The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Seasons Edition -- Summer)

Written by Mark Twain

Narrated by Robin Miles

A fine, exclusive edition of one of literature’s most beloved stories. 

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a thirteen-year-old boy, Huck, is in search of adventure on the beautiful shores of the Mississippi River before the Civil War in the American south.

When Huck escapes kidnapping by his own drunken father, he decides to find a canoe to shove off down the river, leaving behind his life of confinement and civilization. Soon Huck comes across Jim, Miss Watson's slave. While traveling down the river, Huck and Jim have many adventures, but more importantly, during many long talks, they become the best of friends, both in search of freedom. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is regarded by many critics and scholars to be the first “Great American novel.”

This unique edition of Mark Twain’s beloved tale is a giftable volume fiction lovers will treasure.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of four classic titles available as part of the Seasons Editions. This set also includes Jane Eyre, Persuasion, and The Wonderland Collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jun 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9780785239451

Mark Twain

Mark Twain, who was born Samuel L. Clemens in Missouri in 1835, wrote some of the most enduring works of literature in the English language, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc was his last completed book—and, by his own estimate, his best. Its acquisition by Harper & Brothers allowed Twain to stave off bankruptcy. He died in 1910. 

Reviews for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Seasons Edition -- Summer)

[kslade-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic somewhat comical adventures of boy who goes off with an escaped slave on a raft. Pokes fun at mankind. This was my second reading of it.

[benkaboo-51322 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Things I liked:

The characters voice and train of thought frequently made me smile. The way his mind came up against big moral issues like slavery and murder and things like that were provocative, making me wonder about my own rational for strongly held beliefs.

Things I thought could be improved:

The section at the end when Tom Sawyer was doing all manner of ridiculous rituals as part of the attempt to free Jim I thought stretched credibility of Huck or Jim going along with him. Even with the reveal at the end that Jim was really free anyway I found it tiresome after a while. While I don't mind the idea of Tom trying to add some romance to the escape, I think it definitely could be have been edited down to about a third of what it was.

Highlight: When Jim finds Huck again after being lost on the raft. Huck plays a trick on him to convince him it was all a dream. Jim falls for it but then catches on and shames Huck for playing with his emotions. That made both the character of Jim and Huck sing for me.

[luminous4path · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Might want to read it again sometime. Took me a while to get into it, but by the last third I was hooked.

[nickduberley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very funny, as well as very interesting.

Hard to think of a better book with a teenage main character - Treasure Island, perhaps ?

[et.carole · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Dissected this one for English class. Sometimes, discussion takes all the charm out of a book. So do angry yet subtle attacks at Romanticism.

[profh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The way the language is portrayed, the stylized dialogues, and the underlying condemnation of slavery makes this Twain classic one that everyone should read. In some ways, Twain reminds me of Charles Dickens...Some scenes, particularly towards the end with Tom seem to stretch on and on, long after the humor is gone. Still this novel is an immovable object in American Lit. You just have to read it.

[wickenden-285487 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful language, wonderful dialog, full of my childhood.

[beauxarts79 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love, love, love this book. The humor, the sincerity, the narrative voice. Exceptional. That being said, I struggled with that fifth star. Something about the word "nigger," no matter how eloquent and well-executed its context, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Intellectually, though, I can appreciate some of what Twain is doing, here. He doesn't patronize his reader by creating in Huck Finn an overly sympathetic character infused with the author's own socio-political pathos. Huck isn't the poster-child for abolitionist propaganda, but a still-burgeoning personality trying to define its own moral good. In fact, it is simply brilliant that Twain ironically reverses Huck's ethical conflict, depicting his reluctance to STEAL a slave from slavery because theft is a sin, and his ultimate decision to toss himself entirely into "wickedness." We love Huck precisely because he wants so badly to do the right thing, whatever that might be.

The scene in which Jim laments his estranged wife and children is particularly moving, for Twain takes care to depict his humanity, though Huck himself is ambivalent about his friend's grief; that's very clever writing.

Michiko Kakutani wrote a very interesting piece in the New York Times about some politically correct editions of the text; the word "nigger" has been replaced with something more palatable for contemporary readers, but with all due respect, completely unrealistic for the novel's characters. Kakutani explains that "'Huckleberry Finn' actually stands as a powerful indictment of slavery (with Nigger Jim its most noble character)" and that censoring the original removes the possibility "of using its contested language as an opportunity to explore the painful complexities of race relations in this country. To censor or redact books on school reading lists is a form of denial: shutting the door on harsh historical realities — whitewashing them or pretending they do not exist." I am a fierce opponent of censorship and could not agree more. Hence, that inexorable little fifth star.

[bhiggs-822148 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Eh. It's certainly entertaining. It's undeniably a classic. I'm not sure if I had any major lessons learned from it. Not super high on my list of 'must read' titles.

[charrlygirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I "reread" this book on audio, narrated by Elijah Wood.

I haven't read this since high school and I thought it would be fun to listen to, and it was. Elijah's voices were true to the story, and brought an additional level to the depth of this tale.

I'm happy to report that this book held up to my memory of it, and then surpassed it.

[nicholasjjordan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Such a hard book to review. Great storytelling, satire, America, funny, etc. The final saga of Jim escaping just makes me hate Tom Sawyer, though.

[headinherbooks_27 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Re-reading since high school. Good classic!

[ainjel-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is quite humourous and satirical, and for the most part, it's quite fun to read. I did zone out for a bit in the middle there, losing interest when it wasn't about Huck's tomfoolery, but I greatly enjoyed the parts with Tom. The relationship between Huck and Tom is quite interesting and captivating, and really elevates the story itself.

[pmtracy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I first read this book in elementary school. Reading it again as an adult has allowed me to appreciate it on a new level.

As Twain states at the start of the book, "persons attempting to find a plot in [this book] will be shot." It's simply a compilation of a number of adventures that Finn has with his friend Jim, who happens to be an escaped slave, as they travel down the Mississippi River. Jim is seeking his freedom and Huck is along for the ride.

Each vignette presents us with a sample of Twain's sense of satire and the outlandish. He portrays caricature stereotypes of his time, for example, the feuding families of the Appalachian regions, pervasive racism and a constant clash between religion and superstition. The tales also become increasingly extravagant and show Huck's skill in twisting truth to manipulate others.

What strikes the modern reader most is the conflicted morality of the narrative. While Huck doesn't think twice about outright lying, cheating and defrauding others, he believes he'll go to hell because he's helping a slave escape to freedom. He acknowledges that Jim is a good and caring man, yet he still treats him as something less than fully human. Parts of the dialogue were, frankly, very difficult to read.

This novel needs to be read with the historical framework within which it was written in mind. Also, this particular volume is uncensored so it makes liberal use of "the N word" with the deepest of derogatory intent. While thought provoking, this book should be discussed with young readers so they understand the racist context.

[zoes_human · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this story but not without a train-load of reservations. I love it because of the place it had in my life. It was my first indication that my 1980's education, in which slavery was made to sound something like working for room and board, might not be telling the whole story. It was my introduction to the concept of how ready we are to dehumanize those outside of our socially defined groups. It was the reason I started reading slave narratives and other nonfiction on the topic. It taught me that when you find yourself conflicted, you should choose your principles over the dictates of society. Nevertheless, I cannot help but ask, how would this story feel if I lived in a black body?When I read it, I see an adventurous coming-of-age story that subtly and slowly reveals how white folks viewed slaves as non-human, as on par with animals. Animals, I might add, being held in far less esteem then than now. It speaks to the absurdity of any group's claims to moral superiority. It is a mirror of the racism of that time, which so many still deny. Huck's arc reflects the conflict which can arise between social mores and personal ethics. However, how would this book read to me if I were African American? When listening to the audio, I winced to hear that word (you know the one). In reading the text version, I was able to skim over it more easily, but in audio form, there it was, loud and clear. With this story, I have always been struck by the treatment that the white people in it accepted as fine for black people. In audio form, it took on even greater horror. To hear a thing said aloud, in some ways, makes it more concrete. While there is no doubt that Jim is readily the kindest and most moral character in the book, how would it feel to me, were I to be black, that he, utterly devoid of education and extremely superstitious, was the only representation of people who looked like me?And how would this book sound to me if I were Native American? For all that Twain seems to grasp the horror of how blacks were treated in this country at that time, the racist comments about indigenous people are far more casual and have no indication of being satirical.Regarding it being taught in high school, I think it's long past time that black voices were used to tell black stories. Perhaps it's time for this book to be left for folks to discover, or not, on their own.

[antao-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 1981-03-18)I guess “Ulysses” pushes the envelope of “Literature was made for man, not man for literature” but I like to give the benefit of the doubt to books especially if not only do they have a sustained critical reputation, but if people whose opinions I respect think the book is great stuff. When I was venting some of my frustration about “Ulysses” and “Finnegans Wake” to a well-read musician friend, she just gently suggested that if I let myself listen to the music of the language it might change my perception. When it comes to ”Finnegans Wake” I couldn’t do it…I’m still deaf.I guess Huck is a little trying as a voice, especially in the beginning, but I think it is one of the greatest books ever written, or I ever read. Tom Sawyer is OK, but HF is brilliant. In the most direct way possible Huck learns about the absolute humanity of Jim but also Huck feels guilty because Jim is property and in the South, being property trumped being human. In its quiet, folksy way it presents us with something intensely evil face to face with something just as intensely familiar and homey. All those people, many of them, are such fine nice people so vividly portrayed as such, except that the vilest evil that they live with every day, and have created and sustain, is totally invisible to them. As a really human document, a damning one, it has never been done so well and so quietly. Freud drew attention to the uncanny in his short but influential essay, as having just that quality of being so homey and yet being alien, so human but so inhuman.Not totally sure about the ending though; it was contrived in a way, BUT I was very impressed by the late chapter scene where the doctor, clearly a good and fine man, will not go seek help for a sick child because he was afraid that Jim might run off. Again that MONSTRUOUS blindness vs the child. And the scene where the men, the good folks of the town, were talking about what to do with Jim, some wanting to lynch him, not for running away, but because of his ingratitude!!! And then deciding not to kill him because after all he is someone's property and they might be held liable for his dollars’ worth!!! Nevertheless Huck comes of age.I would agree more with the idea that all American fiction is a response to Huck Finn if it hadn't been Hemingway who said it, but I will not accept that anyone else could possibly admire the book more than I do. Still, the ending is the weakest part. I don't know who could have written a better ending but facts are facts and by the time we get to the last few chapters the really astonishing novelties have already been spent where they'd do the most good.

[fredacochran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We read it in the great books class. It was a good book. I would read it again.

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One frequently challenged American classic is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemons.) The reasons for challenging it are various. It uses the "n-word" to refer to African-Americans of the pre-Civil War period. Huck Finn makes an important choice in the course of the book, in which he defies the law and the moral injunctions of his elders, and is shown as being right to do so. America of the pre-Civil War period is portrayed as being less than perfect--a long way less than perfect.

The story of Huckleberry Finn is simple; in fact, the Author's Note at the beginning threatens dire consequences for anyone claiming to identify a plot in the book. Huck, having come into money in an earlier book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, has been placed in the custody of the Widow Douglas, who is attempting to civilize him. He appreciates her efforts, but feels confined. The alternative, living with his abusive father, is even worse. Huck runs away, heads down the Mississippi River--and meets up with the Widow Douglas' slave, Jim, who has also run away. They raft down the Mississippi together, with Huck getting an education about people, relations between black and white, and injustice. In the end they are back in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, MO, with Jim recaptured and set to be sold. Huck has a difficult choice to make.

This is not a grim book; it is lively and entertaining, and filled with adventures that any young or young-at-heart reader will enjoy. Huck learns a lot, though, and grows as a human being. This is an important book; it's also a fun one.

Highly recommended.

[cj82487 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can see now why this is so often a required read in school. This style of writing is often hard to find and it is rich with descriptions that leap off the page.

My favorite part of this was the dialogue. Say what you wish about the "n-word," but the truth is that it was commonly used in the south. I, personally, don't approve of the word, but I cannot deny it was a part of history, especially during the time of slavery when this novel takes place.

What I loved about the dialogue was I could hear the characters. Huck sounded different from Pap and Jim. The words were thick with Southern accents instead of written in plain English, and it was done well. Writing accents isn't for everyone and can sometimes come across as trying too hard, but you can tell Twain heard these slang terms and thick accents. He wrote the words how they sound not how they should be spelt and it is what makes this "classic" special.

I'm usually remiss about writing reviews for books I am assigned to read, especially if I've had to discuss it at length. Honestly, much of what I'm required to read is not to my personal taste, but Huck Finn is different. Even though I read and discussed this book in class for 3 weeks, I enjoyed reading it. Picking it apart and analyzing it was more fun than an assignment.

There were some really funny moments, like when Huck disguised himself (poorly) as a girl, and the lessons or messages underneath the story are still relevant today.

Slavery is no longer legal, but the relationship between races is still a topic being discussed today with schools named after Confederate soldiers being renamed and historic statues being removed across the country.

Twain's message is simple and beautiful: We are all human beings.

In the beginning, Huck views Jim only as a slave. As they travel together, the relationship changes. Jim is no longer looked at or treated differently because of the color of his skin and Jim takes care of Huck in a fatherly way. If you look at it closely, it is a beautiful father-son relationship between two that aren't related. Huck and Jim's connection is more of a highlight than Huck's actual adventure down the Mississippi River on a raft.

I think everyone should read this book at least once during their lifetime to get a glance at life along the Mississippi River before the Civil War.

[abergsman-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At first I felt the ending was flawed, agreeing with some of Twain's critics. However, after reflection, I believe it is exactly the right ending for this book.

Without the ending, the story would revert to more romantic prose: white boy learns his lesson about slavery and becomes a better person for it. Such an ending, I believe, would have undermined Twain's purpose in writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In actuality, the ending gives earlier chapters their meaning, showing the difficulty in a person's ability to throw off societal norms. It is his commentary of the influence of society on a person's moral judgment.

[karenvg3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Always love a good classic. Can never go wrong with mark twain.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although I have seen several dramatizations of this, I hadn't read it since high school. It was better than I remembered, but my favorite parts were the ones with Tom Sawyer (which confirms my long-held opinion that I like Tom Sawyer more than Huck Finn). Elijiah Wood was good narrating, and the various dialects were distinct without being overwhelming.

[mariannem85-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I hated this book when we read it in middle school. Fast forward a dozen years, I'm enrolled in a Mark Twain course and have to read it again. Wow, what difference an adult perspective made for me. If his short stories weren't enough to gain my awe and respect, then this book definitively did just that.

I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now. But I didn't do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking—thinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell. And went on thinking. And got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind. I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and such-like times; and would always call me honey, and pet me and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he's got now; and then I happened to look around and see that paper.

It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself:

"All right, then, I'll go to hell"—and tore it up.
That's one of the most moving pages of literature I've ever read. Twain cuts right to the heart of social and moral hypocrisy with Huck's character, an outside who struggles to reconcile what his experiences tell him are right and wrong with the civilized folk's definitions.

Oh, how it saddens me to acknowledge that - more than one hundred years after it was first published - Americans could still learn a thing or two about morality from reading this.

**Some people might find the dialogue difficult to manage. I remember this being one of the things I struggled with when I read it as a kid, but it truly is worth the effort. If it becomes too much, I suggest trying one of the audiobook versions. An excellent narration by Elijah Wood is available on Audible.

[vclarke-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic read for many high school students. Huck is one of literature's great characters. He is street smart and dishonest, but loyal (to an extent). His relationship with Jim has stood the test of time. Personally, I think it has one of literature's best ending to any book I have ever read. I would recommend this for upper level high school readers. The language is difficult because of the southern accent. I recommend reading many sections aloud or reading along with an audio version to begin with.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Huckleberry Finn is a young boy whose life hasn’t been easy, with no mother and an abusive drunkard for a father who only has time for Huck when he wants something. After Huck and Tom Sawyer found $6,000.00 in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huck is placed with a widow woman who cleans him up and sends him to school. It isn’t long before his father, with a desire to get his hands on Huck’s money, shows up. He kidnaps Huck and both mistreats him and holds him captive. Huck eventually breaks free by faking his own death. He comes across Jim, a runaway slave and together they journey down the Mississippi River on a raft and forge a lasting friendship. This was a re-read for me, but I do believe that I both enjoyed the story and got more out of it on this second go. Not only does this character have one of the best names in literature, Huckleberry is also a great character to read about. He is a realist and adapts readily to most situations but he seems to be most comfortable when actually on the river. There is a simple decency to the boy, he tries to do the right thing. This trip on the river teaches him many life lessons and the reader is able to see him grow and develop into a conscientious and caring person.I struggled a little at the beginning of the book with the various dialects, but once I picked up the rhythm this was a very fun story. Mark Twain uses straightforward language, humor and a simple story line to show both the hypocrisy of slavery and the ridiculousness of many of society’s rules.

[missbrandysue · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

#2 of the Rory Gilmore ChallengeSo I'm going to go ahead and give this 3 stars because by the last 10 chapters I was pretty ready to be finished with it. I found myself intrigued by the plot by the middle of the book but found it hard to read for long periods. By the time I read 2 chapters I was kind of ready to move on to something else or fell asleep causing my long period in reading.I didn't read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer first, although it was referenced pretty highly in the first 5 chapters or so. If my TBR stack and library stack weren't so tall I'd have considered it. However, when Tom Sawyer appears in the last chapters of the book I'm really grateful I didn't go back. Did anyone else think Tom Sawyer was the MOST ANNOYING character in this book? Being a kid of the 80s I remember the Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Brad Renfro and Elijah Wood renditions of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer that came out all within a few years of each other. So, I was interested in reading the first published stories to see what I remembered and what was actually in the book. I read the Penguins Classics version that had additional notes for background on Twain's writing. I quite liked the intro that talked about Twain's reading history that helped influence pieces of the story. The plot - I liked the plot, except the end with Tom Sawyer. I had no idea it was so gory at parts, but I guess I always read the editions for kids. The King and Duke were quick-paced which I appreciated once I got there. Some of the small river plots were interesting but seemed somewhat far fetched for a novel so acclaimed for giving insight in the Mississippi culture of the 1800s. I definitely want to go back and read Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" novel now while taking a month-long trip (you know, as soon as I save $8000 to do so). The characters - Jim was quite simple and I thought Mark Twain may be more interested in developing the ties of slavery through his character rather than the plot. Huck Finn's morale tests and self-talk were amusing, wish there had been a bit more. Maybe I'm a character-driven reader these days?All-in-all as a historical piece I enjoyed the context of the Mississippi River and the almost short story excerpts of river life. However, the novel dragged a bit for me to really enjoy it more and seemed to be a bit all over the place with Twain's style.

[overthemoon_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unable to put up with the "sivilizing" of the Widow Douglas, beaten by his alcoholic father, Huck escapes to an island where he finds his old friend and former slave Jim. Together they set off downriver on a raft, sleeping by day, sailing by night, what seems to Huck the perfect life. With his (and Tom's) hare-brained schemes, very funny and enjoyable, something that passed me by during my childhood (though I did read Tom Sawyer and remember it well), and extremely well written.

[tgraettinger_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A classic worthy of the name - and you get something new every time you read it.

[lukerik-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Undoubtedly a good book. Some heavy themes: racism and slavery, child and substance abuse. And lots of clever stuff, like the correspondences between Jim and Huck's situations.At times there are extraneous scenes and a resulting lack of narrative drive that left me stalled.

[nonesuch42 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I guess this is the summer of reading classic books. People already know the story from all of the various movies and Wishbone episodes. So I won't dwell on the plot too much. There's intrigue and secret pacts and rafts and steamboats and scams. Huck always seems to find the craziest events on the Mississippi.

The best part of this is that it's written in various dialects. Huck's narrator voice is at least easy enough to understand, but lots of times I found myself reading things aloud to even figure out what some other character was saying. It really gives you a feel for the time period, more than any description would. I feel like I have a better understanding of the South now.

I can see why people don't want this to be read in present-day schools, or prefer to read Tom Sawyer's adventures instead. Everyone says the n-word ALL THE TIME. I get it that it was the culture, that it is a historical piece, but it would make reading aloud in class quite difficult. This book has an undercurrent of racism and morality that is definitely more thought-providing my though.