The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - A Book Review

Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn may just be the best American novel written in the last hundred years. I say this despite the fact that, upon reading the novel, I felt it was a poorly written work full of cliched moralizing and empty platitudes. However, upon rereading the novel later on, I realized that I was not wrong. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is indeed a hilarious book.

The story starts with Huck, who is a lad from the deep woods. He wanders from town to town, visiting his old friend Widow Douglas, hoping to hear her take a shot at a bear. She obliges, but upon doing so, she spits in the wind and starts to run away into the forest. A few minutes later, while looking for berries, she finds a young boy named Joe, who tries to buy her a loaf of bread. After hearing about the troubles he is experiencing in life (being constantly drunk), she decides to give him some pocket change, but accidentally drops a coin into his mouth.

The coin breaks open and has a ring in it. An angel appears before Huck, carrying a ring with an inscription saying: "favoured by a living God". This attracts the attention of a number of panthers who proceed to assist the young man. One of them spots a mysterious stranger by the name of Joe Simkins, a boy whom he had met in the streets. He asks Joe for money, but he refuses, so the panther uses his pendant to hypnotize him, stating that if he takes the money, he will help the stranger.

Along the way, Joe catches up with Huck and realizes that he wants the coin so badly. When they reach the cabin of Simkins, they find that it is occupied by three men. They decide to rob the place, but are stopped when Simkins suddenly falls dead. The others flee, but Huck and Joe notice some bloodstains on the floor. Later, while tending to Simkins' grave, they discover a ring.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn becomes very enjoyable after the first few chapters. It is a well-written story that captures the imagination of its readers. The book contains beautiful illustrations by Robert Frost. I especially like the use of the forest as a background in many of the scenes. The adventure within the book is excellent and adds much to the enjoyment of reading the story.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was one of my favourite books as a child and is still one of my favourite reading experiences today. My daughter adores the book, and I know that it appeals to many children. If you are looking for a challenging and exciting children's book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the right book for you. I highly recommend this to anyone.