Rating: Summary: indeed, a classic--and never boring Review: 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.
Rating: Summary: Huckleberry Finn - a British A level students perceptive Review: Many people, particularly in the USA find that Huckleberry Finn offensive for the use of the word "nigger". Unfortunately this is the only thing these critics talk about when they read the book. Huckleberry Finn is more about looking at a society which did believe in the cruelty of slavery not supporting it. On the same note even today we ignore human right issues and I think this book should be taught at Secondary school level. If people are going to change their attitudes about racism this is the last time that they will do so. But as well as critise society it does look at it from a humourous point of view and will keep you interested. I personally found it occasionally a bit childish at points but it is the overall story of friendship and overcoming socities rule in the greatest of odds which will keep you interested. Read it but keep reading even when you lose interest at it picks back up again.
Rating: Summary: For the kid in you Review: If your are one to thoes people who like childish exciment and adventure this book is the one for you. I mean I read Huckleberry Finn in the 6th grade and I liked it. It was exciting and some thing new! I wished that I could be just like Huck, but that was than and this is now. Times have changed I don't need to read about a little boy who run's away form is adopted family, and how he get's stuck on a raft with an Black man (Jim) who belives that he can tell the future from talking to a hair ball. But the adventure is just begining. Huck and Jim float down the river and incounter some pretty strange people, the Duke and the King of England. Both of these men are con-men, theives and not to mention they are just not nice people. If you are someone who likes to be made fun of and constantly told how stupid the human race is than this is the book for you. I give this book a 2 1/2 stars.
Rating: Summary: Hucleberry Finn, A Classic American Novel Review: The first time I read this book I was much younger. The novel was exciting and adventurous to me. It was about a young boy that escaped from his overbearing life and went on an exciting adventure down a river. It was humourous and entertaining at the time. I recently reread the novel for an American Literature class and the second time around realized there was so much more to the novel. Huck Finn is an American classic written by Mark Twain. The novel is essentially the conflict of man v. society. What seems to be a light hearted adventure story of a boy on the run, it is actually a satirization by the author of society during the time. These satirizations which are entangled within the plot and it's charaters, are a direct attack of Twain's opinion of society and societies "morals". Throught the novel, Twain humorizes man's foolishness in the beleif of religion and superstition, and questions societies value of the individual and satarizes mans morality of money and time. Twain is satarizing the characters persistent beleif in superstition and a reason for exsistence and explanation of the unknown. The author is exploiting the need for a reason in life and that there is no satisfaction in just being there for no underlying and meaningful purpose. Mark Twain has also made it obvious that he is satarizing society for it's value of an individual. At a point in the novel there is a direct example of this point where the reward for a runaway slave is significantly more than the return of a man that has murdered a young boy. This obviously exploits the societies value of justice in murder, and a runaway slave. The last point is that the author satarizes man or societies value of money over a good deed. In a scene of the novel two characters would have rather given Huck and Jim money to go to a doctor rather than taking the time to assist them in their troubles. All in all, Huckleberry Finn is an extraordinary piece of American Literature and it's playful plot line and underlying truth in society has made it a classic in years past and years to come. If you take the time to read between the lines and through the adventurous plot line, you will discover thoughts and messages of an incredble piece of American Literature!
Rating: Summary: Huckleberry Finn, An American Classic Review: Huck Finn is a classic novel that almost every high school student has read at some point in their lives. I read it when I was young and it was an exciting novel about a boy that escaped his life and went on an adventure down a river and did what ever he pleased. I recently reread the novel for a high school American Literature class and discovered that it was much more than a childrens "story". Mark Twain is a classic author who wrote a novel that is adventurous and exciting to the youngest of readers and is deep and intuitive to the most advanced readers. The author is actually satirizing the society of his time through a novel that eventually became a classic. Through his characters and their adventures, the novel exploits the faults of society and it's morals and twisted elements. Twain is satirizing societies value of a person, overbearing superstition, and it's importance of money over time. In the novel a strong aspect of the value of a person is shown when the reward for a runaway slave is significantly more than the reward for a murderer of a young boy. The characters superstition in the novel rules their lives. It seems as though they must have an answer to every question and reason for every occurence, good and bad in their lives. This includes the overwhelming need for religous beleifs and reason they ar here. Another good aspect is the fault over man to put his greed for money in front of everything else. This includes when a man feels, that instead of just offering time and help, they can contribute their money and feel good doing. Twains satirzations in the novel are also present in today's society. Which may be why the novel seems to still be analyzed and praised today. Although the novel may come across as a childrens adventure story the reality in the novel is greater than the perception. If you read between the lines, you will see a mans greater perception of the society around him and a reality of the society of today,
Rating: Summary: A Great American Novel Review: The Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain is a great American novel because it touches on all the points of our nations history. Although this book has many racial slurs it should not be under contriversy because of its use of the "N" word. The story takes place when the "N" word was used frequently. In a way it shows the positive relations between two people of different races. Huck Finn the main character of the novel uses this ofensive slur just because he was brought up that way, he doesn't know any better. Within the novel this teenage misfit gets himself in tons of trouble. This is where the comedy comes into play. Every time Huck ends up in trouble he manages to think of some clever excuse. Like when the two slave hunters ran into Huck and Jim(the runaway slave)on the river. Huck said "Oh ya my father has small pocks, you can see him if you realy want to." Of course the slave hunters wanted to stay as far away from the two because the don't want to get small pocks. Mark Twain not only writes truthfully about this time period but he also critizes the human race for being ignerent and stupid. Throughout this incredible book Twain makes suddle comments about the human race just to poke fun at us. There was a two year break while he was writing this book because he was unsure of what he was doing. This was written in a time period when blacks were looked down upon as if the were not as inteligent as the whites were and Twain is having a black man and white boy out smart several white men. Twain thought that his novel would be laughed at if he continued this unheard of stoiy line. He was in such a twisted mental state he took off thoes two years to think about what he was even writing about, then continued Huck on his journy. This awesome book deserves 5 stars
Rating: Summary: One of the best books ever Review: This was simply a great story. Twain is one of the greatest writers ever who uses humor in a way that only he could. This book has everything you could ask for. Adventure, suspense, humor, action, fantasy. I read this book about once a year and enjoy it every time. One of the few books that I could ever do that with. For those people who gave it 1-2 stars because they couldn't understand it then you shouldnt even rate it. I cant understand Beowolf but that doesn't mean its bad. If you are over 15 then this book should be no problem to read. Its an American Classic
Rating: Summary: Come on ... it's Huck Finn! Review: This is THE American classic. There's no need to argue. If you're looking for a copy of this book to add to your library, I recommend the Norton Critcal edition. Controversial illustrations, criticism, orignial advertisements, and a lot more "truck" are inside that edition along with a wonderfully annotated text.
Rating: Summary: Huckle and his great Adventures Review: I think this book is full of surprises and is very fin to read. Before I read it, I heard it was "boring" but after I read it, it became one of my favorite books. I Recommend reading this book. My favorite part of the story is when Huckle is forced to decide society or his heart. This story is one of the most popular stores by Mark Twain. I think Huckleberry Finn ( the main character) is very funny and brave in this story! He is definitely a realist and takes everything like it is. Tom Sawyer, Huckle's ally follows him all through the journey and keeps him company. I think 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. I think Huckle changes a lot is this story especially when he is faced with many decisions where he has to do the right thing which is the wrong thing. I think that he becomes more secure in knowing what is right!
Rating: Summary: A wonderful book Review: This is a coming of age story of a thirteen to fourteen year old boy named Huckleberry Finn, who tries to help a runaway slave named Jim escape. The book also has a lot of funny stuff in it. For example Mark Twain makes fun of civilization by showing how stupid the people in town are, and how street-smart Huck is. This book also has an anti-slavery message.
|