• THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER
• by Mark Twain
• [rated by PBS viewers as #17]
• 251 pages

I think that most every one of us has had the feeling of reading, watching or listening to a classic. Something that you know will last forever. That last book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, for instance. Or listening to Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life for the first time. Viewing the

Grand Canyon. Gazing at Monet. Listening to Bob Marley…

I think we have all probably also stared at or witnessed something others call a classic. And we stare and stare. Until we finally have to throw up our hands and admit that we just don’t get it.

It is with regret that I say this about Mark Twain. I know, I know! How could I?

This short book took me a long ass time to get through. Partially because I sort of hate when dialogue is suggested through a million apostrophes. And this book is the king of all that.

I get it. It reads a bit laboriously for me but I get it. The story is still vivid, if not a bit belabored. But hey. It’s a classic.

Of course, this could be solved by a little bit of research. Find out why he is hailed by some as our greatest writer

ever!

Sadly, that is a little bit of research that I’m not willing to do. Getting through the book was enough for me.

I played Aunt Polly in a fifth grade play so I somehow remembered most of the story. Does that make it a classic? Hm. I don’t think so.

My only guess is that he writes this just shy of 150 years ago and that it marked to opening up of writing and story telling to be more casual. To produce anti-heroes. Am I getting close?

No idea.

I know that scholars who revere Mark Twain always  mention Huck Finn as the big ass book. Does that make me anxious to read that one? I think you can guess my answer to that.

Glad I read it, though. Looking forward to moving on to the next one.