The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

by Mark Twain · 1884

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, first published in the United Kingdom in 1884 and in the United States in 1885, is widely regarded as one of the greatest American novels. Following Mark Twain's earlier work The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the story follows the boy Huck Finn and the runaway slave Jim as they travel down the Mississippi River on a raft. The novel combines high adventure with sharp social commentary, exploring themes such as the conflict between natural freedom and civilized society, the evils of slavery, and the dignity of every human being. Its vivid local color, realistic dialogue, and unreliable narrator have made it a staple of American literature and a frequent subject of study and controversy.