Tom Sawyer, Detective

By Mark Twain

It's spring — and both Tom and Huck have a bad case of spring fever, a malady that's instantly cured when Tom is asked by his Aunt Sally to come as soon as he can to "Arkansaw." It seems that Uncle Silas is in considerable trouble and needs some help. Huck Finn narrates this lesser-known tale of the duo's adventures as they set out down river by steamer.
Arriving at their destination, Tom and Huck find Silas being pursued by a dangerous pair of thugs, giving Tom an opportunity to break out the mail-order detective kit he's been itching to use. Thrills, laughs, and a roller coaster ride of breathtaking action follow as clever Tom and crafty Huck get involved with stolen diamonds, meet a mysterious stranger, find a body in a shallow grave, and learn that Uncle Silas has confessed to a murder he didn’t commit.
Filled with the folk humor and storytelling charm that have made Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn so enduringly popular, this unjustly neglected comic gem by one of America's foremost writers will delight readers of all ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Aug 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9780486149837

Mark Twain

Mark Twain (1835-1910) was an American humorist, novelist, and lecturer. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, he was raised in Hannibal, Missouri, a setting which would serve as inspiration for some of his most famous works. After an apprenticeship at a local printer’s shop, he worked as a typesetter and contributor for a newspaper run by his brother Orion. Before embarking on a career as a professional writer, Twain spent time as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi and as a miner in Nevada. In 1865, inspired by a story he heard at Angels Camp, California, he published “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” earning him international acclaim for his abundant wit and mastery of American English. He spent the next decade publishing works of travel literature, satirical stories and essays, and his first novel, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873). In 1876, he published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a novel about a mischievous young boy growing up on the banks of the Mississippi River. In 1884 he released a direct sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which follows one of Tom’s friends on an epic adventure through the heart of the American South. Addressing themes of race, class, history, and politics, Twain captures the joys and sorrows of boyhood while exposing and condemning American racism. Despite his immense success as a writer and popular lecturer, Twain struggled with debt and bankruptcy toward the end of his life, but managed to repay his creditors in full by the time of his passing at age 74. Curiously, Twain’s birth and death coincided with the appearance of Halley’s Comet, a fitting tribute to a visionary writer whose steady sense of morality survived some of the darkest periods of American history.

Book preview

Americans.

1. An Invitation for Tom and Huck

WELL, it was the next spring after me and Tom Sawyer set our old Negro Jim free, the time he was chained up for a runaway slave down there on Tom’s uncle Silas’s farm in Arkansaw. The frost was working out of the ground, and out of the air, too, and it was getting closer and closer onto barefoot time every day; and next it would be marble-time, and next mumblety-peg, and next tops and hoops, and next kites, and then right away it would be summer and going in a-swimming. It just makes a boy homesick to look ahead like that and see how far off summer is. Yes, and it sets him to sighing and saddening around, and there’s something the matter with him, he don’t know what. But, anyway, he gets out by himself and mopes and thinks; and mostly he hunts for a lonesome place high up on the hill in the edge of the woods, and sets there and looks away off on the big Mississippi down there a-reaching miles and miles around the points where the timber looks smoky and dim, it’s so far off and still, and everything’s so solemn it seems like everybody you’ve loved is dead and gone, and you ’most wish you was dead and gone too, and done with it all.

Strange as the incidents of this story are, they are not inventions, but facts—even to the public confession of the accused. I take them from an old-time Swedish criminal trial, change the actors, and transfer the scenes to America. I have added some details, but only a couple of them are important ones.—M. T.

Don’t you know what that is? It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! It seems to you that mainly what you want is to get away; get away from the same old tedious things you’re so used to seeing and so tired of, and see something new. That is the idea; you want to go and be a wanderer; you want to go wandering far away to strange countries where everything is mysterious and wonderful and romantic. And if you can’t do that, you’ll put up with considerable less; you’ll go anywhere you can go, just so as to get away, and be thankful of the chance, too.

Well, me and Tom Sawyer had the spring fever, and had it bad, too; but it warn’t any use to think about Tom trying to get away, because, as he said, his aunt Polly wouldn’t let him quit school and go traipsing off somers wasting time; so we was pretty blue. We was setting on the front steps one day about sundown talking this way, when out comes his aunt Polly with a letter in her hand and says:

Tom, I reckon you’ve got to pack up and go down to Arkansaw—your aunt Sally wants you.

I ’most jumped out of my skin for joy. I reckoned Tom would fly at his aunt and hug her head off; but if you believe me he set there like a rock, and never said a word. It made me fit to cry to see him act so foolish, with such a noble chance as this opening up. Why, we might lose it if he didn’t speak up and show he was thankful and grateful. But he set there and studied and studied till I was that distressed I didn’t know what to do; then he says, very ca’m, and I could ’a’ shot him for it:

Well, he says, I’m right down sorry, Aunt Polly, but I reckon I got to be excused—for the present.

His aunt Polly was knocked so stupid and so mad at the cold impudence of it that she couldn’t say a word for as much as a half a minute, and this gave me a chance to nudge Tom and whisper:

’Ain’t you got any sense? Sp’iling such a noble chance as this and throwing it away?

But he warn’t disturbed. He mumbled back:

"Huck Finn, do you want me to let her see how bad I want to go? Why, she’d begin to doubt, right away, and imagine a lot of sicknesses and dangers and objections, and first you know she’d take it all back. You lemme alone; I reckon I know how to work her."

Now I never would ’a’ thought of that. But he was right. Tom Sawyer was always right—the levelest head I ever see, and always at himself and ready for anything you might spring on him. By this time his aunt Polly was all straight again, and she let fly. She says:

"You’ll be excused! You will! Well, I never heard the like of it in all my days! The idea of you talking like that to me! Now take yourself off and pack your traps; and if I hear another word out of you about what you’ll be excused from and what you won’t, I lay I’ll excuse you—with a hickory!"

She hit his head a thump with her thimble as we dodged by, and he let on to be whimpering as we struck for the stairs. Up in his room he hugged me, he was so out of his head for gladness because he was going traveling. And he says:

Before we get away she’ll wish she hadn’t let me go, but she won’t know any way to get around it now. After what she’s said, her pride won’t let her take it back.

Tom was packed in ten minutes, all except what his aunt and Mary would finish up for him; then we waited ten more for her to get cooled down and sweet and gentle again; for Tom said it took her ten minutes to unruffle in times when half of her feathers was up, but twenty when they was all up, and this was one of the times when they was all up. Then we went down, being in a sweat to know what the letter said.

She was setting there in a brown study, with it laying in her lap. We set down, and she says:

"They’re in considerable trouble down there, and they think you and Huck ’ll be a kind of diversion for them— ‘comfort,’ they say. Much of that they’ll get out of you and Huck Finn, I reckon. There’s a neighbor named Brace Dunlap that’s been wanting to marry their Benny for three months, and at last they told him p’int blank and once for all, he couldn’t; so he has soured on them, and they’re worried about it. I reckon he’s somebody they think they better be on the good side of, for they’ve tried to please him by

Reviews for Tom Sawyer, Detective

[capiam1234 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as bad as Tom Sawyer Abroad, but no where near as great as the 1st two. It felt rushed and not thought out well. I did enjoy Tom's discovery of the murderers at the end though.

[sirfurboy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a short book. Like Tom Sawyer Abroad, I felt it messed a little with the established canon of the Adventures of Toim Sawyer and Huck Finn. It was clearly a case of Mark Twain poking fun at a genre of detective story using his favourite characters.This story was not as unbelievable as Tom Sawyer abroad, but still not a book I would read again and again like I did with Huckleberry Finn.

[tsisler_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I would have liked to rate this book a 2.75. I listened to the audio version of this book, edited by Shannon Chappele and read by Bruce Johnson. The recording felt like a low-budget production. Johnson's voice didn't fit the adolescent voice of Finn who narrates the story. The voices of the other characters were also performed inconsistently. I found some elements of the robbery and murder enticing, but overall the recording was unenjoyable. I may have rated this book higher had I actually read it instead of listened to it.

[robert.zimmermann · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't care for this book as much as I did for the other Tom Sawyer books. I just don't think the story was necessary in the chronicles of Tom and Huck's life in the sense that it wasn't much of an adventure as the rest, it was just a crime story. It was good though, just didn't match up to the enjoyment given by the previous two stories.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Cruciaal is de ontmoeting met Huckleberry Finn. Vinnige dialogen; Mooie impressie van jongensachtige gevoelens en leefwereld, genre Witte van Zichem (Claes is duidelijk maar een doordrukje van Twain). Toch maar matig boek.

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

Borderline 3.5 stars, but not quite. Mainly because I didn't begin to truly enjoy the story until 2/3 of the way through.

This is the first time I have ever read Mark Twain, and wanted to read this as a precursor to Huck Finn. I respect Mark Twain and his influence on many popular authors. For me, this particular novel does not hold water against some of the other American greats (Steinbeck, Edgar Allen Poe, Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe, etc).

A lot can be said in regards to the portrayals of African-Americans and Native Americans in the book (particularly the character "Injun Joe"), and Tom Sawyer is often censored or banned due to the language. Without a doubt, parts of the novel were certainly uncomfortable to this modern reader. I actually appreciated this, as it gives a glimpse of what life was like--from the perspective of Mississippi River dwelling, Southern, white children--in the pre-Civil War South. Racism and all. I enjoyed the satirical approach and exaggeration to some of the customs and superstitions of that community during that time period.

Having said that, I concurrently read some of Twain's (Sam Clemens') other writings on American Indians, and it is atrocious. Product of the times or not, it left a bitter aftertaste while reading Sawyer. Hence the 3 stars.

I do feel any use of this text in school should include a discussion on racism, fear, discrimination, freedom, etc.

[dougcornelius_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think I was supposed to read this in college. But never did. There were more important things to do like... (never mind).It was time to make up for the mistakes of my youth and take in a classic. That the audiobook was narrated by Nick Offerman was a bonus that moved Tom Sawyer to the top of my to-read list.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am adding this book as one of our family read-alouds. While often read by high school students as "classic" literature, this book proved a hit with my family audience, ages 8, 14,17 and middle aged.
It is funny and suspenseful and the characters are vivid, all requirements for making it on our read aloud picks.

[penguinasana · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My dad read this book to me as a kid and I loved it. I had the best time re-reading it as an adult - remembering parts of the dialogue I knew by heart and enjoying the social satire bits that don't always register when you're a kid. A classic!

[christopher.kyle1706 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really doubted this book would be a thriller, or energetic to read. This book makes you want to fall asleep while reading it. I am so sorry, but this book had so many POV'S I could not keep up. MY REVIEW; This book was a serious letdown. I thought there would be more action because it tells about a boys and his friends life in this story. NO ACTION. I liked some parts like when they were trying to find treasure and couldn't find it for like 3 chapters! No. Terrible absolutely did not like the writing. There was also different related stories to read while you finish Tom Sawyer but I decided NOT to read it.

[dasam-5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had never read the Adventures of Tom Sawyer except in a childhood version in Golden Books or something like that. I skipped right over to read Huck Finn. While this is definitely a children's book in many ways, Twain writes in such a way that adults still enjoy Tom and his picaresque adventures, both as nostalgia for our own childhoods and because the adult voice of Twain cannot help inserting his snide commentaries on humanity.

[jon1lambert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the books that I thought I had read but hadn't. It rushes along, adventure after adventure, capturing what it is is to be a child growing up.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd forgotten what a little trouble maker Tom was. It was a nice enjoyable read.

[kimmyd76 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Why had I never read this classic before?... who knows! But i'm glad I have now read it and will move right into listening to the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

[unclebob53703 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Always preferred this to Huckleberry Finn--which puts me on the wrong side of just about everybody else's opinion. If the ending in the caves doesn't get your pulse racing, you probably don't have one. Found a beautiful like-new copy of the Heritage Edition, with color plates and numerous illustrations by Norman Rockwell.

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

My advice would be to drop whatever you're reading and read this now, before you're thirty-eight and can appreciate it but never love it.

[leandrod-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One point less for mocking Christianity

[maxernst11 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Cruciaal is de ontmoeting met Huckleberry Finn. Vinnige dialogen; Mooie impressie van jongensachtige gevoelens en leefwereld, genre Witte van Zichem (Claes is duidelijk maar een doordrukje van Twain). Toch maar matig boek.

[anagarika · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think Mark Twain is overrated.

[foof2you · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Never read this during all my school years so I thought I had to give it a shot. I was surprised. I found the book to be rather enjoyable and unlike many other "classics" that fail to live up to the hype. A great story and definitely a classic.

[norwayken · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a classic in American literature. What more can be said.

[danielstj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was the end of the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn series. I felt that it was lessened in effect- although the stakes were still high, and that the story was decent but not in tone to the other novels in the series. Nevertheless, it was interesting reading.3 stars.

[chrisblocker · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've returned to the river.A year ago I spent a weekend on the Missouri River attending a Writers Workshop. In typical Chris Blocker fashion, I thought it prudent to read something riverish. I selected Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi. Thus a new association was born and once I decided I was returning to the river, one of my first considerations was what Mark Twain book I'd read this year.I was hesitant to get into the Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn story-arc. I had a feeling I'd be underwhelmed or offended. I was leaning toward a different selection, but at the last minute, I decided to go with a classic. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer wasn't that bad?not as bad as I imagined it could be?but it certainly didn't impress me too much. Part of the issue is that Tom Sawyer feels slightly underdeveloped?ideas are used seemingly haphazardly and are recycled throughout the story. And part of the issue is that some of the novels better moments have become clich?. I recognize that Twain was likely the originator of some of these ideas?at least he was probably the prominent figure who introduced them into the American narrative. But I've seen enough Our Gang to know that children who play pirates will find treasure, children who fake death will convince everyone, and that little boys will always win a kiss from the girl of their dreams. It's not Twain's fault that his story has been resurrected repeatedly, but the familiarity minimized any sense of wonder and adventure I might have had had I come across this book 130 years ago.In a different time, this book may have had a much different impact on me. This is a strong story of adventure from a unique child-like perspective. Those who enjoy a little swashbuckling or hijinx will likely eat this story up like blackberry pie. (Why blackberry pie? I don't know. It just feels like something I'd expect from these characters.) With a different person, there would've been different results: I'm not one for adventure; I was never a child. It's a good, simple story, very much plot-driven, but I didn't see much else to it.Sadly, this book didn't hold to the river like I thought it would. There are a few mentions, a few explorations, but I have the notion that Huckleberry Finn is the more river-centric of the two. Will I explore the river someday with Huck? I don't know. I probably should, but I have the same hesitance I did with Tom Sawyer. Maybe I'll leave it up to the river. If it's able to pull me back another time, I'll consider it.

[platicorn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

i absolutely loved it!

[rosenstern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Twain's bold themes are wonderfully depicted in this novel where Tom gets into all sorts of mischief. I love Twain's literary style and humor. Worth reading it at least once, if not more.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For Christmas, I ordered an mp3 player (Library of Classics) that was pre-loaded with 100 works of classic literature in an audio format. Each work is in the public domain and is read by amateurs, so the quality of the presentation is hit or miss. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a classic piece of 19th century literature penned by Mark Twain. It recounts several adventures in the life of a young, Missouri boy living in a small town on the Mississippi River. While it is at times amusing, the rural, 19th century slang and extremely superstitious beliefs of many of the characters, explained at length, soon becomes tiresome and annoying. Taken in small doses, the escapades of Sawyer and his compatriot Huck Finn can be tolerable, but combined in book length form, they soon lose their charm.

[sluper1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From this novel I have learned that one can be the person who opens the door to someone in need in a time of desperation and changes his or her life for best. This message is portrayed by the characters of Will and Mr. Tom because when in need Mr. Tom provided Willie with a home, food, and most importantly of love and care he had never received from his mother. This novel contain historical episodes. For example Zach dies in an air raids. If one was not careful could die at any moment. Also, women were looked down to and were not expected to get a good eduction. This book is consider a classic in the literature. The way the story is written transport the reader to each scene.

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

This book would've been given to one of my brothers at some stage and it's ended up in my possession. I'm sure no one ever read it the whole time its faded spine graced the family bookshelves. I think if I'd picked it up as a kid I would've found the dialect a bit difficult. It's only after watching plenty of TV that I have an inkling as to how those boys would've actually spoken. I must've read the first part at some stage, because the scene of Tom swindling the neighbourhood boys into white washing the fence is a resonant one.Anyhow, I'm glad I read the whole thing and can't believe it never got spoilered for me. Next I'll be cracking the spine on Huckleberry Finn.

[krizia_lazaro_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was okay. I really found it slow and dragging at times just like Huck Finn. I didn't really like Tom. Huck Finn is a more funny storyteller. I think this is more of a boy's book and also good for the big screen.

[occassionalread · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the preface to Tom Sawyer Mark Twain writes that the book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls but that he hopes that men and women will not shun it on that account.Adults, by and large, have not shunned Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Pudding Head Wilson, or other Twain stories with children protagonists. Kids and their parents alike will enjoy the adventures, the hijinx and tricks, the fun and make believe, the freedom of unfettered play and the torturous confinement of Sunday sermons and the one room school house. But there's a lot more to Tom Sawyer than the famous tableau of the painted white picket fence. There's real danger in Injun Joe, a near death experience getting lost in a cave for three whole days, and the heartache of puppy love with Becky Thatcher. And it may be these darker elements of the story (though not nearly as edgy as Huck Finn which deals more directly with the issue of slavery and uses the infamous N word a lot more freely) that makes this story transcend that of mere entertainment for young ones. Tom Sawyer, is a story about children, intended for children, written with the greatest respect, without condescension, with a pitch perfect ear for dialogue and character. Twain was, and may forever be, America's greatest story teller.