Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
I reread since reading in hs to refresh before I read James but I now feel as though i need to revisit all my fave books from school as an adult.
I think this was pretty good. Some parts dragged on but that might've been Mark Twain commenting on romanticism. I think it was a good mirror for the society that Huck lived in and made a good statement about hypocrisy. My favorite parts were when it was just Jim and Huck together on the raft.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Funny at times in a slapstick sort of way, this was engaging enough that I kept picking it up, but not so much that I felt satisfied at the end. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but primarily as a window into life in the American midwest pre-civil war. It was interesting to consider what life would have been like at the time, with families that had settled in the region for generations, but didn't necessarily have a lot of contact with the outside world. I think these days it's a hard sell to claim that this book is anti-racist based on Jim's portrayal, but I'm sure that at the time it was seen as such, and is another interesting window into that period.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Audio booked it so I can now read James
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Classic book I wanted to read before reading James by Percival Everett. Enjoyed but did get bored at times, especially around the time Huck & James are with the Duke and the King.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The narrative speed was on the slower side with this one. It's also felt like a book that intended to have a deeper meaning than what I was able to readily glean while I was reading. Probably because I was distracted enjoying reading this one aloud in a southern drawl, which was much easier to accomplish given the intentional misspelling Mark Twain used to help the reader recreate the sound of the dialog.
The book is very period-accurate, and must be read from a place of understanding historical context. Otherwise you'll be prone to feeling like it's a very distasteful narrative.
The book is very period-accurate, and must be read from a place of understanding historical context. Otherwise you'll be prone to feeling like it's a very distasteful narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Slavery, Alcohol
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Murder
The book is very period-accurate, and must be read from a place of understanding historical context. Otherwise you'll be prone to feeling like it's a very distasteful narrative.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i mean, isn’t twain great? you have a bit of fun and remain engaged while also exploring heavy topics and themes. it’s wonderful. no notes, would love to read more twain.