Reviews

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

joanneadams54's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

trin's review against another edition

5.0

This is a book that my dad read to me when I was little, that I slogged through in high school, and that I rediscovered my passion for in college. Twain is so clever—take the section about the Shepherdsons and the Grangerfords, a saga that's part Romeo and Juliet, part Cain and Abel, and part screwball comedy (with a shocking tragic end)—but there's also real depth and meaning behind Huck's journey—the physical, and the emotional one. This is really the story of a boy finding his moral center in a time of corrupted ethics. I think about the scene where Huck decides he's willing to go to Hell if that's the price for rescuing Jim, his friend, and I know why this is a classic.

swaye's review against another edition

4.0

kalschaef's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

jrdndllla's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective slow-paced

3.0

wolfgold's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

emaciated_dragon's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

jackdziatkowiec's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The irony is strong with this one. 

The first thing that shocked me was the archaic and offensive language. It's in total opposition to the message of the story. Two people from different background who find themselves in the same circumstance and must rely on each other to survive, and realize they have more in common than not.

Huck and Jim travel down the Mississippi. They meet two other travellers and form a theater troupe. They put on shitty shows in towns they come across and try to swindle the villagers out of their money. Huck does his best to thwart their plans.

By and by, Jim is captured and sold into slavery, but just in time, Tom Sawyer shows up to save the day ...and ruins everything.

Instead of helping Jim escape, Tom keeps him chained up, because he thinks it's fun to be a prisoner. Jim should try to enjoy it.

This third act of the book ruins every anti-slavery message it was working towards.

Tom Sawyer's IQ dropped significantly in this book. Maybe because it's written from the perspective of Huck Finn. Similarly, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is from Tom's perspective, and Huck was the dumb one. Funny how perspective shifts your view of the world and the people in it. Both of them think the other is an idiot.

lorenaalexia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

3.25

wellfleetbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75