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A review by gaelstorm
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
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