Operation Read Your Shelves: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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I'm so excited to be participating in a new literary project! Books, books, books! I don't know if I've shared much with you about my love for them, but it's real and it's strong. My ultimate dream is to write novels because of the enjoyment they bring me.

Lauren of 34 Magnolia Street is hosting her first Operation Read Your Shelves linkup this week. It's a monthly book review linkup with a focus on reading what you already own, but haven't read yet. I have a TON of those, so I thought this would be the perfect incentive to plow through them all.

When I first heard about this project, I was already reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and decided to finish it for this post.

So, I finished it, looked at my sister, Rebekah, and said, "Wow, I don't have a clue what to write about this book..."

I'm sure y'all are somewhat familiar with the plot. A young hoodlum named Huckleberry runs off with a slave named Jim in the mid-nineteenth century. Together they sail down the Mississippi having adventures and encountering colorful characters. Truth be told, the plot was a bit boring to me. Two guys sailing down a river on a raft, repeatedly getting in and out of trouble doesn't really do it for me. The dialogue was pretty interesting given the dialect it's written in. But, the characters themselves represented a very uneducated group of people (although they can lie like nobody's business). Is that harsh to say? That's why I wasn't sure what to write. I know it's beloved by many, but I caught myself getting frustrated multiple times by the thickheadedness of almost everyone.

The fact that it's an American classic is most assuredly due to the piece of history it captures and the boyhood life it glorifies. But, the best thing about it for me, was the relationship between Huck and Jim. It painted an entirely different picture of the master-slave dynamic than the one we usually think of. Throughout the story, they protect and defend one another, developing a mutual respect and a deep friendship. There are several lines that must have been quite bold for the  time the book was published, due to the abolitionist sentiment behind them. Ultimately, it's the story of a boy and his friend and their love of adventure. I give it a mid-thumbs up. :)

Have you read it? Wanna share your thoughts below?

-Song