Book Review on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Love, suspense, thrill, and adventure. Well its definitely not anything we can find in a history book. It is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, written by Mark Twain. This novel is about a young boy named Tom Sawyer who has been following a pretty monotonous life until recently. He sees and falls in love with Becky Tatcher, the new girl in town. He goes out with his fellow rebellious friend Huckleberry Finn and witnesses a murder scene. With this valuable information the boys finally tell someone and become temporary town heroes. Tom finds himself lonely without the companionship of Becky and with his friends, hike to Jackson Island.
Many adventures unfold after each other and Tom finds himself with a treasure that he never could have expected. This novel was absolutely brilliant. It was charming at some points while frightening at others. This novel developed a three-dimensional character, had an interesting written language and an exciting plot. All together, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer should be recommended to any reader. Mark Twain creates his protagonist, Tom Sawyer, a three dimensional character. Tom experiences deep feelings such as love.
What makes this so appeasing is the fact that Tom is just a child, but he still has these adorable views. The first time he saw Becky Tatcher he described her as a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaited into two long tails, white summer frock and embroidered pantalettes. (21) Tom shows such an innocence that is so precious by having a complex character. Another example on page 61, was when Becky was sick: He began to find himself hanging around her fathers house, nights, and feeling very miserable. She was ill. What if she should die! The charm of life was gone. (61) This is where Toms feelings are completely broken because his true love is sick. Other kids wouldnt even understand what could happen to someone if they are sick, but Tom is the paradox to this.
Similarly, Tom Sawyers character has depth by portraying loneliness. He builds on to his features by understanding the feeling of being lonely, which he has already seen at an early age. Specifically, Tom was gloomy and desperate. He was a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; when [the townspeople] found out what they had driven him to, perhaps they would be sorry. (65) It is obvious to the reader to see that even though Tom has happy times, he does have times when he completely miserable. Another way Twain has shaped Tom to be three-dimensional is when Tom stood looking after [Huck], with a strong desire to tugging at his heart to yield his pride and go along too.
He hoped the boys would stop, but they still waded slowly on. It suddenly dawned on Tom that it was become very lonely and still. (79) He was lonely because his friends were deserting him. It is apparent that Twain created Tom Sawyer as a three-dimensional character that has the ability to love and be lonely. The language of Tom Sawyer is written in a very well, yet interesting style. Twain made the dialogue in the novel very believable. Toms conversations with his friends were one of the biggest highlights of the story. For example, Tom, Joe Harper and Huckleberry Finn discuss pirates: What do pirates have to do? Tom said: Oh they have just a bully timetake ships, and burn them, and get the money and bury it in awful places n their islands where theres ghosts and things to watch it, and kill everybody in the shipsmake em walk the plank.
(69) Here you can see that these boys were from the 19th century and without a doubt believed in ghosts; they say words like bully that would never be understood in todays text, but fits perfectly into Tom Sawyer. The boys talking is very believable here, You can lump that hat if you dont like it. I dare you to knock it offand anybody thatll take a dare will suck eggs. You liar! Youre another. Youre a fighting liar that dasnt take it up. Awtake a walk! (14-15) Its very interesting to read such dialogue. You get such a feel for how kids acted and spoke more than a century and a half ago.
In parallel, this novel is well written because it has just the right amount of description. When Tom and Huck come across Injun Joe and Muff Potter for the first time in the woods, Twain describes, Some vague figures approached through the gloom, swinging an old-fashioned tin lantern that freckled the ground with innumerable little spangles of light. (51) The writing is absolutely brilliant. Twain paints the scene with merely a few well choice words and phrases. Here is a description of Jacksons Island: It seemed glorious sport to be feasting in that wild free way in the virgin forest, far from the haunts of men, and they said they never would return to civilization. The climbing fire lit up their faces and threw its ruddy glare upon the pillared tree trunks of the forest temple, and upon the varnished foliage and festooning vines. (68) This beautiful passage proves that Twain wrote the novel in detail that is just enough, compelling his readers to devour each page like they the fresh fish they ate for supper.
Tom Sawyer is well written; it has terrific dialogue and description. Tom Sawyer exhibits fun and excitement and it reflects on the plot tremendously. Tom is an exciting character to follow. He is ambitious and independent. In the beginning of the novel, Tom collects tickets for Sunday school from other kids and receives a bible of his own. He shows off in front of everyone and gets the bible that he did not deserve, but cheated to get.
(29) This is something only clever kids would do. Tom never stops at anything and is always brewing up some mischievous ideas. Similarly, he makes a scene at school when he came to school tardy. He shouted, I STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLBERRY FINN! (40) This declaration cost Tom nothing because he was punished favorably, yet it was probably thought of as one of the worst things to do in that town. Toms exclamations and his daring ideas make the plot line easier to read, as does Toms adventures. Tom Sawyer is basically a novel of a boy who engages in all these crazy and electrifying escapades. His most daring quest was finding the way out of the cave he and Becky were trapped in.
On page 140, Tom kissed her, with a choking sensation in his throat, and made a show of being confident of finding the searchers or an escape from the caveand went groping down one of the passages on his hands and knees, distressed with hunger and sick with bodings of coming doom. This particular adventure was very nerve wrecking and held a lot of suspense. Twain made it seem that death could have fallen upon them if they didnt get out of the cave soon. Again, Tom finds himself in another escapade when he and Huck see Injun Joe kill the Dr. Robinson in the cemetery. (52-53) This point is the rising action and from then on everything Tom does is ten times more thrilling.
Tom and his adventures are the backbone of the novel. His little quests come together to form the enticing novel. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a book that I greatly recommend. Not only is it a classic, but it has terrific three-dimensional characterization. It has a believable dialogue and the description holds the proof of the excellent writing style. Along with this, Tom Sawyer most excels in its exciting plot including the protagonist character, Tom Sawyer, and his many suspense-filling adventures.
Any reading levels can read this novel, and should pick The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to enjoy a story of a boy at his prime of childhood.