Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Norton Critical Editions): An Authoritative Text Contexts and Sources Criticism: 0

by Mark Twain (Author), Mark Twain (Author), Mark Twain (Author), Mark Twain (Author), Thomas Cooley (Author)

• Used

  Illustrated
  1999

  $3.26

  Contexts and Sources provides readers with a rich selection of documents related to the historical background, language, composition, sale, reception, and newly discovered first half of the manuscript of Mark Twain's greatest work. Included are letters on the writing of the novel, excerpts from the author's autobiography, samples of bad poetry that inspired his satire (including an effort by young Sam Clemens himself), a section on the censorship of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by schools and libraries over a hundred-year period, and commentary by David Carkeet on dialects of the book and by Earl F. Briden on its racist illustrations. In addition, this section reprints the full texts of both Sociable Jimmy, upon which is based the controversial theory that Huck speaks in a black voice, and A True Story, Repeated Word for Word As I Heard It, the first significant attempt by Mark Twain to capture the speech of an African American in print. Criticism of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is divided into Early Responses (including the first negative review) and Modern Views by Victor A. Doyno, T. S. Eliot, Jane Smiley, David L. Smith, Shelley Fisher Fishkin (the black voice thesis), James R. Kincaid (a rebuttal of Fishkin), and David R. Sewell. Also included is Toni Morrison's moving personal Introduction to the troubling experience of reading and re-reading Mark Twain's masterpiece. A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included.

• Used

  Paperback
  1994

  $3.26

• Used

  Hardcover
  1996

  $6.80

• New

  Paperback
  2008

  $8.55

  You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , but that ain't no matter. So begins, in characteristic fashion, one of the greatest American novels. Narrated by a poor, illiterate white boy living in America's deep South before the Civil War, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the story of Huck's escape from his brutal father and the relationship that grows between him and Jim, the slave who is fleeing from an even more brutal oppression. As they journey down the Mississippi their adventures address some of the most profound human conundrums: the prejudices of class, age, and colour are pitted against the qualities of hope, courage, and moral character. Enormously influential in the development of American literature, Huckleberry Finn remains a controversial novel at the centre of impassioned critical debate. This edition discusses all the current issues and the evolution of Mark Twain's penetrating genius. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.