unabridged) when I was in grade school, and it is still one of my favorites. I was fortunate to discover it on my parents' bookshelf long before it ever occurred to my teachers to assign it to me.

  In this masterpiece of the road trip, we meet a bumptious, self-confident, self-absorbed young America in person as Huck and Jim hitchhike along its first great highway: the Mississippi River of sternwheelers, flatboats, keelboats, canoes and crude rafts. We see the vast river and its people (with all their warts, quirks and odd ideas) through the eyes of a young white runaway orphan (Huck) and his much-wiser-than-he-lets-on black companion (Jim). This is the same Mississippi River highway that Abraham Lincoln saw as a young man, when he worked on the crew of a flatboat that delivered goods from the Ohio River Valley to the seaport in New Orleans.

  If you can forget that it's an assignment to read, notice that each of Twain's colorful characters has his or her own authentic way of damaging the English language (dialect), and let yourself go with the flow, I think you will find this to be a wonderful story with many delightful surprises.

  The journalist Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" is to America before the Civil War as the impoverished cavalier Miguel Cervantes' "Don Quijote de La Mancha" is to the underside of imperial Spain at the time of the Spanish Armada. In both books we see a rough-hewn society in the midst of rapid cultural change through the eyes of a pair of puzzled innocents. To a first approximation, Huck Finn is Don Quixote, and Jim is Sancho Panza.
  
  

• The Great Gatsby
• The Scarlet Letter (Penguin Classics)
• The Catcher in the Rye
• The Scarlet Letter
• The Crucible (Penguin Classics)