I have started Tom Sawyer at least 4 times in my adolescent and adult life. I have LOVED it every time. I read the whole (abridged) Illustrated Classics of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and others (I think) when I was little. Comic reading got me kind of lazy about literature. This is not a comment on comic books. I keep graphic novels in my classroom, I think many comic writers are better writers and artists than many novel writers and poets. My comic reading got me lazy. I didn't go looking for engaging novels when comics were such an awesome combination of writing and drawing.
This project isn't because I'm a teacher now. I'm pretty sure I can't teach Huckleberry Finn to junior high students in this age, and I'm not sure I would want to. There are some words I don't ever want to have to say, and I don't care if you think they're just words and only have power if we ascribe them thus, but I'm a white, clawing-desperately-for-middle-class, straight guy, and using words like that is not right. Rant over.
Anywhen, I can still appreciate something written by someone commenting on the foibles and prejudices of his own day. Mark Twain is pretty cool. I chose this Project off the cuff, when I looked at my bookshelf, and saw the book my dear and snarky departed grandmother gave me. It's got five of his books in it, and some short stories. I know he has a lot more, and I'm going to be kicking myself for diving in without knowing what's what or how many's how many, but Grammy gave me that book in 1986, so I really should read it or bury it in ruins for archaeologists to dig up in a few years.
I have started Tom Sawyer at least 5 in my adult and adolescent life now. I am LOVING it this time. I will be done tomorrow and share my views. I will also find a list of everything else he wrote, so we can all have a laugh at hubris.
-Mike
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