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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had already read the second chapter of this book (whitewashing the fence) in school at some point, but I thought it was a short story, and not part of a larger novel. I guess it's a good thing I read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in its entirety and corrected my ignorance regarding Mark Twain.
And what a book it was. Although it wasn't the most interesting plot I've ever read, the real joy in reading this is the prose of Mark Twain -- an indisputable master of the English language and legendary American author. It actually made me recall the magic of my own childhood, with all the false assumptions, superstitions, game-playing, fibbing and flirting that are common to all boys throughout the ages.
And what a book it was. Although it wasn't the most interesting plot I've ever read, the real joy in reading this is the prose of Mark Twain -- an indisputable master of the English language and legendary American author. It actually made me recall the magic of my own childhood, with all the false assumptions, superstitions, game-playing, fibbing and flirting that are common to all boys throughout the ages.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book 62 of 2025: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
Tom Sawyer is a mischievous prankster who gets into a number of scrapes and escapades.
Review:
⭐️ 3/5
Firstly, it’s very obvious this is a product of its time and that’s often true of many classics. It was interesting how Twain managed to capture the essence of a childhood prankster and through the eyes of a child you could see the adventures he found himself embroiled in. There were times where it felt a bit slow with the plot all over the place, but watching the characters go through trials and tribulations was entertaining. Tom Sawyer himself manages to get away with all sorts - I’d be interested in reading Huckleberry Finn as he seemed a more rounded character.
Challenges:
📚Books in 2025: 62/100
📚2025 52 Book Club Challenge: 34/52
📚Prompt #38 of the 2025 52 Book Club Challenge: An Adventure Story
Book Information:
📖 Pages: 272
📖 Format: Audiobook
📖 Type: Fiction
📖 Genre: Classics, Historical, Literary
📖 Series: Adventures of Tom and Huck
Favourite Quotes:
“Maybe not, maybe not. Cheer up, Becky, and let's go on trying”
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
[22/166]
In every sense of the word, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a product of its time-- dialect, attitudes, religious overtones-- but it's also a cunning, playful read, with a deep warmth for the world the characters inhabit and the foibles of youth. (Although 'foible' feels like a weak description as the plot escalates into funeral-crashing and days of absence.) Sawyer himself is ruthlessly charismatic and funny, constantly getting himself into scrapes, and clever without ever abandoning the voice of a child in the antebellum period. There are so many things he does in here that would never fly in modern America (see any period of extended unsupervised time outside... we're wasting away here) and in equal measure some which are apparently universal, such as harassment of small animals, elaborate invented narratives, and really unnecessary pre-pubescent drama.
As a warning, the treatment of "Injun Joe" and any black characters is exactly what you think it's going to be going in. I kept hearing there'd be critique on slavery in this book and it's not aggressively hostile *for the time* but I didn't see any strong abolitionist undertones.
In every sense of the word, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a product of its time-- dialect, attitudes, religious overtones-- but it's also a cunning, playful read, with a deep warmth for the world the characters inhabit and the foibles of youth. (Although 'foible' feels like a weak description as the plot escalates into funeral-crashing and days of absence.) Sawyer himself is ruthlessly charismatic and funny, constantly getting himself into scrapes, and clever without ever abandoning the voice of a child in the antebellum period. There are so many things he does in here that would never fly in modern America (see any period of extended unsupervised time outside... we're wasting away here) and in equal measure some which are apparently universal, such as harassment of small animals, elaborate invented narratives, and really unnecessary pre-pubescent drama.
As a warning, the treatment of "Injun Joe" and any black characters is exactly what you think it's going to be going in. I kept hearing there'd be critique on slavery in this book and it's not aggressively hostile *for the time* but I didn't see any strong abolitionist undertones.