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The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (平装)
by Mark Twain
| Category:
Classics, Literature, Ages 9-12, Children's books |
| Market price: ¥ 88.00
MSL price:
¥ 78.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
This is a masterpiece of American literature from Mark Twain which most closely represents the America experience. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 6 items |
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Justin Evans, USA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
When I first read this book, I was so taken with it, that I read from chapter 18 through the end of the book in one night. I was up until 3:30 in the morning, reading ahead of my 11th grade assignment, and loving every minute along the way. Later in college, when I studied the book more, closer, and with a more educated eye (whatever that means) my love for the book increased. Now, as a teacher myself, I look forward to having my students read this book and discussing it in class. But now as for the title of my review: I can't help feeling bad for people who think that this is not a good novel because "we don't talk like that anymore." Are we to abandon books that are no longer contemporary to ourselves? I also take issue with people who claim that this book is a racist tirade based upon the use of the word "nigger," or because the escape route Jim took was down the Mississippi instead of up river. While currently offensive, Mark Twain used the term as a literary fact that most, if not all young boys of the south spoke in such a manner. Once more, Jim explained why he was going south before he headed north. The simple fact is that if you are going to criticize a book, then you should read it. Mark Twain said as much in his essay, "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses." From reading a number of the reviews of this book, I have come to the opinion that while many read the book, more than a few are refusing to give Twain credit for subtext and the use of allegory. One reviewer down the line says that the book is racist because Twain makes a young boy to be twice as smart as Jim. Upon closer reading, Twain is showing what Huck feels to be true. Huck only thinks that he is smarter. The reader should pick up on the fact that Twain writes Jim as an intuitive father figure for Huck, one who teaches a true morality as opposed to the morality of the South. Simply put, you get what you put in to the reading of this book. If you think it is going to be a boring read because you "have to" read it for a summer reading list or school assignment, then that's what it will be. If you think it will be a difficult read because you don't want to try and read in dialects other than your own, it will be a hard read. If you are looking to justify the book as racist because of a single word that presentism doesn't excuse, then have at it. This book can be all of those things. However, this book also has the potential to enlighten the reader, give something wonderful to the reader, and teach about the human condition. |
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C. Bashara, TX, USA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
There are very few works that come near this masterpiece of American literature. Not only do you need to read this book; you need to read this book multiple times. It never gets old. It is so complex and multi-layered that you truly find something new with each reading. It is a shame that so many students feel "forced" to read this. Reading this book is a privilege and a delight. It is funny, touching, witty, satirical and one of the most important books that exists. Although it was written and set in the past the themes are universal and timeless. Do not hesitate to read this book! |
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Joseph M, Colorado, USA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a wonderful novel that is adventurous, humorous, and fun. The characters are believable (one reason why is that Mark Twain writes in the character's dialects). The book really transports the reader into a different time period. The story revolves around Huck Finn. Huck is an easy going young teenager who is the son of a town drunkard. He recently made a large fortune. Because of this Huck is confined by schooling, shoes, and, worst of all, manners. Huck had enough of this so he runs away. His small town assumes that he is dead, so he enjoys the life on Jackson's island. When Jim, an escaped slave, runs away to the island. Huck decides to go down the Mississippi River. Going down the river, Huck interacts with a variety of people, small towns, and adventures. The story is outrageous, but it doesn't matter. Huck more then makes up for it in his view of the world. I would recommend this to most people because it is a very easy read and is entertaining. |
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Phoenix, USA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
What then makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn such a great book to read, and such an embodiment of America? Many things. First, this book addresses the issue of color racism thoroughly and subtly from multiple viewpoints. The latter includes the naive reluctant racist (Huck), the naive apathetic racist (Tom), those discriminated against (Jim), and of course the active, enthusiastic racists (most everyone else we meet in the book). Racism is examined from both the mental viewpoints; how individuals consider others of the same and different race, and from the social viewpoint; how individuals of different races interact in public and private. This emphasis on race points to the heart of American history; few other countries have struggled with skin color bias as long and as deeply as the US. The second major point examined in this book is slavery; an issue strongly related to the first. Slavery as existed in other countries was rarely as delineated along color lines as it was in the USA. And rarely was it defined as a feature of different skin colors. For example, slavery throughout Europe was used as a form of criminal punishment. Likewise, slavery in the Middle East was a side effect of military conquest of one group of people by another. Not so in America. Here it was an inherent feature of how two races dealt with each other. The third theme of this book that strongly embodies the American experience is the fractured / divided family. Walk through any neighborhood in China, India, Japan, Mexico, Egypt, Ireland or most any other country, and most of the children you encounter live with their parents, and most of the parents you meet live with their children. Unique among nations is America where many children do not live with both their biological parents. True now, this was true in the mid-1800s when this book's story takes place. Jim is searching for his family and Huck has left his. At the end of the book, they meet Tom, another boy who is not being raised by his parents. In fact, the two most stable families nuclear families encountered in this book are the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons. This leads of course to a fourth feature of this book that is reflective of America; the family feud. For a country where everyone has so much, both back then and now in the early 21st century; Americans seem to have problems with neighbors. Nowadays, everyone wants a house with big yards to maximize separation between them and their neighbors, and neighbors’ rat on each other to their homeowners' association. Back then, they had feuds. The fifth topic dealt with in this book is the con. Unique to America is the role of the con artist in our history and culture. Consider Jim and Tammy Fay Baker, Robert Millikan and Charles Keating of modern times, and Ponzi of the early 1900s. In this book the reader encounters numerous cons and con artists. Huck himself cons Jim at the end of the book whereby he concocts a series of escape plans that puts Jim thru a series of ordeals, all for the naive amusement of Huck. Having read several versions of Twain's classic by different publishers; this reviewer has only praise for this version. The book itself is a great classic and worthy of anyone’s time and effort in reading it. |
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Tyra, USA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
I read this book recently, for my 10th grade American Literature class. I think possibly the most accurate description I can give for it is that it's a sort of pre-Civil War-era 'Catcher in the Rye'-both novels are journeys of adolescent self-discovery, told in an informal, gritty first-person narrative voice. If you liked 'Catcher', chances are, you'll like 'Huck'. ('Huck' is also lacking in most of the teenager-y whining and moaning that put people off 'Catcher'). I will admit that the novel has attributes that will make it a boring or valueless read, for some. It's told from the perspective of a semi-literate Southern boy and is filled with digressions and anecdotes. It's very episodic and I can't say it has one centralized plot. Still, I enjoyed the book for the vibrant, colorful portrayal of the American South, the dark humor and most of all, for the characters. Jim, the slave man, while often a figure of humor, has quiet dignity and nobility. He provides a father figure for the abandoned and parentless Huck. Huck, himself, is an utterly unforgettable character-the humble country boy with "a sound heart and a deformed conscience", he is impossible not to like. Seriously. This is a solid masterpiece and probably the finest American classic I've ever read. |
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Louise, CA, USA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
I enjoyed reading this classic very much. The characters definitely made it a funny, interesting, and exciting book to read. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a worthy read. This is a book I'm proud to have finished and be able to say I have read. I honestly enjoyed it. On a scale from 1-10 I would have to give it an 8.5. Mark Twain really paints a clear picture of the two main characters and how they come to be throughout the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a classic read, full of adventure, and a real true friendship lesson. This was a very challenging book but all the worthwhile. This is a book that has made me interested in experimenting other Mark Twain books. I truly think this book should have never been banned; it only prevented children from a great piece of literature. |
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1 Total 1 pages 6 items |
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