Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

I knew it was racist but geez. I couldn’t get past it. The only reason I wanted to re-read it was to have context for reading James by Percival Everett. I’ll just go ahead and read that instead.

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linnylionheart's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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sophia_joy17's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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paperd's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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leahgustafson's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

My primary motivation for reading Huck Finn was because James has been one of my most anticipated books of 2024. I figured if I was going to ever pick up Huck Finn again, now was the time.
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I’m pretty sure this was summer reading homework in high school. Without any discussion, I’m not sure what I would have really gotten out of it at that point…probably nothing. I am really glad I chose to revisit it now, though!
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While you definitely don’t have to read Huck Finn prior to reading James, it has given me some context/insight that I otherwise wouldn’t have had. I also think the comparison between the two perspectives is extremely thought provoking and will lead to great discussion (especially for book clubs, buddy reads, etc).
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I was pleasantly surprised by the readability of Huck Finn. It reads like an adventure story, and yet, it explores some BIG themes—slavery, humanity, morality, religion, etc. I also love how this story is told through a (poor, uneducated) child’s eyes. The cruelty, ugliness, and hypocrisy of this time in our country’s history is glaring as Huck repeatedly questions and struggles to make sense of the world around him. All of the “good/moral” members of society condone slavery, and Huck grapples with what might be “wrong” with himself for seeing Jim’s humanity and wanting to help him. As an elementary teacher and a mom, I find this really fascinating! It is important to mention, of course, that Huck doesn’t always make mature choices and doesn’t always treat Jim with respect.
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There are some characters that I found pretty unlikeable and I questioned their purpose, but all in all, I’m glad I read this one and enjoyed it more than I thought I would!
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Check out what I'm reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!

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qqjj's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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