num_pages: 272
description: From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality -- base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery. In his introduction, noted Twain scholar John Seelye considers Twain's impact on American letters and discusses the balance between humorous escapades and serious concern that is found in much of Twain's writing.
language: English
title: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
titlecomplete: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
characters: Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer
genres: Historical Fiction, American, Young Adult, School, Classics, Childrens, Novels, Fiction, Literature, Adventure
ratings_count: 909036
places: Missouri, Hannibal, Missouri
series: Adventures of Tom and Huck
awards: awardedAt: -94665600000
name: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
publisher: Turtleback Books