Book Review: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 

By Mark Twain 

4 Stars 

A village boy by the name of Thomas Sawyer; he is always up to mischief, and charms his way out of punishment. He is known to the village as the naughty kid. Parents warn their children to stay away from him, and yet girls and boys alike are attracted to him nonetheless - or perhaps more. Girls are charmed by his cool heroics, and boys are eager to follow his lead. His journeys—whether they be of pirating, running away from civilization, or even, eventually, reaching the threshold of adulthood - all have a similar, united goal: to have fun. These are his stories; these are the Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  

One thing I find that many—but not all—classics have in common is the excessive descriptions accompanied by a suffocating narration style. You might like this kind of narration, like the people in their time did, or you may not; the fact is that Mark Twain’s most popular novel is one of those books, and while I do like it to a certain degree, I’d rather not have to read it. Despite that, every other component of this novel is so well written that I would highly recommend it, especially to people who enjoy adventure stories. The characters are realistic and relatable; sometimes childishly aggravating, sometimes silly, and sometimes absolutely lovable. The story, which zooms through the different events of his life, is wacky and whimsical in a way that doesn’t make you cringe—trust me. Read it and you’ll see. 

Reviewed by Ayesha 

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