Specially abridged version of Twain’s classic story of the boyhood adventures of mischievous but well-meaning Tom Sawyer, who barely avoids calamity as he bounds along from one prank to another. 31 black-and-white illustrations.
I was asked to recommend a book I read as a child so here is one of Mark Twain’s classics. I read this in elementary school and loved the adventures that Tom, Becky, and Huck found themselves in, and how they managed to squirm out of trouble.
Author
jdestrada
3 years ago
It’s always interesting to read a classic and see how many things lauded books “get wrong” in regards to story structure as per today’s standards. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a book that has no rush to be anywhere, and you shouldn’t either. It is almost a collection of narratives of Tom during a specific time in his town of St. Petersburg. There’s also a lot of listing, info dumping, and a bunch of things countless articles and experts will say you must avoid at all costs.
It also has some spectacular writing.
Also, if there’s any rule to Twain’s writing in this novel it’s that if you’re going to say something ordinary, make sure you do it in an extraordinary way. There are things blatantly left to the imagination of the reader, from Tom messing up a reciting of a piece for school, to the play by play steps to get from point A to point B. These boring tidbits are treated thusly, 3 days passed and this is what happens now. All in all, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer captures that joie de vivre of a kid who is a rascal, but a good kid at heart. Someone who doesn’t know any better for some things, and for others is innately noble. Did he take lickins at home from his Aunt Polly and at school from teachers? Of course. But that was normal for that time…and a lot of things that were normal in that time period are not normal nowadays.
This is obviously a piss-poor segue into the treatment of minorities and the use of pejorative language in this book. I was aware I’d see the use of this type of language but 50 pages in…I realized I hadn’t seen one use of said language. For a moment I thought I had a bowdlerized version of the story.
Then I get to page 59 of my edition.
Those next 3 pages make up for any lack of language up to that point when we meet Huckleberry Finn. I also didn’t double check, but it does seem Tom engages in this language only when around Huck, which could have a variety of explanations. 1. Maybe he felt comfortable around Huck to the point of slinging words here and there like it was nobody’s business. 2. He was trying to speak Huck’s language and by-and-by impress the vagabond. Having the benefit of hindsight and seeing how revered this work is, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to discuss the use of thus language and reflect the reality of the US, which makes people uncomfortable. Especially people who wouldn’t dare use the n-word but would happily engage in classist and racist behavior. The treatment of Injun Joe was also a bit intense because in all the book, he’s the only character who isn’t remotely redeemable and the only time he isn’t seen as a Native American, he is in disguise as another minority. I’m not saying it’s right, but it does show a side of the nation that is often swept under the rug.
Some people may debate whether Twain was a racist or would be considered racist by today’s standards and I think if that’s the case, it’s a lost opportunity. The issue of race is not central to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but it is central to the world we live in today and rather than read and discuss a sanitized version of this book, I think it’s an invitation to have open and honest discussions, see how things have changed, see how things are the same, and invite people to dialogue rather than ignore, omit, or manipulate.
All of that said, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer endures because it has charm and wit, doesn’t bother using big words to be smart, and instead opts to use relatable language to tell the stories of a boy that dares to dream, dares to go on adventures, dares to misbehave, and often doesn’t know better, but at least is willing to learn.
Author
sharonclare
3 years ago
Just loved how this book took me back to simpler days and painted a picture of Mark Twain’s hometown which I visited while reading Tom Sawyer. It’s a reminder that we’ve come a long way as far as human rights for all people go and hopefully soon, we’ll have truly reached equality for all.
Author
willchristophersande
3 years ago
Classic. One of my favourite books from my childhood.
I was asked to recommend a book I read as a child so here is one of Mark Twain’s classics. I read this in elementary school and loved the adventures that Tom, Becky, and Huck found themselves in, and how they managed to squirm out of trouble.
It’s always interesting to read a classic and see how many things lauded books “get wrong” in regards to story structure as per today’s standards. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a book that has no rush to be anywhere, and you shouldn’t either. It is almost a collection of narratives of Tom during a specific time in his town of St. Petersburg. There’s also a lot of listing, info dumping, and a bunch of things countless articles and experts will say you must avoid at all costs.
It also has some spectacular writing.
Also, if there’s any rule to Twain’s writing in this novel it’s that if you’re going to say something ordinary, make sure you do it in an extraordinary way. There are things blatantly left to the imagination of the reader, from Tom messing up a reciting of a piece for school, to the play by play steps to get from point A to point B. These boring tidbits are treated thusly, 3 days passed and this is what happens now. All in all, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer captures that joie de vivre of a kid who is a rascal, but a good kid at heart. Someone who doesn’t know any better for some things, and for others is innately noble. Did he take lickins at home from his Aunt Polly and at school from teachers? Of course. But that was normal for that time…and a lot of things that were normal in that time period are not normal nowadays.
This is obviously a piss-poor segue into the treatment of minorities and the use of pejorative language in this book. I was aware I’d see the use of this type of language but 50 pages in…I realized I hadn’t seen one use of said language. For a moment I thought I had a bowdlerized version of the story.
Then I get to page 59 of my edition.
Those next 3 pages make up for any lack of language up to that point when we meet Huckleberry Finn. I also didn’t double check, but it does seem Tom engages in this language only when around Huck, which could have a variety of explanations. 1. Maybe he felt comfortable around Huck to the point of slinging words here and there like it was nobody’s business. 2. He was trying to speak Huck’s language and by-and-by impress the vagabond. Having the benefit of hindsight and seeing how revered this work is, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to discuss the use of thus language and reflect the reality of the US, which makes people uncomfortable. Especially people who wouldn’t dare use the n-word but would happily engage in classist and racist behavior. The treatment of Injun Joe was also a bit intense because in all the book, he’s the only character who isn’t remotely redeemable and the only time he isn’t seen as a Native American, he is in disguise as another minority. I’m not saying it’s right, but it does show a side of the nation that is often swept under the rug.
Some people may debate whether Twain was a racist or would be considered racist by today’s standards and I think if that’s the case, it’s a lost opportunity. The issue of race is not central to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but it is central to the world we live in today and rather than read and discuss a sanitized version of this book, I think it’s an invitation to have open and honest discussions, see how things have changed, see how things are the same, and invite people to dialogue rather than ignore, omit, or manipulate.
All of that said, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer endures because it has charm and wit, doesn’t bother using big words to be smart, and instead opts to use relatable language to tell the stories of a boy that dares to dream, dares to go on adventures, dares to misbehave, and often doesn’t know better, but at least is willing to learn.
Just loved how this book took me back to simpler days and painted a picture of Mark Twain’s hometown which I visited while reading Tom Sawyer. It’s a reminder that we’ve come a long way as far as human rights for all people go and hopefully soon, we’ll have truly reached equality for all.
Classic. One of my favourite books from my childhood.
Excellent
A book for every person to read