There have been many adaptations of Mark Twain's novel but does it stand up to scrutiny in the 21st Century?
Tyneside Book Club tackled an American classic in April as Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn came under the scrutiny of members.
The book has caused controversy from its first publication, and it still remains contentious now - although for different reasons.
It also caused divisions in the group as while some still saw it as a flawed classic that could be celebrated, others felt it was now too problematic.
Some members did enjoy the plotting and characterisation and appreciated the atmospheric depiction of the American South in the mid-19th Century. They did think Twain was largely on the right side of the race debate, and was trying to expose the hypocritical and toxic nature of white repression. The friendship between Huck and Jim seemed genuine and was at the heart of the novel.
There was appreciation for Twain's depiction of poverty and deprivation and for highlighting the impact of that on Huck in particular.
Twain had not tried to sugar-coat attitudes to race even in the language and attitudes of his central character, Huck Finn. There was though discussion about whether Jim was given enough agency, with some saying they would have loved to have read an alternative account from his perspective. Twain would occasionally hint that Jim was a more complex character.
Several members did find the final section of the book particularly frustrating. The reintroduction of Tom Sawyer led to some farcical elements that detracted from the earlier tone of the novel, and also seemed to fatally rob Jim of agency and intelligence. Members did not appreciate Tom's contribution, and felt Twain had put him in as a sop to readers of his earlier work.
For some the whole book was a turn-off though with the attitude to race completely unacceptable both now, and at the time of publication. There were also members who found little to like in the book, and were unengaged by characters or plot.
There was agreement though that this was largely not a children's book, even if there were elements that would appeal to the younger reader. This was clearly an attempt to depict a racist society and its attitudes, with a strong tang of satire. For some that was successful, while for others Twain missed the mark.
Members agreed that it was not a book that should be banned - as has been suggested by some - but that it needed to be read in the context of other accounts of the history of the time and of black experience. The use of racist language is clearly unacceptable now, though members accepted it was a realistic depiction of how it would have been used at the time of publication.
The book has caused controversy from its first publication, and it still remains contentious now - although for different reasons.
It also caused divisions in the group as while some still saw it as a flawed classic that could be celebrated, others felt it was now too problematic.
Some members did enjoy the plotting and characterisation and appreciated the atmospheric depiction of the American South in the mid-19th Century. They did think Twain was largely on the right side of the race debate, and was trying to expose the hypocritical and toxic nature of white repression. The friendship between Huck and Jim seemed genuine and was at the heart of the novel.
There was appreciation for Twain's depiction of poverty and deprivation and for highlighting the impact of that on Huck in particular.
Twain had not tried to sugar-coat attitudes to race even in the language and attitudes of his central character, Huck Finn. There was though discussion about whether Jim was given enough agency, with some saying they would have loved to have read an alternative account from his perspective. Twain would occasionally hint that Jim was a more complex character.
Several members did find the final section of the book particularly frustrating. The reintroduction of Tom Sawyer led to some farcical elements that detracted from the earlier tone of the novel, and also seemed to fatally rob Jim of agency and intelligence. Members did not appreciate Tom's contribution, and felt Twain had put him in as a sop to readers of his earlier work.
For some the whole book was a turn-off though with the attitude to race completely unacceptable both now, and at the time of publication. There were also members who found little to like in the book, and were unengaged by characters or plot.
There was agreement though that this was largely not a children's book, even if there were elements that would appeal to the younger reader. This was clearly an attempt to depict a racist society and its attitudes, with a strong tang of satire. For some that was successful, while for others Twain missed the mark.
Members agreed that it was not a book that should be banned - as has been suggested by some - but that it needed to be read in the context of other accounts of the history of the time and of black experience. The use of racist language is clearly unacceptable now, though members accepted it was a realistic depiction of how it would have been used at the time of publication.
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