Annotation of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain originally published in 1885
and has been republished many times since.
Synopsis: This is a classic novel about a 14 year old boy named Huckleberry Finn, who escaped from his drunken abusive father and Jim, who is a slave and Huckleberry Finn helps him run away. They go on a rafting trip down the Mississippi after Huckleberry Finn fakes his own death. His adventures also include his friend Tom Sawyer. The adventures are spellbinding and makes you wonder what is going to happen next. He was told he would risk eternal damnation by stealing a slave, but Huck was willing to risk hell to save Jim. This experience also transforms Huckleberry Finn.
The rule of three:
adventure
historical
fast paced.
Characteristics:
Pacing: The story is mostly fast paced, but slow at times
Style- Language: It is written in the first person of a 14 year old. The language is of an uneducated boy. He often uses the word nigger which was common is those days.
Frame and setting: The story is set in Missouri, in the 1830's. He goes up and down the Mississippi river.
Tone and Mood: It is written in a carefree and happy mood. There was humor even in the dark times.
Read-a-likes:
The Great Gatsy
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Secret Garden.
These were recommended by Amazon.
Mark Twain is one of those authors that I can appreciate, but I don’t enjoy personally. I don’t usually enjoy books with a lot of regional dialect (where it seems like they are writing phonetically). I would prefer that the author stated that the character spoke with a heavy accent and left me to imagine it myself. William Faulkner is another. I found it interesting that Amazon listed The Great Gatsby as a read-alike. I guess they are probably computer generated, and they are both categorized as American literature, but I don’t see many other similarities.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading this book, but I would probably let them know about the writer’s style and the use of the word “nigger” due to its offensive nature. I think this could be a good book for boys around the same age as Huck Finn. Most boys can relate to the desire for escape and adventure and appreciate the unfiltered violence and language.
Good choice. Interesting appeal characteristics.
Thomas - a good annotation. You prepare the potential reader as to who is narrating the book. After a chapter, it becomes easy to follow the rhythm and flow of Huck's use of language. I think this is a great book, and suggest it often to kids at my library. Even to some adults who have never read it!
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