The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (B&N Classics)

From School Library Journal Grade 5 Up-British actor Mike McShane provides a superb portrayal of Mark Twain's classic characters, nailing the Mississippi drawl and cadence. For those who know and love the story or are following along with an unabridged edition, however, this production is marred somewhat by what the publisher has chosen to leave out. The more descriptive chapters are shortened or expurgated entirely, which is understandable in the interest of editing for time. Some of the more distasteful racial epithets are gone as well, although Injun Joe retains his moniker. Sid and Mary are also cut entirely, as well as references to smoking, slavery, most of Tom's ludicrously funny romantic notions about the violence inflicted by pirates and robbers, and even the naked figure in the schoolmaster's anatomy book. The result is a watered down Tom and, especially, Huck. The ending also lacks the satisfaction of the original version. The party scene where the fortune is revealed has been cut as has Twain's concluding paragraphs which "endeth this chronicle." It lacks even the closure of the customary, "You have been listening to-." The sturdy plastic case will survive many circulations. If your facility serves an elementary-age population for which the language of the original would not be appropriate, or there is a teacher looking for a sanitized version, McShane's excellent performance makes this edition worth recommending. Diana Dickerson, White Pigeon Community Schools, MI Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Huckleberry Finn may be the greater book, but Tom Sawyer has always been more widely read. Moreover, it is a book that can be enjoyed equally by both children and adults. Twain, who called it a "hymn" to boyhood, would be thrilled that in narrator Patrick Fraley his hymn has found its most passionate voice. Many good unabridged readings of Tom Sawyer have already been recorded, but most are simply that: readings. Fraley's performance is something more; in attempting to bring each character to life, his enthusiasm for the material is so palpable that the mere sound of his voice commands attention. A can't-miss addition to all libraries, including those that have other Tom Sawyer programs. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. U.S.A.,Retail,American Literature,19th Century,Literature

the Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, By mark Twain, Is Part Of The barnes & Noble Classics series, Which Offers Quality Editions At Affordable Prices To The Student And The General Reader, Including New Scholarship, Thoughtful Design, And Pages Of Carefully Crafted Extras. Here Are Some Of The Remarkable Features Of barnes & Noble Classics:

• new Introductions Commissioned From Today's Top Writers And Scholars
• biographies Of The Authors
• chronologies Of Contemporary Historical, Biographical, And Cultural Events
• footnotes And Endnotes
• selective Discussions Of Imitations, Parodies, Poems, Books, Plays, Paintings, Operas, Statuary, And Films Inspired By The Work
• comments By Other Famous Authors
• study Questions To Challenge The Reader's Viewpoints And Expectations
• bibliographies For Further Reading
• indices & Glossaries, When Appropriate

all Editions Are Beautifully Designed And Are Printed To Superior Specifications; Some Include Illustrations Of Historical Interest. barnes & Noble Classics pulls Together A Constellation Of Influences—biographical, Historical, And Literary—to Enrich Each Reader's Understanding Of These Enduring Works.

perhaps The Best-loved Nineteenth-century American Novel, mark Twain’s Tale Of Boyhood Adventure Overflows With Comedy, Warmth, And Slapstick Energy. It Brings To Life And Array Of Irresistible Characters—the Awesomely Self-confident Tom, His Best Buddy Huck Finn, Indulgent Aunt Polly, And The Lovely, Beguiling Becky—as Well As Such Unforgettable Incidents As Whitewashing A Fence, Swearing An Oath In Blood, And Getting Lost In A Dark And Labyrinthine Cave. Below Tom Sawyer’s Sunny Surface Lurk Hints Of A Darker Reality, Of Youthful Innocence And Naïveté Confronting The Cruelty, Hypocrisy, And Foolishness Of The Adult World—a Theme That Would Become More Pronounced In Twain’s adventures Of Huckleberry Finn. Despite Such Suggestions, Tom Sawyer Remains Twain’s Joyful Ode To The Endless Possibilities Of Childhood.

h. Daniel Peck Is John Guy Vassar Professor Of English At Vassar College And Is The Author Of thoreau’s Morning Work And a World By Itself: The Pastoral Moment In Cooper’s Fiction.

Perhaps the best-loved nineteenth-century American novel, Mark Twain’s tale of boyhood adventure overflows with comedy, warmth, and slapstick energy. It brings to life and array of irresistible characters—the awesomely self-confident Tom, his best buddy Huck Finn, indulgent Aunt Polly, and the lovely, beguiling Becky—as well as such unforgettable incidents as whitewashing a fence, swearing an oath in blood, and getting lost in a dark and labyrinthine cave. Below Tom Sawyer’s sunny surface lurk hints of a darker reality, of youthful innocence and naïveté confronting the cruelty, hypocrisy, and foolishness of the adult world—a theme that would become more pronounced in Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Despite such suggestions, Tom Sawyer remains Twain’s joyful ode to the endless possibilities of childhood. H. Daniel Peck is John Guy Vassar Professor of English at Vassar College and is the author of Thoreau’s Morning Work and A World by Itself: The Pastoral Moment in Cooper’s Fiction.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate. All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Mark Twain created the memorable characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn drawing from the experiences of boys he grew up with in Missouri. Set by the Mississippi River in the 1840's, it follows these boys as they get into predicament after predicament. Tom's classic whitewashing of the fence has become part of American legend, and the book paints a nostalgic picture of life in the middle of the nineteenth century. Tom runs away from home to an island in the river, chases Injun Joe and his treasure, and even gets trapped in a cave for days with Becky Thatcher. The book is one of Twain's most beloved stories. The adventures of a mischievous young boy and his friends growing up in a Mississippi River town in the nineteenth century