I’ve read several abridged versions of this beloved classic as a kid, but the richness of Twain’s language was lost on me then. Not so now. Listening to the audiobook enhanced my reading experience considerably, since the narrator is great with all the various accents! There are so many narrators and so many audiobooks including one read by Elijah Wood. I spent some time trying to find one which seemed to feel right to me intuitively and this version felt right 🤷🏼‍♀️ Am following along with an illustrated digital version on Project Gutenberg which means I’ll hopefully retain more detail. I’ve chosen to read this in preparation for reading James by Percival Everett next. I want to read them one after the other since they're set in the same universe. They also fit Prompts number 28 & 29 of my 52 Books Bookclub.

The first thing that struck me was the richness and 'colour' (pun not intended), of Twain's language. Since I'm writing this review after having read James by Percival Everett, the stress that both these authors put on the language of their craft is astonishing. Words matter. The method of their use matters, and Everett especially stresses that in his narrative. Twain has more opportunities to inject humour into his narrative, after all his narrator is a young boy and his story is basically one of  imagination and adventure. There's courage, bravery, sacrifice, compassion, love, friendship, mischief, and grief along with every other human emotion, but the social commentary that deals with slavery and racism, though present, is tackled with subtle irony and nuanced sarcasm that is much easier to read than the gut-wrenching, heart-rending narrative that is Everett's. The focus in one is the coming of age of a young boy through a series of events that Twain turns into one rollicking adventure; whereas the other is the hard-hitting, gritty, horrific tale from the perspective of a runaway slave.

Huck is a delightful character, made wise beyond his years by his hard life and an abusive father. He is resourceful, imaginative, compassionate and loyal! He's a wonderful friend who suffers Tom's (Tom Sawyer) self-aggrandizement and acknowledges Jim's fears with equal patience & panache. The journey from Huck's Jim to Everett's James is one of remarkable transformation, almost an adult coming of age in the latter! I love Huck - with all his chutzpah and devil may care attitude! He’s smart but impulsive like any boy his age would be and his confidence in his own ability is endearing if unrealistic! Jim is not the best of role models, but is rather endearing himself too! Tom Sawyer however got on my nerves especially toward the end with all the over-the-top dramatics! He's lucky to have friends like Huck who love and respect him despite all the nonsense! The relationship between Jim and Huck was heart-warming but largely morally  ambiguous on both sides I felt. Huck is a young boy and has a lot to learn, but he’s fundamentally a ‘good’ boy with his heart in the right place, trying hard to overcome the prejudices he’s grown up with. Jim is on the run and is essentially 'property', without any basic human rights, a fact that Everett underlines in his much darker narrative. Is 'true' friendship possible between two such troubled individuals? Or is this just a bond forged purely out of convenience without true respect? Huck certainly has a deep fondness and sense of responsibility toward Jim even if it’s at a subconscious level that he’s unable in the moment to acknowledge or recognise. It's hard to tell in Twain's narrative but Jim's character arc is crystal clear in Everett's. It’s easier for Jim. He’s an adult and his genuine affection for Huck is quick to form and increases steadily as the tale progresses, very different from Everett's story where his affection feels uncertain initially. Everett's Jim is darker, full of rage and as the story progresses - a ticking time bomb, although he does put himself in danger to rescue Huck several times. 

What shines through are Twain’s remarkable storytelling skills! His ability to create atmosphere is legendary and as Jim and Huck navigate down the river to the Free States, I feel like I’m right on board that little raft with them! The escapades keep getting wilder and more fascinating - whether it's their encounter with feuding families, ship wrecks or the King and the Duke, two confidence tricksters who cause them no end of trouble and prove exceptionally hard to get rid of! Interspersed in between are chilling scenes of murder, numerous attempts at thievery, and even an attempted lynching that are compelling and terrifying not the least because they're narrated so matter-of-factly and are accepted as such by Huck and Jim, that one regards them as almost normal before the shock factor sets in and the true nature of what slavery actually meant sinks in. Since this was written primarily for children, the tone and mood are lighter than Everett's tale which is deeper, much darker and very disturbing.

The only reason I didn't give this one a full five starts is because, Tom really annoyed me in the end and his attempts at solving Jim's problems felt unbelievable! There were times I would have happily whacked him! Also, I thought the Duke and King section stretched on for too long. Other than that, I enjoyed every mad, chaotic moment with Huck and Jim and was rooting for them all the way. Before i sign off, I want to once again stress the importance of language and how it shapes our lives and indeed our destinies. Both Twain and Everett use it effectively in telling their stories and reminding us to tell ours.