Kate Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Waterstones Synopsis: From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A sombre undercurrent flows through the high humour and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality - base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery. This is my first Mark Twain novel, which I read because it is on The List of Banned Books. I am really pleased I picked this book to read - it was full of life, adventure and mischief. Tom Sawyer is a boy out there looking for fun. He runs off to play pirates for a few days and conning other boys into doing jobs his Aunt has assigned him. Twain was a wonderful writer and took me into this world of boy's play and games. This book is not just about games Tom plays however. On his adventures he discovers a crime with Huckleberry Finn. This twist and the suspense surrounding the event added depth and flavour to his novel. I liked how it played out, the way it fitted into adventures that make this book special. I enjoyed reading all the characters, and I loved Tom and his cheekiness. He made for an exciting read, and it was fascinating following his activities. I loved his Aunt and the way she wanted the best for him. And I liked Huck Finn too. He was fun but poor - a risk to be with but great fun. This novel is full of life. It has mystery and adventure. It is fun to read and I felt like I was there and just wanted to know what was going to happen. There was a range of characters and some great mischief occurring. I will definitely be reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn very soon. 4.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I remember watching the TV series of Tom Sawyer when I was about 10, loving it, and going on to read the book which I really enjoyed, too. It's one I have in the back of my mind to buy and read again - maybe a bit sooner now that you have moved it to the front of my mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iguana Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I liked it aswell. I think the best part was when they found the money in the cave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 One of my childhood favourites, with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn running a close second. I love the whitewash chapter, his romancing Becky, and the "funereal" best. And jolly old Aunt Polly! Two of the best life lessons I picked from there : He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it — namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to obtain. and- Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. (I had to look them up - for exact words) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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