I’ve finally finished ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’! It took me a while, but I managed to finish it, which I’m celebrating as it’s on my classics-to-read list, as well as being a book that Rory Gilmore read in Gilmore Girls (I love that show!)

Here’s my review of the book.

About the Book

Title: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Author: Mark Twain
Pages: 305 Pages, Hardback edition

Synopsis:

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the great American humorist Mark Twain follows the escapades of Tom Sawyer’s best friend on a raft trip down the swirling waters of the Mississippi River. Join Huck and Jim, a runaway slave, on their remarkable adventure, where they meet con artists and slave traders, while learning the power of friendship.

Review:

I actually started reading this book a while ago, but took a break from it because the language was quite difficult in parts, and to be honest, found the racist parts of it put me off. I know it’s a book of its time, and I had to think of that as I carried on reading. For one, I’m trying to read more classics, and I’d bought this copy back in 2006 and hadn’t read it in all that time, so I was determined to finish.

I didn’t hate it, but overall it wasn’t a book I enjoyed. The character of Huck Finn was morally bent a bit, as he only admitted to many of his actions when it suited him or the situation. He kept company with a myriad of characters, some of which were worse than him, and indeed they got their comeuppance even if in my view it was extreme – the tar and feathers I’ve read in other books and I’m not a fan. Mark Twain certainly shows off the power of the crowd in that instance and in other parts of the story.

Poor Jim, I really felt for him throughout the book, and even more so towards the end. Huck was very much determined to look out for his friend and do what he could for him throughout the book.

There was drama aplenty, that much is true, and certainly more so when Tom Sawyer appeared. Huck actually seems quite sensible in comparison to Tom, and the last several chapters showcased Tom’s extravagance for adventure but also his education. Huck goes along with Tom’s ideas, and I wonder if it’s because he sees his education inferior to Tom’s. But Huck himself has a talent for telling stories.

So yes, the book had drama enough to keep you entertained, but in part related to the language, I won’t read it again. It’s a book of its time and I’m glad we live in a different, and hopefully better, one.

Overall I give it 2 out of 5 stars.