The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

By: Mark Twain

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Huckleberry Finn, rebel against school and church, casual inheritor of gold treasure, rafter of the Mississippi, and savior of Jim the runaway slave, is the archetypal American maverick.

Fleeing the respectable society that wants to "sivilize" him, Huck Finn shoves off with Jim on a rhapsodic raft journey down the Mississippi River. The two bind themselves to one another, becoming intimate friends and agreeing "there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft".

As Huck learns about love, responsibility, and morality, the trip becomes a metaphoric voyage through his own soul, culminating in the glorious moment when he decides to "go to hell" rather than return Jim to slavery.

Mark Twain defined classic as "a book which people praise and don't read"; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a happy exception to his own rule. Twain's mastery of dialect, coupled with his famous wit, has made Huckleberry Finn one of the most loved and distinctly American classics ever written.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The moral of the book, though it is not scrawled across every page, teaches the necessity of manliness and self-sacrifice." (The Atlanta Constitution)
"The story is so interesting, so full of life and dramatic force, that the reader will be carried along irresistibly, and the time he loses in laughing he will make up in diligence to hurry along and find out how things come out." (The Hartford Courant)

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - EXCELLENT

Would you listen to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn again? Why?

I have and will listen again to this audio rendition of Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. William Dufris perfectly reads the story to the point you believe you are there. The accents are thoroughly enjoying. To the point I found myself chuckling repeatedly. It was as if Huck himself was telling the story. Which in the book he is.

What did you like best about this story?

The story is a classic. The evolution of a young boy who was an outcast from accepting slavery to helping Jim escape to freedom even if it did mean he was going to hell!

What about William Dufris’s performance did you like?

William Dufris perfectly reads the story to the point you believe you are there. The accents are thoroughly enjoying. To the point I found myself chuckling repeatedly. It was as if Huck himself was telling the story. Which in the book he is.

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

I found myself laughing repeatedly. I also found myself angered anyone would consider it racist. Simply because of the use of the N-word. The fact I must use n-word is because otherwise this review might be denied. Which itself is foolishness. The use of the n-word magnifies the very horror of slavery and most importantly was the way people spoke in those times. Each time it was used my reaction was extreme and so propelled the story ...which is the search of freedom by a slave and an abused and neglected boy.

Any additional comments?

Will have this book read to me on a regular basis. A true classic ...both the book and the reading. BTW: I also have William Dufris' reading of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Entertaining and Disturbing

Twain's fanciful tale of Huck Finn and the slave Jim's adventures along the Mississippi. Strong racial prejudices and language reflective of the time which may not be appropriate for young audiences. I downgraded my review to a 4 because the dialogue got a little rushed toward the end. Otherwise this is an excellent audio book with a very talented narrator.

The best!

as good as it gets--both the book and the narration. highly recommended.

Hemingway said this was America's greatest novel

If you never read it before, well worth the listen. Especially the excellent narration of William Dufris. Twain's masterpiece, and although some might say dated, and others cry racist (the common use of the "N" word) , in this listener's viewpoint it is still brilliant. The first person narrative by Huck Finn brings the reader (or listener) to know a character still unique in literary history.
Yes its over a hundred years old, but it will make you feel younger as you go through it.

Wonderful

Hard to say what I liked best about this book. The story is great, the writing is fantastic, the reader excellent. I recommend enthusiastically!

A true classic

Such a fun story. I have loved listening to it this time 'round. This is something I can share with my grandchildren. William Dufris is an excellent narrator.

mazing narrator

the guy who reads this book makes it! awesome read this book as a kid but it really came to life when I listened to it. I have listen to probably 4 times. William Dufris aweosme!!!

Go, Huck and Jim!

A good novel is a place to go in the way that only Old Time Radio has ever achieved, a Theatre of the Mind. That Mark Twain and William Dufris can transport us to the strange, lost world of the 18th century Mississippi River and its environs is a remarkable achievement not to be missed, a piece of Americana that grounds us firmly in our country.

WOW!

What a tour de force! I am on my SECOND listening to this marvelous rendition of an American classic. Dufris is a wonder. One could almost swear that this a multi-voiced production. From the exuberant and generous-spirited Huck to the noble and wise Jim to that dastardly and incorrigible duo, the duke and the dauphin, a world of colorful and entertaining characters is created by a most gifted narrator.

Brilliant storytelling of a classic tale!

William Dufris does a fantastic job of performing this classic tale by Mark Twain. I bought it for the purpose of enhancing my daughter's enjoyment of the story. The book was required reading for her AP English class. Dufris's skilled storytelling ability and wonderful character voices completely bring the story alive in a way that my daughter would never have been able to experience had she just read the story to herself. She and her friend read along whilst listening, making notes in the margin and absorbing every word.
It was thoroughly enjoyed by all of us.