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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Je l’ai lu afin de mieux comprendre le contexte avant de commencer James de Percival Everett.
La lecture a été plutôt pénible, car malgré la richesse des thèmes abordés (social et racial), je n’ai pas trouvé le récit passionnant. J’ai vraiment galérer à le terminer.
En tant que lectrice noire, j’ai eu du mal à supporter la façon dont le personnage de Jim est présenté (stéréotypé et sans vraie profondeur psychologique en plus d’être un brin naïf).
En tant que lectrice noire, j’ai eu du mal à supporter la façon dont le personnage de Jim est présenté (stéréotypé et sans vraie profondeur psychologique en plus d’être un brin naïf).
Cela dit, je comprends l’importance historique de ce roman, et je suis curieuse de voir comment James, en donnant enfin la parole à Jim, va répondre à ces silences et ces manques.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There's a line in the Afterword that says Huckleberry Finn has "the saddest happy ending in all of modern literature." I was immediately struck by just how true that was: Huck became his own man, but ultimately ends up back where he started under the influence of Tom Sawyer, and chafing at the bonds of being 'sivilized.' I think this is one of those books that is commonly listed as an essential read, but I feel there's actually a good reason. There's some very excellent social commentary in the novel, especially considering the time in which it was written. I started out a little lost, considering I hadn't read Tom Sawyer prior to reading Huckleberry Finn, but ultimately I got the gist fairly quickly. The way in which the dialogue is written made it a much slower read than I anticipated, as I constantly had to read sentences over again so I could decipher what Twain's characters were saying, as their accents were written out: it took me several minutes to discern that 'gwyne tuh' meant 'going to.' I think that this book is just the right mixture of challenging yet simple, and I definitely understand now why this book is so timeless. I was fully invested in Huck's story, and admire his decision to 'go to hell' and aid in Jim's escape from slavery, the way he goes behind the backs of his companions to prevent them from swindling a family out of their inheritance, and his selfless act to try to save Jim after he was sold. However, I recognize the flaws in Twain's portrayal of the characters, namely Jim, falling victim to the same tropes of Uncle Tom's Cabin with his simple-minded goodness. It was a treat to see his character be developed upon even a tiny bit, and in the context of the novel and the period in which it was written, I believe Twain had good intentions and did the best he could. I was very annoyed with Tom Sawyer and his manipulative shenanigans, and actually laughed out loud when he was shot. It truly was quite sad to see Huck's maturity and character he'd built over the course of the novel essentially fly out the window once he interacts with Tom again. Overall, I'm glad I put in the effort to read this, but I definitely will not be reading Tom Sawyer; I don't think I could stomach a whole book centered around that character.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Extremely mid. I don’t really understand its classic status. I typically don’t mind dialect, but in this book the black dialect especially is unnecessarily difficult to understand. This book is basically a fictional travelogue with little in the form of overarching plot. Many of the episodes are dull.
adventurous
funny
The beginning of this book was a rough one for me. There was a boredom that I found unexpected for the first four or five chapters. Once Twain let Huck Finn act and speak more like himself his story became far more interesting. There were a few brief moments of boredom but they were mostly when traveling on a raft or canoe in the middle and latter parts of the novel. But there is only so much a person can do on a raft at night so that boredom period is explainable. The rest were enjoyable and exciting adventures, which is what I would expect from Huck Finn.
Honestly, I have always liked Huck Finn more than Tom Sawyer. There always seemed to be these smarts, kindness, and likability that Tom just never had. Tom Sawyer seems like a spoiled brat who only cares about himself and "his plans." When Tom arrives back on the scene close to the end of the book it just proves what I've always believed: Tom Sawyer is an egotistical spoiled child with a flair for extravagant theatrics!! He would actually make someone else suffer who never did anything to him by sending them back to slavery all so he can plan a great escape... This kid needs to get in touch with emotions and have some sense knocked into him. For someone who is suppose to be smart he sure did not act like it.
The way Twain wrote from Huck's perspective was a nice change from Tom's all seeing narrator. The novel felt more personal in my opinion. I also love that Huck was shown as a fan of slavery because I can't recall a single novel ever writing from this perspective besides Gone with the Wind. Personally I do not agree with slavery or ever thought it was right, but it was interesting seeing the other point of view on the topic. This was definitely a good read.
Honestly, I have always liked Huck Finn more than Tom Sawyer. There always seemed to be these smarts, kindness, and likability that Tom just never had. Tom Sawyer seems like a spoiled brat who only cares about himself and "his plans." When Tom arrives back on the scene close to the end of the book it just proves what I've always believed: Tom Sawyer is an egotistical spoiled child with a flair for extravagant theatrics!! He would actually make someone else suffer who never did anything to him by sending them back to slavery all so he can plan a great escape... This kid needs to get in touch with emotions and have some sense knocked into him. For someone who is suppose to be smart he sure did not act like it.
The way Twain wrote from Huck's perspective was a nice change from Tom's all seeing narrator. The novel felt more personal in my opinion. I also love that Huck was shown as a fan of slavery because I can't recall a single novel ever writing from this perspective besides Gone with the Wind. Personally I do not agree with slavery or ever thought it was right, but it was interesting seeing the other point of view on the topic. This was definitely a good read.