Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood by Mark Twain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another book I’m re-reading, having read first (and most recently) in high school some 30 cough years ago.
So many books we’re given to read in school just aren’t appropriate to the age for a number of reasons. And this was another one of them, primarily due to antiquated language. What’s a teenager to do with the N-Word thrown out scores of times over the course of a book? It was honestly about the only thing I remembered about the book pre-re-read.
So my book club wanted to read James and I felt I should reacquaint myself with the original source material as it were — Huck Finn — before starting that.
Even as an adult, I had a few issues with the book, mostly from the same antiquated language. I know society has changed but … it’s still just uncomfortable. And reading it in audio format as I do … and mostly in my car as I do … I found myself having to pause it every time I came to a stop light just in case. I didn’t want the car next to me to think I was listening to a Klan meeting or something.
Aside from the constant use of the N-Word, I found the book entirely enjoyable. Or at least the first 80 percent of the book. The shenanigans that Tom and Jim got themselves into was highly entertaining. The addition of “The King” and “The Duke” were mostly good fun. But the last bit with the re-introduction of Tom Sawyer and the duo trying to save Jim was tedious. And, frankly, annoying.
All-in-all, though, I enjoyed the vast majority of it, especially the narration by Elijah Wood, which was top notch 100%.
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