THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
Mark Twain

Introduction and first thoughts

I see that I got wrong what Twain says in his "Notice." He says "persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot." I had thought the moral was paired with being shot.

The introduction to my TOR paperback edition tells how difficult this book was to write for Twain. It took seven years to write, mainly because it turned out to be just so different a book from its predecessor, "Tom Sawyer." Twain wasn't at all sure where it was going, but clearly it was wandering far from the larky adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Twain makes "Tom Sawyer" all part of the reality of HF. Huck starts off by telling us about the book written by Mr. Mark Twain, that the book was mainly true but contained "some stretchers." Thus Huck is a literary figure of sorts. No matter, because nobody he is to meet in the ensuing adventures will have been likely to have read the book.

Twain's decision to switch to first-person narration for HF has interesting consequences. Huck's telling us that TS had some exaggerations in it has the effect of making us trust whatever Huck will say in this book. And it's true that the reader does have an absolute trust in the honesty of Huck as the narrator. The first-person also more or less assures that we will be inside Huck's head for most of the book, so Huck needs to be introspective, as he certainly proves to be from the first pages. You couldn't see the point, really, of having Tom Sawyer tell his own story.

Twain wrote a lot, but in terms of his reputation as an important literary artist, he wouldn't be nearly as highly regarded if it weren't for HF. Dickens, by contrast, could afford to lose a book or two and still be considered a great novelist. In fact, what else of the fiction Twain wrote has profound themes at all? As he shows us in the "Notice" to HF, Twain was a reluctant "deep" author.

DWill wrote:In fact, what else of the fiction Twain wrote has profound themes at all? As he shows us in the "Notice" to HF, Twain was a reluctant "deep" author.

That question bears some thinking about. My first inclination is to examine his short stories, which tend to be sardonic morality plays. We generally laugh at Twain's characters, not with them in his stories.

However, that does not answer DWill's question at all. If "Jumping Frog" is about greed is greed a profound theme? Well, at least in the West greed is not at profound as freedom.

Good, thought provoking question!

My wife read my post Gary, and she said that I'd missed, at the least, Puddin' Head Wilson, which is about slavery. I told her, well, if you're going to insist on the facts....So I might be far off in my observation. I'm not, in fact, knowledgeable on all of his works. I think you hit his central quality for me when you say "sardonic," which reminds me of satire. I don't think of satire--poking fun at the foibles of humans--as the deepest thematic literature, though it's great fun. Deep themes require, in my thinking, deep characterizations, which we have in HF. I'm not sure how true that is for Twain's other works.

I confess, I didn't enjoy Huckleberry Finn much the first time I read it, but I'm willing to give it another go for the sake of discussion.
Looking forward to it!

Just curious, what didn't you like about the book?

At the time that I read it (for the sake of teaching it), I didn't find any of the typical bounty that I enjoy discussing; there wasn't much there to challenge my students' thoughts.

I'm the kind of teacher that likes to develop the whole child, so I like to give my children books that encourage holistic thinking and reflection. The first time I taught the text, it felt very bland to me (and as a result, it was bland to them).

Now, the second and third reads of a book always offer something different. I'm willing to have another go at it. Any book is worth at least two looks.

TJM

I vaguely remember reading this book when I was a kid. I don't remember much, so it will be 'new' to me.

I'll listen to the first six chapters tonight.

Hi, I've just finished reading Anthill by EO Wilson, published in 2010, which some reviewers compared to Huckleberry Finn. I also caught snatches of Huck as my wife recently listened to the audio book.

Can't promise I will read Huckleberry Finn, but the theme that leaps out to me is how the Mississippi symbolises American identity. The big river at the heart of the continent flows slow from top to bottom. So much American culture is based around the big river, especially all the popular music based around places such as Memphis, Saint Louis and New Orleans. One of my favourite songs is Big River by Johnny Cash

BIG RIVER

Feb. 10, 1958
Written By Johnny Cash

Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you big river
Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die

I met her accidentally in St Paul ( Minnesota )
and it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, southern drawl.
Then I heard my dream was back down stream cavorting in Davenport
And I followed you, big river when you called

Then you took me to St Louis later on ( down the river )
A freighter said she’s been here but she’s gone, boy, she’s gone
I found her trail in Memphis, but she just walked up the block
she raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone

Now, won’t you batter down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on.
Take that woman on down to New Orleans , New Orleans
go on, I’ve had enough, dump my blues down in the gulf.
She loves you, Big River, more than me.

Written by Johnny Cash

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The Omitted Verse To The Song, Big River

Although only one version of (Big River) has been released from the Sun Masters, Johnny Cash noted on his ABC-TV Show, aired January 6, 1971 that this song actually had another verse but was cut at the session because of it’s length, he did, however, sing the song in its entirety on that program. The omitted verse is !!!!!

" Well now I pulled into Natchez the next day, down the river, and there wasn’t much there to make a rounder stay very long, and when I left it was raining so nobody, saw me cry, Big River , why’s she doing me that way



Did You Know ?

The Song Big River went to Pos.#4 in Feb.10 1958 on the Billboard country music charts and stayed on the charts of 14 weeks. Johnny Cash recorded it again later on one of his Columbia Albums ( I Walk The Line ) in 1964

Interesting, Robert. Do you also think that there could be similarities between the frontier histories of Australia and the U.S. that make HF a book that Australians can relate to more directly than perhaps Europeans can?