The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Cliffs Notes) [Student Edition] [Paperback]

Robert Bruce (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cliffsnotes Literature | Publication Date: June 13, 2000

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

In CliffsNotes on Huckleberry Finn, you follow the Mississippi River adventures of Mark Twain's mischief-making protagonist Huck Finn and the runaway slave Jim.

Just like Huck's makeshift raft, this study guide carries you along on his incredible journey by providing chapter summaries and critical analyses on life in the late-19th-century American south. You'll also gain insight into the man behind this American classic — Mark Twain, a.k.a. Samuel Clemens. Other features that help you study include

• Character analyses of major players
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
• Critical essays
• A review section that tests your knowledge
• A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

39 New and Revised Titles. The Best Just Got Better! Plus Glossary from Webster's New World^™ Dictionary Anthem Atlas Shrugged Beowulf Brave New World The Canterbury Tales The Catcher in the Rye The Contender The Crucible The Fountainhead Frankenstein The Grapes of Wrath Great Expectations The Great Gatsby Hamlet Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer Huckleberry Finn The Iliad Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Inherit the Wind Jane Eyre Julius Caesar The Killer Angels King Lear The Lord of the Flies Macbeth 1984 The Odyssey The Oedipus Trilogy The Once and Future King Othello The Outsiders Pride and Prejudice The Red Badge of Courage Romeo and Juliet The Scarlet Letter A Separate Peace A Tale of Two Cities To Kill a Mockingbird Wuthering Heights See inside for the complete line-up of available CliffsNotes! Check Out the All-New CliffsNotes Guides To AOL^®, iMacs^™, eBay^®, Windows^® 98, Investing, Creating Web Pages, and more! More Than Notes! CliffsComplete^™ CliffsTestPrep^™ CliffsQuickReview^™ CliffsAP^™ Over 300 CliffsNotes Available @ cliffsnotes.com Downloadable 24 hours a day Free daily e-mail newsletters Free tips, tricks, and trivia Free online CliffsNotes catalog Free self-assessment tools Freeware and shareware downloads

About the Author

Robert Bruce currently teaches American Humor and is Director of the Texas Annual Fund at the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated with a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University with a specialization in Mark Twain and American Humor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes; 1 edition (June 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764586041
• ISBN-13: 978-0764586040
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.2 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Books & Reading > General
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > History & Criticism
  • #24 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Education > Book Notes

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Help for Tests and Essays, May 5, 2011

By 

Michael J. Whinihan "designated polymath" (Troy, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Cliffs Notes Series) (Audio CD)

(What's this?)

This audio Cliffs Notes on the Adventures of Huck Finn does its job very well. Any high school or college student that needs to study for a test or write a paper about Huck Finn will benefit from these CDs. I have already read the book, but these CDs reminded of several themes and characterizations that I had missed or forgotten. The chapter summaries are great reminders of the plot line. The instructions suggest listening to the CDs after reading the book. But Mark Twain uses 19th century Southern idioms that most of us would miss. These CDs contain a glossary at the end of each chapter summary, so I think the listener will get more out of the book by listening to the plot summary and glossary for each chapter before reading it. Using the audio format is especially useful for a commuter student who can use his driving time to listen to these CDs to plan a paper or review for a test.

The commentary makes clear why this book is considered by many to be the best novel ever written in America. Not only is it funny, but much of the black humor is actually severe criticism of Southern white culture and racism both before and after the Civil War.

I only have one thematic quarrel with the comments. The commenter seems to think that Huck's conscience is formed by his culture, but he then fails to explain why Huck rebels in order to do the right thing. It is easier to assume that we and Huck are born with an innate sense of right and wrong, which we Catholics would say is formed by Natural Law. But as we grow up, a society can pervert our innate conscience, so Huck comes to believe it is wrong to free a slave. But his innate conscience tells him to do the right thing, to help Jim escape slavery; even though his society says it is wrong.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good basic resource, February 15, 2004

By 

Bethanie Frank "book dreamer" (Coffeyville, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

I think this is probably best for people that need basic info. For the person that needs to write an indepth paper or do indepth research this is probably not the choice for you. It's a good basic tool for the beginner though.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect help for English literature, November 7, 2009

By 

Cornelia Dörr (Florstadt) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

The writing style of Mark Twain is hard to understand - especially for a German student in the US. so this book was a very good help!