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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Ultimate Edition of a Great American Novel!, September 17, 2001
Until something better comes along, The Annotated Huckleberry Finn will be the preferred way to journey with Mark Twain through The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. When you get an outstanding illustrated, annotated, and introduced version of an American classic, how could anyone view the result as less than five stars? The book is massive. The introduction alone is almost full-book length. There are over 175 delightful original illustrations, supplemented by dozens of photographs (including the "obscene" one), drawings, cartoons, maps, memorabilia reproductions, and prints. The annotations often overwhelm the text in their extensiveness. I found the introduction to be a joy. Although massive compared to most, the introduction is done in an interesting, illustrated style which added much to my enjoyment of the story by covering a lot of background. The introduction begins with the personal habits of Mark Twain and goes on to provide a mini-biography of him and a history of the book's creation, editing, publication, reviewer and reader reactions, bans on the book, promotion, and subsequent history. In this section, I was pleased to read what prominent African-Americans have had to say about the racist and anti-racist elements that are present here, and how the story affects young African-Americans. Most people will be amused by the attempts by Mrs. Clemens, his editors, and Mark Twain himself to eliminate his tendency to make his stories a little too colorful in their references to religion and use of swearing. These changes are well documented in both the introduction and in the annotations. Those who love to read about the process of writing will find this section to be a joy. For the average reader, the illustrations will be the most valuable addition to their enjoyment of the book. I especially liked seeing how the original Huckleberry Finn illustrations compared to the ones for Tom Sawyer. I liked the Huckleberry Finn ones much more. They have a lightness and originality that add pleasure to the reading. The annotations seemed overdone to me. But annotations should probably better be overdone than underdone. Those who are familiar with the vernacular of the mid-19th century in the United States won't need many of the explanations. Understanding how the prose was cleaned-up so as to not shock as many church-goers of that day is more of sociological interest than of literary importance. I did find several annotations that I enjoyed. I really had no idea what a huckleberry was, and that knowledge adds meaning to the choice of Huck's name. For young people who do not know this version of the vernacular well, I suspect that the annotations can make understanding the story easier in several places. The writing style of the annotations is simple, concrete, and accessible . . . rather than literary and abstract like the annotations of many European novels. For such a simple story, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn often proves to be elusive for its readers. Here are some guideposts to look out for: This story is told by Huck, and is not in the classic shape of a novel. Rather it is a precursor to Ulysses and Remembrance of Things Past, where other great writers attempted to capture the essence of our internal dialogue. Huck is also hiding a lot from himself. You as the reader can quickly see through him, though. He is trying to put a brave and positive face on a very dangerous situation. We all do that. Huck also has to face himself before the book ends. What really is important? We can all spout a lot of moral talk, but what we do is critical. If we lived in Huck's times, we would also see that there was an enormous moral dilemma. The rules of humanity were often not applied to enslaved and free African-Americans. You could choose to go along and feel like a hypocrite (if you thought about what you were doing), or you could do the right thing. Sensitive people of that day often found it hard to do the right thing. If your neighbors were open-minded and you lived in the North, you might do one thing. If your neighbors were slaveholders and lived in the South, you might do another. Also, think about the trip down the river as an analogy for going through life. How will it turn out if you just let your direction go with the current? Who in our society is being treated like Jim today? How can you help?
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by L. Frank Baum
by Charles Dickens
by Jacob Grimm
by Mark Twain
by Hans Christian Andersen
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