The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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It's a hit!

A delightful journey of the growth of a young boy as he overcomes the odds and frees a slave. The honesty of the language and the bravery of the au... (show more)

A delightful journey of the growth of a young boy as he overcomes the odds and frees a slave. The honesty of the language and the bravery of the author is awesome. This book really explores the dichotomy of humanity in a very scholarly and an easy to understand way. This book masterfully highlights the absurdity and the horrible nature of slavery and racism; do not forget that in amongst the many usages of the term "Nigger" in its many forms. The usage of the term "Nigger" is used because that was just how people spoke in that time. Mark Twain does not sugar coat it and that is what I like about Twain. Mark Twain also used a lot of beautiful wording to illustrate the lushness of the scenery. This scenery transports you out of wherever you are reading and into the story. I had to read this for my Tenth grade American Literature class and reading the book never felt like homework. Thanks Mark Twain for your this awesome literature. I would recommend this book to everyone! (show less)

 

 

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No, it's a flop!

After reading the 1st chapter, I was compelled to cross-reference it with the original text. I was appauled to see the free liberty the publisher a... (show more)

After reading the 1st chapter, I was compelled to cross-reference it with the original text. I was appauled to see the free liberty the publisher adopted in this "high-interest adaptation" that supposedly "retains the spirit of the original."

They go as far as removing Huck Finn's mention of wanting to die because he misses his friend Tom Sawyer and totally removing whole sentences for no obvious reason (except for some misdirected criticisms of racism), even when considering their objective. This is beyond censorship (total removal of the word 'Nigger'), and goes into the realm of butchering a great American novel. Do they really expect young readers to be able to identify with the emotions of the characters, and perhaps more importantly, Twain's critique of American society in the late-nineteenth century, if the book is sterilized to the point where it is an overall rewrite?

The overall result is a dumbing-down of what some regarded as THE great American novel. I suppose their emphasis on making it an authoritative version is founded in politicized notions of what is supposed to be correct, but their attempt falls flat. They took Twain's artful, inside-out societal critique and turned it into another Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I can't imagine what The Catcher in the Rye would do (or not do) for a young, impressionable reader if the whole work was washed of all impurities (like the prostitute incident) and references to negativity within the "phony" world. Why should we subject a reader to an equivalent disaster with this volume? In short, get the original text. (show less)

 

 

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  Well, I see now why this book was up to be banned from schools, and perhaps has been. However, I still thought it was a really good read. I enjoyed it and when you realize that this story is reflecting the time period it was written in, it was a rather brave move on Twain's part to create a relationship between a black man and a white boy, where they not only become friends, but end up truly caring about one another. It also shows how ingrained the idea of slavery was and how people of col... (show more)

  Well, I see now why this book was up to be banned from schools, and perhaps has been. However, I still thought it was a really good read. I enjoyed it and when you realize that this story is reflecting the time period it was written in, it was a rather brave move on Twain's part to create a relationship between a black man and a white boy, where they not only become friends, but end up truly caring about one another. It also shows how ingrained the idea of slavery was and how people of color were thought of a less worthy, as Huck struggles with his conscience over caring about a black man vs. doing the "right thing" by not helping a slave to obtain his freedom. In the end, Huck decides that consciences weren't good for much anyway, and decides to be a true sinner who would end up burning in hell for what he was going to do; he would follow his heart and help Jim. What an idea! (show less)

   

   

  by Amy Adams Maalmi on Oct 26, 2009 at 04:59AM

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  I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. Mark Twain has created such a character out of Huckleberry Finn. Twain manages to make his journey with Jim down the mighty Mississippi funny and memorable, but at the same time, manages to keep it fabulously written.
  I understand how this book managed to make it onto the list of the top ten banned books of the twentieth century, because it deals with racism and slavery and is a frequet user of the N word (nigger). At the same time, it is the story... (show more)

  I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. Mark Twain has created such a character out of Huckleberry Finn. Twain manages to make his journey with Jim down the mighty Mississippi funny and memorable, but at the same time, manages to keep it fabulously written.
  I understand how this book managed to make it onto the list of the top ten banned books of the twentieth century, because it deals with racism and slavery and is a frequet user of the N word (nigger). At the same time, it is the story of a young boy, brought up in rough circumstances who not only wanted to get away, but who also wanted to look for adventure. Although at first glance it might seem a harmless adventure story, it is really much more then that.
  There were two characters who about drove me crazy- the "duke" and the "king." At first I found their actions to be funny, but after awhile I got so tired of them and just wanted Huck to get rid of them! Despite their annoyance, the book wouldn't be complete with out them. They cause so much trouble for Huck and Jim, and that makes the book all the more interesting.
  It may have taken Mark Twain years to write, and he did take many liberties with the book, especially for the time he wrote it in, but he did something right. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel that one cannot miss out on. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook User on Sep 06, 2009 at 11:55PM

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