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sonnetson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Of the few "Great American Novel" contendors I've sofar read, this is the weakest. It is, still a good book, however. The first two acts in particular are very tight; there's the conflict between Huck and attempts to 'sivilize' him, when sivilization really means adherence to the brutal southern slave society. This plays out until the end of the book, with all its spectacle, and critique of spectacle as a part of this violence, until Tom Sawyer leads us in the greatest spectacle of them all. This this third act is hard to read, infuriating at times; the book, so much about cruelty, makes Huck and Tom Jim's torturers. Especially when it is revealed that Jim has been free for the whole "adventure." This flip does make the whole book kind of ricochet back: Huck Finn the book is an adventure, and it is the spectacle it critiques so heavily. Where that leaves me, I'm not quite sure. I do know that this is an important book, and I believe pretty fervently that it is, despite some blunders, a pretty staunchly antiracist book as well. This is my third time reading it, first as an adult, and I have to say, it's enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
liline163's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
kcc810's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
1.5
The story is hard to follow, rambling, too much dialect. The middle third is mildly funny I guess, but the racism and racial language are so heavy it feels difficult to tolerate. Most of the characters are incredibly flat and lack dimension. Tom Sawyer in the last third is one of the most obnoxious characters ever written. Risking someone’s life and freedom for child’s play? Not the entertaining story you might expect from a story that I’ve heard proclaimed to be anti-slavery. Twain seems very tied to his time, this novel is anything but timeless. If you want to read it for a glimpse into a period in history, I’d still suggest you choose another novel that focuses less on childish folly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
brianreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Gun violence
ccracknell's review against another edition
adventurous
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
idesofmarch's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Child abuse and Gun violence
meg_reads83's review against another edition
adventurous
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
dorothea03's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I enjoyed the story and I think Mark Twain is really good at writing from a child’s perspective. However, the n-word is used way to much for me to enjoy the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
celery's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
gaelstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I read the first 30% of this book as an ebook before switching over to this audiobook version. I really struggled to get through the story when reading it and listening made it a lot easier for me. In theory I really liked that it was written exactly how the characters talked, but it made it quite hard for me to read, so I’m glad the audiobook saved the day. I thought the narrator Nathan Osgood did a wonderful job.
The story however was difficult to read for many more reasons. The most obvious reason is the racism and descriptions of slavery. I don’t think it’s bad to read about the realities of what happened, but it was still very painful and hard to get through at times. It was especially hard when Huck was either being oblivious or downright cruel to Jim due to his up-brining of thinking of Black people as property. I know the story is showing how white people were raised but man was it hard to read and not be so mad at Huck. I know Mark Twain was supposedly writing this story to show that this was bad, but he certainly didn’t write Jim or any of the other characters for that matter in a way that completely convinces me of this… I’m very excited to read James by Percival Everett next to hear what Jim has to say about these idiot kids who just don’t get how terrible society is.
However, the two stars I’m giving this story is mostly not for the above reason. I give it 2 stars because I found the plot quite boring and the writing style dragged a lot. There were WAY too many pointlessly detailed descriptions. Also, I can NOT STAND Tom Sawyer at all, and I thought I was safe from him since this is Huck’s book, but then the end section of the story was way to much Tom Sawyer. I was legit screaming at it! I can’t stand that idiotic, insufferable, cruel boy who thinks playing with a man’s LIFE is just some big joke to him, and he never learns anything or changes. Ugh.
The first time I read this story was in 2011. I gave it 3 stars then, so I guess I got something more out of it the first time around, but this time I actively disliked reading it every step of the way.
The story however was difficult to read for many more reasons. The most obvious reason is the racism and descriptions of slavery. I don’t think it’s bad to read about the realities of what happened, but it was still very painful and hard to get through at times. It was especially hard when Huck was either being oblivious or downright cruel to Jim due to his up-brining of thinking of Black people as property. I know the story is showing how white people were raised but man was it hard to read and not be so mad at Huck. I know Mark Twain was supposedly writing this story to show that this was bad, but he certainly didn’t write Jim or any of the other characters for that matter in a way that completely convinces me of this… I’m very excited to read James by Percival Everett next to hear what Jim has to say about these idiot kids who just don’t get how terrible society is.
However, the two stars I’m giving this story is mostly not for the above reason. I give it 2 stars because I found the plot quite boring and the writing style dragged a lot. There were WAY too many pointlessly detailed descriptions. Also, I can NOT STAND Tom Sawyer at all, and I thought I was safe from him since this is Huck’s book, but then the end section of the story was way to much Tom Sawyer. I was legit screaming at it! I can’t stand that idiotic, insufferable, cruel boy who thinks playing with a man’s LIFE is just some big joke to him, and he never learns anything or changes. Ugh.
The first time I read this story was in 2011. I gave it 3 stars then, so I guess I got something more out of it the first time around, but this time I actively disliked reading it every step of the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery