The Adventures of Tom Sawyer [Paperback]

Mark Twain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2010 | ISBN-10: 1441404228 | ISBN-13: 978-1441404220

This is a beautifully-designed new edition of Mark Twain's classic THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-British actor Mike McShane provides a superb portrayal of Mark Twain's classic characters, nailing the Mississippi drawl and cadence. For those who know and love the story or are following along with an unabridged edition, however, this production is marred somewhat by what the publisher has chosen to leave out. The more descriptive chapters are shortened or expurgated entirely, which is understandable in the interest of editing for time. Some of the more distasteful racial epithets are gone as well, although Injun Joe retains his moniker. Sid and Mary are also cut entirely, as well as references to smoking, slavery, most of Tom's ludicrously funny romantic notions about the violence inflicted by pirates and robbers, and even the naked figure in the schoolmaster's anatomy book. The result is a watered down Tom and, especially, Huck. The ending also lacks the satisfaction of the original version. The party scene where the fortune is revealed has been cut as has Twain's concluding paragraphs which "endeth this chronicle." It lacks even the closure of the customary, "You have been listening to-." The sturdy plastic case will survive many circulations. If your facility serves an elementary-age population for which the language of the original would not be appropriate, or there is a teacher looking for a sanitized version, McShane's excellent performance makes this edition worth recommending.
Diana Dickerson, White Pigeon Community Schools, MI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Huckleberry Finn may be the greater book, but Tom Sawyer has always been more widely read. Moreover, it is a book that can be enjoyed equally by both children and adults. Twain, who called it a "hymn" to boyhood, would be thrilled that in narrator Patrick Fraley his hymn has found its most passionate voice. Many good unabridged readings of Tom Sawyer have already been recorded, but most are simply that: readings. Fraley's performance is something more; in attempting to bring each character to life, his enthusiasm for the material is so palpable that the mere sound of his voice commands attention. A can't-miss addition to all libraries, including those that have other Tom Sawyer programs. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1441404228
• ISBN-13: 978-1441404220
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (779 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 89 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not formated properly for the Kindle January 9, 2011

By tracy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Both this book and the Unabridged Huckleberry Finn suffer
the
same problem in that they are not formatted properly for
the
Kindle. You don't see proper paragraphs, it was set up
for a
page with a wider margin and the line breaks are hard
coded
so what you get is an entire book broken up just like
what
you see here.

Which is very annoying to read. I tried changing the
font
sizes as well as the line spacing and the page orientation
but was
unable to get the pages to view properly. I called Amazon
Kindle
Customer Service about this since it isn't just a few typos
but the
entire book that is this way & told them I wanted a refund,
which
they said they would do but I still haven't gotten that
confirmation
email from them yet. Yeah, it's only a dollar but it is more
about
the principle of the matter, doesn't anyone proof these
before
they go on sale? Apparently no one bothered to look at
these
two books on a Kindle.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A timeless classic November 14, 2010

By Srinivas Chetty

Format:Kindle Edition

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is a true classic. I loved the abridged version as a child and decided to read it in the original form as an adult.

It is a lively, charming and light-hearted story about a rebellious young boy (his age is never stated), who thrives on playing hilarious pranks and is constantly getting in trouble for disorderly conduct of the most original kind. Under it all though he has a good and generous heart.

Huckleberry Finn is introduced as a dirt-poor, uneducated and disreputable boy whose mother has died and whose drunkard father has abandoned him. An instantly endearing character to the reader, he is nevertheless shunned by the adults of "civilized" society, who warn their children to stay away from him because "he was idle and lawless and vulgar and bad". Tom, like the rest of the respectable boys is under strict orders not to play with him.

Not surprisingly, Tom "played with him every time he got a chance."

Thus begins a deep and enduring friendship that remains the central theme for the rest of the book.

The book is part memoir and part social critique against prevailing attitudes and hypocrisies, but mostly it is a witty and charming story jumping blithely from one adventure to the next, and told in deceptively simple but deftly crafted language. Therefore it is thoroughly enjoyable, even when the subject matter is inconsequential. I loved his description of a rather one-sided contest between a poodle and a "pinch bug" in the middle of a chruch service - it is a minor event in the book, but absolutely hilarious and a joy to read and re-read. It is quintessential Mark Twain writing at the pinnacle of his wit and style. An excerpt: "Presently a vagrant poodle dog came idling along, sad at heart, lazy with the summer softness and the quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spied the beetle; the drooping tail lifted and wagged..."

No wonder this book has remained a favorite for generations. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

77 of 95 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The First Great Coming of Age American Novel May 14, 2000

By Donald Mitchell HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Tom Sawyer is one of the most endearing characters in American fiction. This wonderful book deals with all the challenges that any young person faces, and resolves them in exciting and unusual ways.

Like many young people, Tom would rather be having fun than going to school and church. This is always getting him into trouble, from which he finds unusual solutions. One of the great scenes in this book has Tom persuading his friends to help him whitewash a fence by making them think that nothing could be finer than doing his punishment for playing hooky from school. When I first read this story, it opened up my mind to the potential power of persuasion.

Tom also is given up for dead and has the unusual experience of watching his own funeral and hearing what people really thought of him. That's something we all should be able to do. By imagining what people will say at our funeral, we can help establish the purpose of our own lives. Mark Twain has given us a powerful tool for self-examination in this wonderful sequence.

Tom and Huck Finn also witness a murder, and have to decide how to handle the fact that they were not supposed to be there and their fear of retribution from the murderer, Injun Joe.

Girls are a part of Tom's life, and Becky Thatcher and he have a remarkable adventure in a cave with Injun Joe. Any young person will remember the excitement of being near someone they cared about alone in this vignette.

Tom stands for the freedom that the American frontier offered to everyone. His aunt Polly represents the civilizing influence of adults and towns. Twain sets up a rewarding novel that makes us rethink the advantages of both freedom and civilization. In this day of the Internet frontier, this story can still provide valuable lessons about listening to our inner selves and acting on what they have to say. Enjoy!