Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” written by Mark Twain in 1876. Snoozecast first read this back in January of 2022. It is a story about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River, often with his friend Huckleberry Finn.

Originally a commercial failure, the book ended up being the best selling of any of Twain's works during his lifetime, and is considered to be a masterpiece of American literature. It was also one of the first novels to be written on a typewriter.

Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, drew heavily from his own childhood experiences in Hannibal, Missouri, when crafting The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The fictional town of St. Petersburg is modeled after Hannibal, reflecting the vibrant and sometimes dangerous life along the Mississippi River during the mid-19th century. Many of the characters in the novel were inspired by real people Twain knew in his youth, with Tom Sawyer himself being a composite of Twain and two of his childhood friends. This connection to real-life adventures and mischief gives the novel its authentic charm and timeless appeal.

The book not only captures the spirit of boyhood and adventure but also subtly critiques aspects of society, such as authority, social class, and superstition. Twain weaves humor and satire into the narrative, offering readers insight into the social norms and expectations of small-town America during that era. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has inspired numerous adaptations across film, theater, and television, and its themes of freedom, rebellion, and the joys of youth continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

‍