By Mark Twain
SPOILER-FREE
A nineteenth-century boy from a Mississippi River town recounts his adventures as he travels down the river with a runaway slave, encountering a family involved in a feud, two scoundrels pretending to be royalty, and Tom Sawyer’s aunt who mistakes him for Tom.
REVIEW
THEMES: ADVENTUREOUS, HISTORICAL, CLASSIC, MEDIUM-PACED.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tells the story of a young boy who flees his hometown to escape his abusive father. Along the way, he meets both old and new friends and embarks on an adventure — but it doesn’t come without risks. To stay out of trouble, Huck must get creative and think on his feet.
If you love The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I strongly advise you click off this review.
I try to give all books the benefit of the doubt and look at them from different perspectives, but this was truly one of the dullest books I have ever read.
Each character felt like a mildly altered version of the last — there was no individualism; they all just blended into one. Finn was so mediocre, I felt like I was reading from the perspective of a wet piece of bread. He added nothing to the book. And why did he say “wigwam” so much?
Whilst there is a vague plot, all the “adventures” (a huge stretch, if you ask me) amount to nothing. The best way to describe it is listening to someone else’s dream — which is often an excruciating experience.
I don’t doubt there are elements of the book that are appealing, but I stubbornly refuse to analyse — or waste — any more time on it than I already have.
This was a very negative review, and I apologise if you liked the book — but I really struggled with it, and believe me, I tried so hard to find the silver lining.
If you couldn’t tell, I would not recommend this book. But again, you may love what I hate. At the very least, do not start with it if you’re trying to get into classics.
Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.
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