Re-read with my AP English III class. An important work to teach.

This is a book that I've never actually read before but I'm glad that I finally got around to it. It's a gentle adventure story of the eponymous Tom and his friends and the pleasures and pains of childhood in the American South. Tom is well-drawn and easy to sympathise with with a freedom that children today can only dream about. Having read it now, I enjoyed it, but I think that if I'd read it when I was a child I'd probably have loved it.

It's very obviously a product of its time in its treatment of black people, with Tom and his friends reflecting the opinions of the time -- something that I'm not entirely sure how I would have dealt with if I had read it when I was younger. I believe that Twain addresses this later in [b:The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|2956|The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|Mark Twain|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41E85Y9736L._SL75_.jpg|1835605] which should really also be on my to-read list.

Simply about a kid being a kid, this was wonderful. Really easy and pleasant to read, and even though my childhood was obviously vastly different to those in 1840 Missouri, really familiar

Highly recommended.

8/10

When I planned out what books I wanted to read in 2013, I purposefully put Tom Sawyer down as a summer book. I had a feeling that Mark Twain’s classic ode to boyhood would be the perfect way to start my vacation, and I was right.

The novel documents the adventures of young Tom Sawyer, a boy growing up in a rural western town. Tom gets into all sorts of mischief with his pal Huckleberry Finn, including running away from home, becoming a pirate, finding buried treasure and even witnessing a murder. Life isn’t all about boyish pursuits for Tom though; he falls in love with the sweet Becky Thatcher and shares quite an ordeal with her when they become lost in a cave together. Although quite rambunctious, Tom is clearly good hearted and by the novel’s close he has grown a little more respectable.

There’s no denying the Mark Twain has a way with words. He eloquently captures the innocence and spirit of adolescence with his wry observations and clever wit. You get the feeling while reading this that Twain was still a boy at heart because he describes them so well. He knows the imaginary games they play, the superstitions they abide by and he even knows what treasures they have in their pockets. I found myself smiling several times during the reading because everything he was writing was just so true. I see kids about Tom’s age every day as a teacher, and I can see Tom shining out of many of them.

My favorite chapters were the ones where Tom and Becky were lost in the caves. Tom acted so gallantly throughout the ordeal, it was adorable. I also enjoyed the tense scene where Tom and Huck were stranded in the old house with Injun Joe and they discover where he’s hiding a secret fortune. Their mixture of fear and excitement at the situation leapt off the page.

I enjoyed following Tom as he got into one scrape after another, but I do have to admit that I found the novel to be a little shallow. I believe that this was an intentional choice on the part of the author – Tom Sawyer is about the joys of boyhood and nothing more. It wasn’t supposed to have a complex plot or extensive character development. It was a snapshot of a particular time in a boy’s life. That’s fine, but it wore a little thin for me after a while.

Another aspect of the novel that was slightly troubling was the portrayal of Injun Joe. Joe is the villain of the story; he smokes, drinks and is incredibly violent. These negative traits are attributed to his being half Native American. I realize that this stereotypical view is simply a relic of a less enlightened time, but it was still a bit disturbing to read.

Despite my small quibbles, I still had fun reading Tom Sawyer. It is the quintessential story of growing up in the “good old days.” One of the strongest things I can say about this book is that it reminds the reader of what it’s like to feel young, when life is still a series of endless possibilities. It’s is a true American classic.

** Books 44 - 2019 **

This books to accomplish Tsundoku Books Challenge 2019

3,6 of 5 stars!

Finally! I finished read this books that i bought from Big Bad Wolf 2016! For sure i love this pieces more that [b:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer|24583|The Adventures of Tom Sawyer|Mark Twain|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1404811979s/24583.jpg|41326609].. This books is more adventurous and i am also love the idea of to letting go Jim as Slave.. I think this books is such a harsh critic for slavery in that time??

However it really takes time for me to finish this books paralelly with books that i read in last april 2019. if i am not mistaken i read this books in the same time with [b:Bitter Chocolate: Child Sexual Abuse In India|727587|Bitter Chocolate Child Sexual Abuse In India|Pinki Virani|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1356451649s/727587.jpg|713791]. So i think reading classic books it will be such a challenging one for me. what happen with my TBR [b:War and Peace|656|War and Peace|Leo Tolstoy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1413215930s/656.jpg|4912783] by leo tolstoy then? XD

Sp there is still left two books more from Mark Twain that i haven't read yet hahaha.. [b:A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court|162898|A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court|Mark Twain|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348239402s/162898.jpg|2621763] and also [b:Pudd'nhead Wilson|682793|Pudd'nhead Wilson|Mark Twain|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473261603s/682793.jpg|2630409] i hope i can read that book anytime in this year! Just wish me good luck!

Thankyou Bigbad wolf 2016 Jakarta!

Mark Twain is really slyly hilarious, but Tom Sawyer is kind of a dick.

It's over! It's finally over!

Just started listening to the audiobook and it seemed so eerily familiar until (at the very end) I realized that I had already listened to this a couple of years ago. Go, me.

The story is fun, though. I wasn't that big of a fan of some of the "interlude"-style thingies going on but the Tom-narrative is funny and ironic and I appreciate that.

Kisah yang mengesankan dan klasik. Aku berpikir: kenapa masa kecilku tidak seseru masa kecil Tom dan Huck. Tapi aku beruntung bisa merasakan pengalaman menegangkan dan seru mereka berdua juga teman-teman mereka.

Klasik dan abadi!

Review ada disini.

Tom Sawyer hanya seorang anak kecil yang nakal, yang malas mengerjakan pekerjaan rumah dan hanya ingin bermain-main ddengan teman-temannya. Tapi di usia yang masih sangat muda, Tom berhasil dikenal teman-temannya sebagai bajak laut, dan ia juga berhasil menemukan harta karun yang jumlahnya sangat banyak.

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