The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Mark Twain . Rupa Publications India . English
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a classic coming-of-age novel that immerses readers in the sights, sounds and smells of a small Missouri town in the mid-nineteenth century. As readers follow the misadventures of the mischievous young protagonist, they are transported to a world of lush greenery, fresh river water and creaking wooden fences. The novel opens with the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves as Tom Sawyer sneaks out of his bedroom window to meet his friend Huckleberry Finn. As the boys explore the town and its surroundings, readers are treated to the salty smell of the Mississippi River, the cloying sweetness of honey stolen from a beehive and the musty odour of a haunted house. Mark Twain’s masterful use of sensory details is particularly evident in his descriptions of the town’s lively characters. The reader can practically hear the raucous laughter of the rowdy boys in Tom’s gang, the clanging of the blacksmith’s hammer, and the shrill voice of Tom’s aunt Polly as she scolds him for his misbehaviour. Overall, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a delightful sensory feast that transports readers to a simpler time and place, immersing them in a world of mischief, adventure and unforgettable sensory experiences.
Categories: Fiction
About the Author
Mark Twain is the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910). He was born and brought up in the American state of Missouri and, because of his father's death, he left school to earn his living when he was only twelve. He was a great adventurer and travelled round America as a printer; prospected for gold and set off for South America to earn his fortune. He returned to become a steam-boat pilot on the Mississippi River, close to where he had grown up. The Civil War put an end to steam-boating and Clemens briefly joined the Confederate army - although the rest of his family were Unionists! He had already tried his hand at newspaper reporting and now became a successful journalist. He started to use the alias Mark Twain during the Civil War and it was under this pen name that he became a famous travel writer. He took the name from his steam-boat days - it was the river pilots' cry to let their men know that the water was two fathoms deep. Mark Twain was always nostalgic about his childhood and in 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published, based on his own experiences. The book was soon recognised as a work of genius and eight years later the sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was published. The great writer Ernest Hemingway claimed that 'All modern literature stems from this one book.' Mark Twain was soon famous all over the world. He made a fortune from writing and lost it on a typesetter he invented. He then made another fortune and lost it on a bad investment. He was an impulsive, hot-tempered man but was also quite sentimental and superstitious. He was born when Halley's Comet was passing the Earth and always believed he would die when it returned - this is exactly what happened.
