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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If I hadn’t been reading this for bookclub I would have given up on it.
Does it make me a bad English major if I say I thought this was boring
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s wild that none of my English classes growing up required this book, and honestly, I kind of appreciate that. I picked it up now because ‘James’ just came out and I wanted some context before diving into that novel. What struck me immediately was how progressive and fresh Twain’s writing style feels, it’s hard to believe this was written in the 19th century.
That said, I took an entire star off for the relentless repetition of “by and by.” It appears so frequently, sometimes multiple times in a single sentence, that it became genuinely distracting. It’s baffling this is considered a literary masterwork while relying so heavily on one turn of phrase. Twain absolutely could’ve benefited from a strong editor, though I’m not even sure that was a standard role at the time.
The story does a solid job capturing the voice and mind of a young boy on an adventure, but certain parts drag unnecessarily. I honestly appreciate having read it, however, knowing Mark Twain was a staunch abolitionist and was pursuing justice in a time when many were castigated for being radicals.
That said, I took an entire star off for the relentless repetition of “by and by.” It appears so frequently, sometimes multiple times in a single sentence, that it became genuinely distracting. It’s baffling this is considered a literary masterwork while relying so heavily on one turn of phrase. Twain absolutely could’ve benefited from a strong editor, though I’m not even sure that was a standard role at the time.
The story does a solid job capturing the voice and mind of a young boy on an adventure, but certain parts drag unnecessarily. I honestly appreciate having read it, however, knowing Mark Twain was a staunch abolitionist and was pursuing justice in a time when many were castigated for being radicals.
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reread this for the first time since high school ahead of reading Percival Everett’s new retelling, and the thing that stuck out most this round was just how well Twain understood the soul of the American scoundrel. Some of the best rapscallions in fiction live in these pages; what is Saul Goodman but today’s Tom Sawyer?
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wish I read it faster, but as a satiric odyssey through the American South, it was a great read.
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wilde dit boek graag eerst lezen voordat ik begin aan James van Percival Everett en daarnaast is dit ook wel een Amerikaanse klassieker die ik sowieso graag gelezen wilde hebben. Had wel veel moeite met het continue racistische taalgebruik en stereotyperingen, maar dat geeft wel Amerika uit 1884 weer... En wat een IRRITANT personage is die Tom Sawyer, vooral aan het einde was hij echt onverdraaglijk.