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Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer, Detective (Mark Twain Library)

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I was surprised to discover the existance of these two books: Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer Detective. Apparently, they were both very popular back when they were first published, in the late 1890s, but have become mostly forgotten. They're more novellas than anything; Detective isn't even 100 pages long. The illustrations are really good, and I plan on buying the other volumes in the Mark Twain Library, each of which include the original illustrations that were present in the first editions. Both Abroad and Detective are entertaining, but they're not in the mold of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. You know how in Huckleberry Finn, Huck goes through all these little misadventures, all the while growing up and gaining all kinds of wisdom, and then in the end, the book takes a harsh turn and goes back to the juvenile exploits of Tom Sawyer, when he and Huck try to free Jim? It's like the end of the book really doesn't have much to do with the rest of it, it's just Huck and Tom doing dumb, yet funny, kid stuff. Well, both Abroad and Detective are like that; only very occasionally do you get any of Huck's unique flashes of insight. Jim himself only appears in Abroad, which is a fantasy tale in which he, Tom, and Huck happen to be kidnapped onto a high-tech balloon (!) and go across the Atlantic to Africa. There's really not much of a plot or resolution, they just float along over the desert, Tom tells them about the Arabian Nights, and Jim gets stranded on the head of the Sphinx for a little while. Abroad picks up not long after the events in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and apparently Detective picks up not long after Abroad, though the events that transpired in Abroad are never mentioned in Tom Sawyer, Detective. Maybe Twain considered Abroad more of a whimsical tale, something that never really happened. Who knows...but I think Detective was the better of the two, even though Jim doesn't even appear in the book, and it's more of a mystery novel than anything. Huck basically plays the role of the reporter in Detective, just relating all of the incidents he witnessed in an unusual murder/crime, and describing Tom Sawyer's scene-stealing exploits in the trial that follows. Many of the characters that appeared in the last half of Adv. of Huck Finn make a return appearance in Detective. But anyway, both books are enjoyable to read, especially considering that both are written in the 1st person, from Huck's perspective, yet don't read them expecting the depth and emotion that are found in the Adv. of Huck Finn. I think these books were written for a younger audience, and that's how they read. But, for a frustrating, yet very interesting look into what might have been, had Twain finished his other two planned sequels to Huckleberry Finn, you should check out the book "Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians," which contains two unfinished sequels that are both heads and tails better than Abroad and Detective: Among the Indians and Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy. But that's all I have to say about that.

This book picks up right after the hallaballo has died down from Tom and Huck's triumphal return. Tom kinda craves notoriety as he competes for the unofficial title of Hannibal's First Traveler. Kidnapped by a mad inventor Tom, Huck and Jim
find themselves sailing in a hot-air balloon. They eventually realize that they are alone over the Atlantic, but when they sight land, it is not Europe! This first-person story is narrated with youthful zest and slangy vocabulary by an admiring Huck, so that he can praise Tom's leadership skills and power of argument.

The three unprepared argonauts finally understand that they are floating over the vast Sahara Desert, where they experience a variety of adventures--interspersed with juvenile deductions and lively debate. Their challenges are right out of the Arabian Nights: no magic lamp or genies, but Twain serves up caravans, lions, mirages, warring Bedouin tribes, and a devastating sand storm. All this action is spiced with his wry humor, as he slips in snide remarks about more serious social issues (spoken through the mouths of babes). Although this tale is Plot Lite, there's plenty of lively dialogue, as the boys argue using kid logic, while indulging in youthful dreams of sudden fortune. A fun read with sly social criticism. But really, Mark Twain--tigers--in Africa?

Mark Twain's 1876 novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its 1884 follow-up The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are two of American literature's most famous works and the latter one of its most acclaimed. It may thus seem strange that 1894's Tom Sawyer Abroad and 1896's Tom Sawyer, Detective are now almost obscure. The truth is that this is not entirely undeserved. Huck Finn is a masterpiece of world literature, and anyone expecting them to be anywhere near it will be sorely disappointed. They lack the more famous work's seriousness and ambitiousness, making them inevitably minor. However, like nearly everything else Twain wrote, they are eminently readable, very entertaining, and often funny. Fans of Twain's lighter work, especially Tom Sawyer, will love them, and there is something for all to appreciate it. They are notable for taking the series and its characters in surprising new directions, for example leaving the rural South for distant Egypt in Abroad and adding character development in both. Though not great literary works in other respects, they perform surprisingly well in the latter area. Those eager for more adventures from Tom, Huck, and Jim will certainly warm to them. Like the book that bears his name, they are narrated by Huck with all his delightfully provincial grammar and spelling; "prostitution" for "prosecution" in Detective's court scene is my laugh aloud favorite. His naïveté and ignorance also come into play in skillfully unprecedented ways, particularly in Detective.

The two novels are now often packaged together, which makes sense in many ways. Both are short - about one hundred pages each - and of course have many of the same characters and numerous other similarities. Those who like one will probably like the other, making an omnibus convenient and, depending on the edition, perhaps cost efficient. Those who want only bare bones can easily find cheaper editions, but this is the one for enthusiasts. Unlike most versions but like other Mark Twain Library Series entries, this includes the original illustrations, which Twain considered important. Perhaps more notably, they have been carefully edited to ensure accuracy, correcting errors perpetuated for a century, including some expurgations.

As for the stories themselves, like most of Twain, they can be read and enjoyed on several levels. Most simply and obviously, they are rollicking, picaresque adventures of the sort later classed as Young Adult or Juvenile. Similarities aside, each is a distinct part of genres then immensely popular - travel and detective fiction respectively. They can be read on these terms alone or as burlesques. There are thus some significant differences despite all the similarities. However, both are notably entertaining and quite humorous even in this limited sense, particularly the dialogue. While far from politically correct by current standards, they can easily be enjoyed by the very young as well as those of all ages who will take it on their own terms.

The discerning can see significantly more, even if no one can see greatness. Though less savagely biting than later work, they are vintage Twain satire in many ways. Huck Finn's infamous closing section satirizes Romanticism in its various forms, including medieval ideals of chivalry, and Abroad works similarly. The new target is a type of book then immensely popular - travel adventures like Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. Twain mocks such works' implausibility and superficiality but only gently, arguably even good-naturedly, especially compared to his vicious later satire. We get the feeling that Twain appreciates such books even as he mocks - not least because this story itself can legitimately be taken in such a way, and not without enjoyment. He also throws in a few shots at more serious issues. Those familiar with his life and thought will recognize several - his ongoing feud with Sir Walter Scott's work, his near-fatal run-in with patents, etc. - and laugh appreciatively. He treats these subjects more seriously and bitterly elsewhere, but it is notable that he was able to write of them relatively lightly, if effectively, here.

It is indeed remarkable how subtle yet piercing Twain's satire can be even in a minor work like this. An example will suffice. In one scene, Tom sends a letter that says it comes from the "welkin." Huck and Jim have never heard the word and are mystified. Tom initially acts as if they are ignorant fools but, when pushed, admits he does not know what it means but that every description of a great noise says that the hubbub was so loud it "made the welkin ring." Anyone familiar with the word - or who bothers to look it up - will realize that, while ostensibly only poking fun at the ignorance of rural Southern boys, Twain also mocks writers who use conventional phrases without thought. Those who appreciate such points will see that they are well-made.

No one should put Abroad with Twain's great work. Befitting its status, it can be read quickly and easily. It is at least as episodic as Tom Sawyer, and the little plot that exists is highly implausible. Yet even within this we can easily sense repetition and strain, as dialogue starts to seem canned and jokes become overly familiar. It almost seems at times that Twain had a simple template and stretched a little too far. Finally, the ending is very abrupt and a sort of deus ex machina. One may at first feel that Twain could have stretched the adventure out rather longer, even that he ends just as he seems to really get started; the characters after all visit but one country. However, he was right to stop when he did; anything more would have stretched the thinness past the proverbial breaking point. It is no great loss, as what we have is quite good for what it is - and, more importantly, Twain's satirical purpose is accomplished.

Detective is in multiple ways very much like Tom Sawyer Abroad and, indeed, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, not least in returning to the latter's rural South. However, it also differs significantly in obvious ways. First and most clearly, as the title shows, it is a detective story of the kind then very popular; this was after all when Sherlock Holmes was a sensation. Those who, like me, love such stories can appreciate it simply on this level. It is set up like a typical one with a murder mystery and has exciting elements such as a false confession, a dramatic courtroom scene, a climactic discovery, etc. - and, of course, eventual justice. Seeing all this play out is exciting, and Twain milks it for all it is worth. Unlike most of his works, this is filled with literary devices conventionally used for entertainment value, especially in modern popular fiction: foreshadowing, suspense, dramatic irony, etc. The revelation and ending are in particular highly wrought. Anyone who likes blazing stories of this sort, particularly detective ones, will enjoy and appreciate this and find Detective well worth reading for it alone.

As for the satire, detective fiction itself is the target, but Twain's burlesque is gentle; we feel he lightly pokes fun at something he himself enjoys - not least because his satire could be far more bitter. He has some fun at the expense of the genre's conventions, using them in slightly exaggerated fashion to show how superficial they can sometimes be. What may seem exaggeration if read straight comes into play here: melodrama, implausibility, clichés, etc. This is where Huck's naïveté and ignorance are important. Many, perhaps even most, readers will be able to deduce some - or even all - of the ostensibly revelatory events, turning what would normally be suspense into dramatic irony. Those who miss the satire may think of these as defects, but those who see what Twain is doing will know they are intentional knocks at a) provincial Southern ignorance, and b) detective fiction conventions. Even simply moving from popular detective settings - i.e., Victorian England - to Twain's rural South makes the genre seem slightly ridiculous. However, that the story itself can still be enjoyable shows that the genre can as well. Indeed, Twain's satire is so subtle that many, perhaps especially detective fiction fans, will not even notice it - with whatever ambiguous result. As for those who dislike the genre, they may well like the story significantly more - indeed, may think it a riot. Twain at any rate did not cut off his satirical take on the genre here, returning several years later with the novella "A Double-Barreled Detective Story," which drops Tom and Huck but actually has Holmes(!) and is significantly more biting.

Tom Sawyer, Detective is thus quite a strange book - a light-hearted satire that most will not get and that many will likely enjoy for the very reasons Twain tries to mock. Its canonical status depends on how well one thinks he succeeds here. It will certainly delight fans of the associated stories and characters. The story itself is better than Tom Sawyer Abroad, arguably even better than The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; it has more plot than either, and characterization is strong. Conversely, there is significantly less humor, especially in the dialogue, except for those unusually alive to the satire.

All told, the stories are a worthy edition to the series and to Twain generally even if only hard-core fans, especially those who treasure associated works, should read them in the end. He hardly wrote anything not worth reading, but these should be among the last stops. They are pleasant reads even if the fact that they have survived more than a century has more to do with Twain's name and his better works than inherent quality. Even so, they are surprisingly enjoyable proof that he was ever-readable even when far from this best.