Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood

By: Mark Twain

Narrated by: Elijah Wood

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Ernest Hemingway said, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn". One hundred years after its author’s death, this classic remains remarkably modern and poignantly relevant. In this new edition, Elijah Wood reads Huck in a youthful voice that may be the closest interpretation to Twain’s original intent. His performance captures the excitement and confusion of adolescence and adventure. Best of all, the immediacy of Wood’s energetic reading sweeps listeners up and makes them feel as though they’re along for the ride, as Huck and Jim push their raft toward freedom.

Public Domain (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

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Public Domain (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Elijah Wood’s performance is my nominee for the Narrators’ Hall of Fame. Wood’s unself-conscious reading doesn’t sound like a reading at all. He creates an entire world filled with people who cross class and color lines. His accents range from British to faux-British to all manner of regional affectations, twangs, and drawls. Wood’s delivery makes Mark Twain’s delicious wit and twisty language sound completely natural, especially as Huck invents plausible words to suit the moment. The journey down the Mississippi with Huck and Jim is pure pleasure, as the boy who won’t be "sivilized" and the runaway slave encounter scoundrels, slip out of scrapes, and invent outrageous tales. The listening couldn’t be better if Huck read the story himself." (AudioFile Magazine)

Don't miss this one!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Highly recommended! This is a fabulous performance of Mark Twain's great classic novel. It will transport you completely.

Superbly Done!

What other book might you compare Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood to and why?

The book is similar to the Newbery winner, Elijah of Buxton, because it is told quite convincingly in the vernacular.

Which character – as performed by Elijah Wood – was your favorite?

Elijah Wood did an amazing job with all the voices.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Mark Twain is a gifted story-teller. The book was half serious commentary on human nature and half laugh-out-loud funny.

Any additional comments?

The book is controversial for the use of the "N" word and I must admit that it was hard to hear it over 200 times. Stilll, I'm convinced that although Twain used the expressions of his time to describe African Americans, he was making a much broader statement in the book about how blacks should be treated.

Sorry it ended

What did you love best about Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood?

Classic story with an outstanding performance. The inflections, accents, and dialect used by Elijah Wood told half the story! I found myself looking for another Tom Sawyer book read by him.

What did you like best about this story?

This story is a classic that my generation read. Many of today's references can be recognized from the Mark Twain books and reading them helps to add color to those references.

Which character – as performed by Elijah Wood – was your favorite?

The slave character Jim was clearly portrayed by Elijah Wood. I felt I could see him as he was on this adventure with Huck.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I looked forward to each time I was to commute so I could continue with my friends down the Mississippi .

Amazing performance by Elijah Wood!

Elijah Wood nails the variety of dialects. It takes the hard work out of trying to interpret the phrases and lets you focus instead on the characters, and truly appreciate this incredible and entertaining story by Mark Twain.

Snot was’a drippin’ from muh nose!

I’d never experienced Mark Twain’s work (aside from an episode of “Animaniacs” in which they parody Tom Sawyer’s “whitewashing” con). I imagined Twain was much like Herman Melville in that I can understand his greatness and the history influencing talent of his writing but, for the purpose of entertainment, reading his work is about as fun as whitewashing a fence, or maybe, watching someone whitewash a fence.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. This book had me laughing so hard, I had to replay several parts. At one point, I was so involved, I screamed, “NO!...” I was on an airplane at the time. A flight attendant came by to investigate my exclamation and to suggest I listen to something less “emotionally involved” lest I inadvertently “start a panic.”
Another hilarious moment toward the end of the story had me laughing so hard, I had to keep starting the section over which made me laugh all the more and, eventually, tears were running down my face and snot escaped my nose more successfully than Jim... well, I won’t include spoilers.
I RARELY write reviews but I was so surprised by this book and so impressed by the performance I just had to recommend it personally. I can guarantee I will be listening to this book again and again for years to come. That said, a lot of modern readers will find plenty to be offended by and critical of in Mark Twain’s work. Here’s the test I’ll give you to see if you should read this book:
1) Have you been offended by something you heard, read, or saw in the past 10 days?
2) Have you posted a chastisement, demand for apology, or call for resignation on any form of social media in the past year?
If you answered “yes” to any part of the above questions, then this book is too lighthearted, imaginative, and fun for you. I suggest something from Oprah’s Book Club.

Awesome!!!

The best reading I’ve heard yet. With these books (Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn), it’s so important to hear the book in addition to reading the book. Twain’s regional and cultural dialects can really only be appreciated by hearing someone speak those dialects. This speaker’s ability to portray each character well so enhances the listening experience. You cannot wait to get back to it. I feel this work is so important as a mirror of the era in which it was written. If you read it as a child, I guarantee rereading it now will give a significantly different perspective. A scion piece of prose done with outstanding presentation.

Brilliantly narrated

Elijah Wood does an amazing job of narrating one of the best American novels ever written.

Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood did an amazing job. This was an impressive display of his talent as an actor and artist.

One of the best classics!

One of the best and funniest adventure when Tom and Huck "free" Jim. And a phenomenal job by Elijah Wood in the narration. Love him as Frodo and now as an audio book narrator. Well done!

Favorite book of all time

I read this book about 20 years ago and loved it. When I saw it on Audible I decided I need to listen to it while I was painting my house. Listening to good books while painting is very therapeutic. Elijah Wood did a fantastic job narrating this book. He made the stories come to life. Mark Twain wrote a masterpiece with this book. I highly recommend it. You will laugh out loud at the adventures in this book.