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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
By Mark Twain
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this ebook
In this timeless classic of American literature, Mark Twain created the memorable characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer exemplifies the life of a young boy on the frontier in the mid-1800s.
The story is set in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived. This jaunty, free-wheeling tale was based on Twain’s memories of his experiences with boys he grew up with. It is set by the Mississippi River and follows the two boys as they get into predicament after predicament. It is both an idyllic picture of boyhood and an affectionate satire of adult conventions.
Tom, who lives with his Aunt Polly and his half-brother Sid, is a mischievous young boy with a nose for trouble and a heart of gold who exudes a charm and an easygoing nature, which keeps him from being in anyone’s bad graces for long. Whether he’s sneaking food, swooning over a pretty girl or hoodwinking the local boys to do his work for him, Tom is the ultimate schemer. When Tom dirties his clothes in a fight, he is made to whitewash the fence the next day as punishment. He cleverly persuades his friends to trade him small treasures for the privilege of doing his work. His classic whitewashing of the fence has become part of American legend.
When Tom teams up with his friend Huck Finn, their sleepy Missouri town had better watch out. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of Twain's most beloved stories.
The story is set in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived. This jaunty, free-wheeling tale was based on Twain’s memories of his experiences with boys he grew up with. It is set by the Mississippi River and follows the two boys as they get into predicament after predicament. It is both an idyllic picture of boyhood and an affectionate satire of adult conventions.
Tom, who lives with his Aunt Polly and his half-brother Sid, is a mischievous young boy with a nose for trouble and a heart of gold who exudes a charm and an easygoing nature, which keeps him from being in anyone’s bad graces for long. Whether he’s sneaking food, swooning over a pretty girl or hoodwinking the local boys to do his work for him, Tom is the ultimate schemer. When Tom dirties his clothes in a fight, he is made to whitewash the fence the next day as punishment. He cleverly persuades his friends to trade him small treasures for the privilege of doing his work. His classic whitewashing of the fence has become part of American legend.
When Tom teams up with his friend Huck Finn, their sleepy Missouri town had better watch out. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of Twain's most beloved stories.
Author
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.
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Reviews for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Rating: 3.8818980020210896 out of 5 stars
4/5
5,690 ratings129 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I knew "The adventures of tom sawyer",but i did not read it.I thought the story was that tom travel anywhere with his friendsbefore I read it. however,it was different. The story was not until adventures but also suspences. I was surprised with it afterwhen I read it.Tom was brave child.If i had been tom, I could not have done what tom did.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mark Twain's prose is lovely, and walks a fine line between describing the rural South in ways which are sentimental or derogatory. But it is at the end of the day a children's book for boys, about Indians and buried treasure and running away and getting lost in caves, which while it is endearing and lovely is not sock-rocking.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Miss Hunt's eighth grade English class. Guess what her nickname was?
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/52008, Blackstone Audiobooks, Read by Grover GardnerBook Description: from BookDepository.comWho could forget the pranks, the adventures, the sheer fun of Tom Sawyer? From Tom's sly trickery with the whitewashed fence to his and Becky Thatcher's calamities in Bat Cave, the enjoyment never ends. Just what did boys do in a small town during the mid-1800s, a time when there were no televisions, no arcades, and no videos? They whitewashed fences, floated down rivers, traded marbles, formed secret societies, smoked pipes, and, on occasion, managed to attend their own funerals. Yes, they may have been a bit mischievous, but as Aunt Polly said of Tom when she believed him to be dead, "He was the best-hearted boy that ever was." Aunt Polly's sentiments reveal one of Mark Twain's cardinal philosophies: In this deceitful and infirm world, innocence can be found only in the heart of a boy. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a humorous and nostalgic book depicting the carefree days of boyhood in a small Midwestern town. The characters are based on Twain's schoolmates and the town, Hannibal, Missouri, is where Twain grew up.My Review: Grover Gardner does a fabulous job of narration, and I enjoyed revisiting Tom’s adventures – I don’t think Twain grows old, and I expect this would “blamed pleased him.” My favourite part of the book is the last third: the ordeal in the cave. Endearing snapshots include the whitewashed fence, Tom and Becky eating their “wedding cake” in the case to ward off starvation, and Huck’s absolute hostility towards shoes and all things “reg’lar”:“It ain't for me; I ain't used to it. The widder's good to me, and friendly; but I can't stand them ways. She makes me get up just at the same time every morning; she makes me wash, they comb me all to thunder; she won't let me sleep in the woodshed; I got to wear them blamed clothes that just smothers me, Tom; they don't seem to any air git through 'em, somehow; and they're so rotten nice that I can't set down, nor lay down, nor roll around anywher's … I can't chaw. I got to wear shoes all Sunday. The widder eats by a bell; she goes to bed by a bell; she gits up by a bell—everything's so awful reg'lar a body can't stand it.” (Ch 35)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This classic is a brilliant book. Mark Twain writes at his finest. It took me back to the days of getting into mischief, hastening the growth of silver hairs upon my parent's heads. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a great book for those seeking an escape from an overly serious world with pretentious aspirations to be noticed. Tom Sawyer and his group of ruffians do a great job of reminding the reader that life isn't always about being a "someone"; its about the adventure. I highly recommend the book. Later into the next year... the sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This would be good to use when talking about the mid 1880s and life on the Mississippi. I think students will like this book because of how Tom reacts to situations.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A great classic tale filled with childhood memories and the innocence of naivety. Not that long of a read, it's a great tale for numerous mini-adventures to take on throughout the course of the novel. And what could make any child happier than actually finding that long sought-after buried treasure.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Of course it's a well deserved classic!!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Audio book read by Grover Gardner
Tom Sawyer is a “boy’s boy.” He spends his days exploring his environs – a small Missouri town on the Mississippi River. A born leader, he organizes his friends into secret societies and elaborate role-playing games – pirates and Robin Hood being particular favorites. He uses his wits to get his friends to perform his own chores (like whitewashing the fence), but he is so charming that no one minds. He also charms the lovely Becky Thatcher, though he can’t charm his teacher and is frequently subject to scolding. But his greatest escapade comes from his friendship with Huck Finn and what they overhear while exploring a “haunted house.”
This is a classic adventure story. I’ve read parts of it over the years and have seen several different movie treatments, but I had never read the entire book before. I love the way Twain writes these characters. Tom is intelligent, inventive, adventurous and also innocent, in that he doesn’t always recognize the ramifications of his schemes. He’s a good boy but gets into plenty of mischief. Tom is honest, loyal and fair in his dealings with others. He’s also tender and loving, though he doesn’t want any of his friends to know this. And of course, the book introduces us to Huckleberry Finn who will star in his own book.
Grover Gardner does a fine job of the narration, bringing the many characters to life. It’s a great read for children and adults, alike. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lie at your peril - your guilt can trap you in a cave. A nightmare I've never been able to find my way out of.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Classic in every sense. Something new every time you read it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tom Sawyer is a naughty child who lives in St Petersburg. One night, he goes to graveyard with his friend, Huck Finn to look ghosts. Then, they can't ghosts, but they see a murder scene.I think Tom is very mischievous child, but he is a brave boy. I like the scene that he explores a cave. I got excited. I want to meet him and travel many places with him.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I can't really say this novel caught my attention as I really found nothing to sympathize with either characters (Tom or Huck) and outside of some "goings-on" in their lives, there was no real hook to the story. Maybe today's life is so far-removed from those days that they seem rather prehistoric, but even as a piece of "history" (fictional or otherwise) I wasn't particularly entertained.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The story talk about Tom sawyer likes adventures.He and Joe harperand huskleberry finn have an exciting life.One night in the graveyard he and huck finn see the men.who are they ,and what are they doing in the graveyard,in the middle of the night.Then the boys see that one of the men is lnjun Joe . Tom and huck never forget that night . They are afraid of lnjun Joe,and they are right to be afraid .Because lnjun Joe is very quick with a knife.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I finished my second book in my ongoing mission to read classic literature out loud to my daughter. We started with Winnie the Pooh, and then I settled on Tom Sawyer, since I had recently read Huckleberry Finn for myself; however I think that Milne's series is better for her at this age. I enjoyed reading the story, at least, even if she mostly fell asleep to the monotonous rhythm of my voice.I've read Twain's sequel (of sorts) to this story three times, but never this one. It was an oversight I intended to correct some day, and since this book is considered classic children's literature, and less heavy than Huckleberry, I decided to complete two goals at once and read it to my daughter. The story covers a period in young Tom Sawyer's life, as he hunts for buried treasure (repeatedly), plays pirates or maybe thieves with his friends, runs away, falls in love, and generally behaves like a mischevious scamp of a boy. Most of us know many bits and pieces of this book, as it has become a part of our literary heritage (who hasn't heard of Tom Sawyer's white fence episode), so I will keep my comments to opinions on the story instead of a lengthy recounting of plot.I've always admired Twain's wit, and while Tom Sawyer does not fully demonstrate his skills as a writer, it does bear his characteristic droll humor and cynicism. I think of the passage where he recounts the sentimental school recitations, or his observations of the town's behavior at church. Tom is the perfect vehicle for Twain's tongue-in-cheek observations; a young boy who revolts against social mores because they hamper his freedom. There is much I like about Tom. He is imaginative and clever, he has a sense of honor, like when he takes a beating for Becky, and has deep love for his family despite all of his tricks and manipulations, as witnessed when he sneaks back home to see Aunt Polly after he has run away. I particularly like his devtion to popular romantic literature, and how he twists things around in his naivete. Then again, some of Tom's personality grates on me. He is an arrogant little boy, and like most children his age, can be heartless. He thoughtlessly breaks the heart of the girl he had wooed before Becky came along, and he is merciless to Sid (who, to be fair, can be a little rat). Perhaps Tom's biggest mark against him, though, is that he is no Huckleberry. Even in this novel, which is centered on Tom, I found Huck the more compelling of the two.Still, Tom is a rogue, and I had a good time reading his adventures. I enjoyed the plot, which was mostly composed of mini episodes in Tom's life, and a longer thread involving Indian Joe and treasure in general. I admire how Twain is nostalgically recreating a past and critiquing it at the same time. Just because he loves aspects of his home does not blind him to its faults; on the contrary, he mines those areas for all their dramatic potential. All in all, this story lacks the depth that Twain is capable of, but is a fun story that is easy to read. I was glad to finally have read this mainstay in our country's literature.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book stands out as one of the great American novels, with adventure, humor, danger, and warmth. It is filled with characters that have become part of American culture.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book shares a story about a young boy who goes through some exciting adventures alongside his friends. Tom and his friends Finn share some innocent adventures that turn sour when they come upon a murder in a graveyard. The rest of the book follows the young men who are both afraid of the murderer and excited to be having an adventure. They end up being the town heros and find a box of gold which the murderer had been trying to hide. This book is full of excitment and would be great for any kid who craves a little adventure and suspense.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is very interesting. Tom is a main character in this book which is a noughty boy. In this book, there are many fanny things. Tom is a smart boy, and from him i can move on to my childhood. In this book, you also can learn many principles about how to become a real man. You can kown which is the truth and which is not. I never feel bored of this book. Because it is not only interesting but also you can improve your vocablary. I introduce this book for u and wish u read it and like it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary: A young boy named Tom Sawyer grows up in a small town. He befriends a slave and goes through many adventures with him. Response: A very fun adventurous book to read. The fact that the characters were based off real people makes it even better. Connection: Have this as a read aloud chapter book discussing the plot with the kids as the teacher reads.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book was hard to get into at first--the vocabulary and language is tough and gets you off track. However, the story-line is great. I love the newer adaptation of this book with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. The ending in the book is far better though, and of course the book is more detailed and the movie makes more sense in parts. Overall, I think this is a good book for adults and middle or high school students to read because it's about being young and finding yourself as you grow up.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tom Sawyer was a little boy who was very mischievous. He went to live with his aunt. He didnt always follow the rules. He was forced to white wash the fence as punishment for some of the bad things he did. He tricked a lot of people into do stuff for him that he didnt want to do. He an Huck Finn went on a lot of adventures. Once Huck fell through the roof of the church and he faked his death. Then Becki found him and she was so mad when she found of that Huck was faking it the whole time. This book is known by a lot of people but most of them dont read it. They just know the main parts. i encourage people to read this. it is a fun read.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This story drawn about adventure of a young boy whoes name is Tom Sawyer.He lives with his aunt, Polly.Polly is very strict to Tom Sawyer.He always look for interesting thing.One day,Tom and his friend go to adventure and then, they saw horryble thing...I know this book.Tom is very brave boy.If I saw horryble thing, I escape soon.He is smart and strong.I want to be like him.I also like adventure,so I want to go adventure with hm.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Even tho we read Huck Fin first the kids really enjoyed this book. Shenanigans and trouble are always entertaining. And with less jargon than Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer seemed more straightforward.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5To borrow a phrase from Ceridwen, I'd like to punch this book in the nose. Don't get me wrong; Mark Twain's novel is engagingly written and probably a timeless classic for its rich depictions of rural life in the antebellum South; it's just that the "lovable rascal" schtick doesn't work for me. It isn't really the book I have an issue with; it's Tom Sawyer himself I'd like to punch. He's been an icon of carefree boyhood antics for nealy 150 years, and as such he's been a stone in my shoe for as long as I've known him. My mother's dogeared copy from her own childhood has been floating around our household for decades, both predating my own appearance, and remaining after I departed for college. When somebody keeps a book around that long, and it's as lovingly worn as Mom's Tom Sawyer you just know it made an impression at some point. As my mother's only son, I can assure you that to some significant degree, Tom imprinted himself in her imagination as a sort of rough guideline of what a growing boy should be: a spirited imp who passes lazy summers fishin' with his buddies, getting into rough-and-tumble adventures in the great outdoors, swimmin' at the swimmin' hole, and layin' on the hillside chewin' a long stem of grass while lookin' at clouds, &c. That's fine, if that's what you're into. The problem was, that's not what I was into. Twelve year old Brian of 1980 was absolutely nothing like twelve year old Tom Sawyer of 1876. Brian didn't give a fuck about fishing or getting into brawls with the neighborhood boys (just for spirited fun of it) or any of that other damn stuff. If left to my own devices, I would have spent my summers reading in my room, building models, listening to music on my cool cassette player and probably watching more tv than I should have. Introversion isn't a crime, you know... but Tom made his unwelcome influence known more times than I can recall, when I'd be contentedly engaged in one of the above sedentary activities, and Mom would come by and say something like "What are you doing in here on such a beautiful day? You should go outside and play!"To which I responded (although not usually aloud) "Play? What do you think I'm doing here?" But my play didn't really count as "play" in Mom's book. It was Tom's play I was supposed to be engaging in. I had a general sense that "go out and play" probably involved some sort of team sports, which I was not much a fan of, or some vague kind of frolicking in the sunshine, the specifics of which eluded me. Once I went outside though, I never knew exactly what I was supposed to do. More often than not, when shoo'd out of the house, I'd just bring my book with me, and read in the yard. Occasionally Mom would get more aggressive in her efforts and send me away on my bicycle, not to return for a specified time interval. Mostly I'd ride around then, or occasionally drop in on friends to play board games, or some other decidedly non-Sawyeresque activity. Those were the days I knew Tom was conspiring with Mom, whispering like a ghost in her ear to disrupt my favorite pasttimes, and replace them with boyhood romps more alligned with the ideals propegated by Mark Twain and Walt Disney (another of my childhood enemies).My dislike for Tom only grew when I got around to reading his book. I could hardly believe it! Sneaking out of the house late at night? Lying? Not doing chores? Crawling around in prohibited caves? Stealing? Getting into fights?? What the hell?!?!? This is all stuff I would have gotten in trouble for, had I actually done it! Tom Sawyer was like an infuriating sibling who never got held to account; a Bart Simpson, if Bart Simpson wasn't remotely funny. And this was the boy I was supposed to be like?? It was a bitter mixed message; a situation where you just couldn't win. When I look back on the book now, I only recall a few specifics. One of them is the famous fence painting scene. Tom tricks his friends into helping him paint a fence by convincing them how much fun it is. He stands there, whistling and painting away, telling his buddies what a great time he's having, until pretty soon they are begging to be allowed to participate. He refuses at first- wanting to keep the "fun" for himself, but eventually reluctantly remits. I think he even charges them money for the pleasure. What a manipulative bastard. If he were alive today, he'd probably be running a sweatshop somewhere, inducing seven year olds to make Nike sneakers for 30 cents an hour (without bathroom breaks). Or maybe he'd be working as a Director for the Federal Reserve. I can picture him in a press conference, the skinny blonde freckled kid of yesteryear now grown into a doughy, pale late middle aged fat man with bloodshot eyes, jowls, excessive nose and ear hair, and male pattern baldness. He'd stand there with his script, sweating under the camera lights in his ill-fitting suit, and tell the American public how lucky we all are that the Fed is going to "save" us from economic collapse with quantitative easing and a big "liquidity" injection of worthless paper money which will destroy the value of our hard-earned savings. Then he and his Goldman Sachs buddies would duck into a back room to do some lines of blow with Becky Thatcher, laughing all the while at what a bunch of suckers we all are.Fuck you, Tom Sawyer.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a child's edition of Tom Sawyer and as such is slightly diluted, sanitized so to speak. I can just imagine Mark Twain's reaction to the idea of his books being cleaned up for children.Aside from that, Tom Sawyer is a quintessential American story of a boy on the verge of adolescence in mid-nineteenth-century Missouri. Anyone wanting to learn parts of what is the American mythos could do worse than read this book. Twain writes so well that it appears effortless. He never fails to delight; he usually manages to insert gentle gibes at the human condition while doing so.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Love it always but I can't say much that hasn't been said a million times over.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A fun little book with some moments of wry humor. Interesting to note things that were not known about Africa and the Middle East when this was written. The story itself is not believable, but with this author, I never thought it was supposed to be.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I think more people should read this book! I read it as a young girl, and it was the book that made me love Mark Twain's writing--and classics in general, in fact. Yes, it is a boys' novel, but it can be interesting to girls as well, thank you very much. I remember this being quite an easy and suspenseful read, as well, and it contained a good mix between realistic fiction and elements of “fantasy”, of a sort—so there’s no reason not to try it!While different from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I think this is a great, hilarious introduction to that book. Maybe because I read these two books almost simultaneously one after another, I can’t imagine *not* reading them in conjunction with one another. This book is where we first meet Huck Finn and get a little background on him, after all. And, of course, it's full of Twain's usual humor and wit. Maybe if more people would read Tom Sawyer before Huck Finn, they would understand the latter a bit better, and not feel the need to ban it or condemn it... or maybe I’m just obsessive. :)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a part of growing up and needs to be read earlier rather than later.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tom Sawyer dose not like school and work.But he loves adventures!This book is very exciting.I wanted to adventure too.
Book preview
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