“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.” - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

 Mark Twain - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

This classic American novel written by the ‘American Dickens’ in 1884 anticipates the Post-Civil War nostalgia for the South and counters these ideas with the uncomfortable reality of the hypocritical church and society  which supported institutionalised racism and slavery. Surprisingly, Twain had very few successful fiction novels, apart from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which was a children’s comedy and had no political critique. Twain preferred to act as a national figure who dealt with contemporary issues and his numerous satire pieces were regularly published in national newspapers. 

However, the tale of Huckleberry Finn and Jim escaping from Missouri to Ohio became one of the most respected novels of the nineteenth century. On their journey along the Mississippi river the pair pass ten states, transcending society as they sail past the false boundaries and question the difference between civilisation and being civilised. The river is a place of exploration of outlawed behaviour; not just the traditional antics of the lawless pirate but also the forbidden relationship between slave and owner. Many have criticised the ending to the novel, but what it is easy to forget is that there is a child protagonist, so in many ways this makes the ending fitting.

One thing I would suggest is reading the introduction, as many people, even critics, often overlook it. The introduction is aware of expectation of readers; generally Victorian novel’s emphasised morality and the beauty of construction and narrative. However, Twain uses dialects to reflect the specific ways of speaking and create a more accurate and realist refelction on the South. He feels that it represents his America as it doesn't impose an idea of how everyone is the same and speaks the same and he feel this makes his novel more realistic than other of the time, despite it receiving much contemporary criticism for the use of slang.

The reputation of the novel preceded it and this made me apprehensive to read it as often, books with reputations are inaccessible to the general reader (i.e. War and Peace). Yet, when reading this novel I was enticed by the easy writing style and the scenic approach to the tale; when the novel was getting difficult to read, there would be another piece of action and created an easier reading pace. 

Do you feel a bit apprehensive when reading the classics – I know I do. My advice would be to just give it a go! Have any books surprised you lately?

Lots of Love

Elouise

xxx