The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Part of BBC’s “100 Stories that shaped the World” list, I thought it would be fun to keep track of all the works I have read that are listed.
I read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in which Tom Sawyer makes an appearance, years ago and I disliked the character of Tom Sawyer to such an extent that I refused to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer until my desire to read good classic literature brought me once again back to the writings of Mark Twain. My enjoyment of reading this story was fueled by my current mood to read writings set in America in the 1800’s, the rather difficult and stressful circumstances that surrounded my personal life and the sheer joy of reading good classic literary writing. I was surprised how the story of a rather melodramatic and adventure-seeking boy could distract me this much from that which I called my own reality and have me smiling on many occasions.
The author’s writing style is light, comedic, witty and incredibly intelligent. He possesses the skill of perfect comedic timing and the theatrical flair of describing this energetic boy.
The characters are well built, multidimensional and a delight to read about. They do have the flair for the theatrical melodrama that adds to the comedy and lightheartedness that makes this story such a pleasure to read.
The plot was fairly straightforward, telling a concise story with plenty of detail without being too overbearing.
I am glad I had the opportunity to read this story at a time in my life when I could use a little cheering up and it proved to be that and so much more. I always enjoyed Mark Twain’s writing, but I am quickly becoming a great fan of his. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone, who enjoys good storytelling and superb writing.
