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    Tom Sawyer, Detective: Twain's Tom & Huck, Book 4
    Tom Sawyer, Detective: Twain's Tom & Huck, Book 4
    Tom Sawyer, Detective: Twain's Tom & Huck, Book 4
    Audiobook2 hours

    Tom Sawyer, Detective: Twain's Tom & Huck, Book 4

    Written by Mark Twain

    Narrated by Matt Armstrong

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are saved from a crippling bout of spring fever when Aunt Sally writes and asks them to come to visit the family in Arkansas. As they set out on the steamboat downriver, though, Tom and Huck find themselves in yet another whirlwind adventure tracking down criminals and stolen diamonds, all to save the life of their beloved Uncle Silas.

    The final Tom and Huck novella that Mark Twain completed before his death, “Tom Sawyer, Detective” is a fast-paced mystery, full of the wry humor and wit for which Twain is noted.

    ©2014 Open Book Audio (P)2014 Open Book Audio

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMatt Armstrong
    Release dateApr 1, 2014
    ISBN9781936455706
    Tom Sawyer, Detective: Twain's Tom & Huck, Book 4
    Author

    Mark Twain

    Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835, left school at age 12. His career encompassed such varied occupations as printer, Mississippi riverboat pilot, journalist, travel writer, and publisher, which furnished him with a wide knowledge of humanity and the perfect grasp of local customs and speech manifested in his writing. It wasn't until The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), that he was recognized by the literary establishment as one of the greatest writers America would ever produce. Toward the end of his life, plagued by personal tragedy and financial failure, Twain grew more and more cynical and pessimistic. Though his fame continued to widen--Yale and Oxford awarded him honorary degrees--he spent his last years in gloom and desperation, but he lives on in American letters as "the Lincoln of our literature."

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    Reviews for Tom Sawyer, Detective

    4/5

    155 ratings143 reviews

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    • 1/5
      for me it was not a good book. But for someone who likes nature and 1800 lifestyle this would be a good book for you.
    • 4/5
      The Adventures of Tom Sawyer depicts the life of an imaginative, troublesome boy in the American West of the 1840s. The novel is intensely dramatic in its construction, taking the form of a series of comic vignettes based on Tom's exploits. These vignettes are linked together by a darker story that grows in importance throughout the novel, Tom's life-threatening entanglement with the murderer Injun Joe.
    • 5/5
      This book is a reread for me as I read it in Junior High. Often this book is regarded as a coming of age classic piece of nostalgic Americana. This was my initial conception when I read this 18 years ago. I have discovered that this is not the case. Not by a long shot. The book holds many parallels to Twain's Calvinist up bringing. I don't want to delve too much into the many layers of Twain's writing. I was a bit skeptic at first and believe that these realizations should be obtained first hand.A few things to consider while reading or rereading Tom Sawyer (and then Huck Finn for that matter).The town: St. Petersburg-translates into "St. Peter's city" -Peter is said to be the one that stands at the gates of Heaven to let the worthy in.-St. Petersburg Russia at the time was rife with corruption, murder, and chaos-What are the main things that happen in the town? Is there anything going on to actually be nostalgic about?Adults:-If a town is represented by it's citizens, what do they say about St. Petersburg?-The adults are violent, irrational, pious, judgmental, etc-Take a look at their parenting and child rearing skills. While spare the rod spoil the child has been around for a long time (and still today), the Victorian philosophy incorporates motivating a child to do right out of love and not fear. This is not present in anyway in St. Petersburg. Look at their parenting practices and ask yourself if you would be nostalgic of being a child with those types of parents...These are just some of the basic elements to argue that this is not merely a coming of age boy's book. While reading, keep an eye out for Twain's critique on Romantic Literature that was prevalent with the day and ask yourself what do Tom's trips and Injun Joe represent.I would love to discuss this book further with anyone that is interested!Happy Reading!
    • 4/5
      The unabridged version, though racist and somewhat ignorant, looses the charm of the characters when edited. This book is an accurate reflection of an awkward time in the youth of our nation, and rather than glossed over, needs to be appreciated as such. We have come a long way!
    • 5/5
      This is a classic in American literature. What more can be said.
    • 4/5
      This book stands out as one of the great American novels, with adventure, humor, danger, and warmth. It is filled with characters that have become part of American culture.
    • 4/5
      This would be good to use when talking about the mid 1880s and life on the Mississippi. I think students will like this book because of how Tom reacts to situations.
    • 2/5
      To the illustrious Mr. Mark Twain: I avoided it when I stopped about a fifth of the way into A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court last year. But half-way through The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, it could be denied no longer. I don’t think it’s going to work out between us. It’s not you. Sure, you’re too overly nostalgic about your boyhood, which creates plot laxness more annoying to those who don’t share your experiences and fondness for the characters’ adventures. But you certainly got an ear for the slang, and I admire your contribution is portraying everyday life. You’re a clever, witty guy, and I still like that San Francisco quote. It’s me. Hey, I love AuhMeriKha. I love colorful language and rip-rolling fun. But sorry, it’s just an unbidden nails-on-chalkboard cringe kind-of-thing. A visceral, unbidden rejection that spews into my insides with every spirited dead-cat shenanigan or high-falutin' rafting adventure plan that comes out of Tom Sawyer’s mouth. (Maybe it’s Tom Brown’s Schooldays, which I excruciatingly suffered like the burning cart-wreck of sociopathy-masquerading-as-“boys while be boys” mentality it was when I partook in a children’s literature course last year.) But buck up, you’ve still got that reputation as a classic American writer going for you. And there’s that new autobiography coming out… and being long six feet under probably helps take away a little of the sting. So let's call it even, and be friends, the kind that never write and never speak, but only spoken of briefly, inaccurately, and politely. Sincerely, Kaion
    • 4/5
      Looking over the reviews of this book I noticed that they swing from being 'a classic account of boys on the loose in frontier America' to 'I want to punch Tom Sawyer in the face.' One reviewer has commented on how is mum owned a dog-eared copy of this book from before he was born to after he left home to go to college (and if he doesn't want it, I'll be more than happy to take it off his hands) which made me realise how our parent's taste in literature can and does differ from our own. I grew up knowing about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but I have never actually read the books, and to be honest, never even realised that there was a book wholly dedicated to Tom Sawyer until a couple of years ago, and based on my parents collection of books (namely Hard Science-fiction, which is not surprising for a father who is a physicist, and detective fiction dominated by Agatha Christie) the works of Mark Twain never really entered my sphere of influence.However I recently picked up a collection of his works and decided to see what these stories were about, and I must admit that I actually quite enjoyed this tale of mischievous boyhood. Seriously, letting the entire town grieve for your death and then rocking up at your funeral really does take some guts, and I must admit that it would have been something I would have loved to have done when I was a kid. In fact, the impression that I get from this story is that it is simply Samuel Clements (using a psuedonym) recounting a lot of the mischief he and his friends got up to as children but rolling it all into one character so as to protect the guilty.There are two things that really stand out to me about this book and the first is that I found it very readable, which is something that I generally do not expect from 19th Century literature. True Clements does get bogged down into detail, but there is enough action to keep us interested, and the banter among the main characters it really enjoyable to follow, particularly when Sawyer convinces young Becky Thatcher to become engaged to him, explaining to her what engagement is from a conservative, respectful, point of view. The second thing that stood out was that it gives us a very clear view of a time gone by, an age of innocence in the American mid-west. In a way it takes us away from the troubles of today and puts us in a world where things did not seem as bad.Granted, there is a murder, and there are troubles with children getting lost in caves, but even then, we glimpse a more innocent time in the United States, though there are a few interesting quotes, such as Negroes always being liars (which raises the question of whether Samuel Clements was a southern sympathiser, despite the book being written after the Civil War, though the events are flagged as being set prior to the said war). I also see a number of influences on children's literature of today, not to say that people didn't write books for children back then, but he does say at the beginning that while this book is written for boys, he does hope that adults would enjoy this story as well.I must finish off about the story of whitewashing the fence, which is the first event in the book. Poor Tom has got himself into trouble, and has been punished by having to paint the fence, something he does not want to do, but somehow he manages to get others to do it in his stead. He does this trick (I believe) by asking somebody to pay him for the privilege, and Clements then points out afterwards that if we are paid to do something, then it is considered work, and is dull and boring, but if we pay to do something, then it is entertainment and we do it with gusto, so his theory is that if we get people to pay to do the things we don't want to do, then we will get things done a lot better and a lot quicker, than we would otherwise (and there have been movies made about how people pay to become ranchers), but I suspect that this is something that only foolish boys would do, and us adults are (I hope) probably a lot smarter than this, though I do actually wonder about it sometimes (such as celebrities paying to sleep out on the streets, seriously, if you really want to experience poverty, then give up all your riches - don't give it up for a short time, that, to me, is little more than a publicity stunt).
    • 4/5
      The first of trio of masterpieces Twain wrote on his memories of childhood near the Mississippi River roughly thirty years later. A classic and I especially enjoyed the large number of illustrations throughout this edition. Quotes:On capital punishment:"The funeral stopped the further growth of one thing - the petition to the Governor for Injun Joe's pardon. The petition had been largely signed; many tearful and eloquent meetings had been held, and a company of sappy women been appointed to go in deep mourning and wail around the governor and implore him to be a merciful ass and trample his duty under foot. Injun Joe was believed to have killed five citizens of the village, but what of that? If he had been Satan himself there would have been plenty of weaklings ready to scribble their names to a pardon-petition and drip a tear on it from their permanently impaired and leaky water-works."On the transience of life; I really enjoyed this one:"The captive had broken off the stalagmite, and upon the stump had placed a stone wherein he had scooped a shallow hollow to catch the precious drop that fell once in every three minutes with the dreary regularity of a clock-tick - a dessert spoonful once in four and twenty hours. That drop was falling when the Pyramids were new; when Troy fell; when the foundations of Rome were laid; when Christ was crucified; when the Conqueror created the British empire; when Columbus sailed; when the massacre at Lexington was "news." It is falling now; it will still be falling when all these things shall have sunk down the afternoon of history, and the twilight of tradition, and been swallowed up in the thick night of oblivion. Has everything a purpose and a mission? Did this drop fall patiently during five thousand years to be ready for this flitting human insect's need? and has it another important object to accomplish ten thousand years to come?"
    • 4/5
      This was my first book by Mark Twain.. and I liked it!! It's a great read.... you hardly see/hear such adventurous episodes now... the time and space for the kids is gone... Injun Joe epsiode is little too harsh on the Tom and Huck but that adds more real touch to it. it's very addictive reading.. can't stop until you finish the book. It's got all the right things in a book - lots of adventures, mischief, childhood romance, conviction! Great read. I must read Huckleberry Finn whenever possible.
    • 3/5
      Great Starter

      Just getting back to reading in earnest, figured I'd start with some classics. Still twinge at the "n" word, but it's a cultural sign of those times. Imagination and exploration. Kids used to have it. Kids used to could explore.
    • 4/5
      Tom Sawyer is a naughty child who lives in St Petersburg. One night, he goes to graveyard with his friend, Huck Finn to look ghosts. Then, they can't ghosts, but they see a murder scene.I think Tom is very mischievous child, but he is a brave boy. I like the scene that he explores a cave. I got excited. I want to meet him and travel many places with him.
    • 4/5
      This was my first Mark Twain read. My sister hates his books so I thought I should read one to see why. I can understand why she doesn't like his style of writing, but I rather liked it! I envy Tom's childhood, except the whole being stalked by a murderer bit. He had lots of fun and its cool that Tom's character is based on other boys Mr. Twain knew and his own childhood.
    • 4/5
      A great adventure...
    • 3/5
      I've returned to the river.A year ago I spent a weekend on the Missouri River attending a Writers Workshop. In typical Chris Blocker fashion, I thought it prudent to read something riverish. I selected Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi. Thus a new association was born and once I decided I was returning to the river, one of my first considerations was what Mark Twain book I'd read this year.I was hesitant to get into the Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn story-arc. I had a feeling I'd be underwhelmed or offended. I was leaning toward a different selection, but at the last minute, I decided to go with a classic. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer wasn't that bad—not as bad as I imagined it could be—but it certainly didn't impress me too much. Part of the issue is that Tom Sawyer feels slightly underdeveloped—ideas are used seemingly haphazardly and are recycled throughout the story. And part of the issue is that some of the novels better moments have become cliché. I recognize that Twain was likely the originator of some of these ideas—at least he was probably the prominent figure who introduced them into the American narrative. But I've seen enough Our Gang to know that children who play pirates will find treasure, children who fake death will convince everyone, and that little boys will always win a kiss from the girl of their dreams. It's not Twain's fault that his story has been resurrected repeatedly, but the familiarity minimized any sense of wonder and adventure I might have had had I come across this book 130 years ago.In a different time, this book may have had a much different impact on me. This is a strong story of adventure from a unique child-like perspective. Those who enjoy a little swashbuckling or hijinx will likely eat this story up like blackberry pie. (Why blackberry pie? I don't know. It just feels like something I'd expect from these characters.) With a different person, there would've been different results: I'm not one for adventure; I was never a child. It's a good, simple story, very much plot-driven, but I didn't see much else to it.Sadly, this book didn't hold to the river like I thought it would. There are a few mentions, a few explorations, but I have the notion that Huckleberry Finn is the more river-centric of the two. Will I explore the river someday with Huck? I don't know. I probably should, but I have the same hesitance I did with Tom Sawyer. Maybe I'll leave it up to the river. If it's able to pull me back another time, I'll consider it.
    • 5/5
      Love it always but I can't say much that hasn't been said a million times over.
    • 4/5
      This is a classic tale about Tom Sawyer and his adventures with his friend Huckleberry Finn. After he dirties his clothes in a fight and is made to whitewash the fence as punishment, he tricks his friends to do it for him. Tom and Huck go to the graveyard at night and witness a murder of Dr. Robinson. Tom, Huck and Joe Harper run away to an island where they have a lot of fun. Tom sneaks back home one night and finds out that the whole town think they're dead. He comes to his funeral and they see him. Tom testifies against Muff Potter and Injun Joe but Injun joe runs away. In the summer Tom and Huck go hunting for buried treasure, Tom becomes an anonymous hero when he gets help for the Widow Douglas. Tom and Becky get lost in a cave and they see Injun Joe but he doesn't see them. When the two find their way our Judge Thatcher has the cave sealed and accidentally traps Injun Joe inside. Tom and Huck find the gold and Tom tricks Huck to go back to the Widow Douglas.
    • 3/5
      I want to say that I read it in sixth grade or so. It wasn't one of my favorite books, but Mark Twain is a very amazing writer so it is a well written book.
    • 5/5
      Always preferred this to Huckleberry Finn--which puts me on the wrong side of just about everybody else's opinion. If the ending in the caves doesn't get your pulse racing, you probably don't have one. Found a beautiful like-new copy of the Heritage Edition, with color plates and numerous illustrations by Norman Rockwell.
    • 2/5
      underwhelmed by this book. not sure why this is so famous and considered a classic.
    • 3/5
      This story drawn about adventure of a young boy whoes name is Tom Sawyer.He lives with his aunt, Polly.Polly is very strict to Tom Sawyer.He always look for interesting thing.One day,Tom and his friend go to adventure and then, they saw horryble thing...I know this book.Tom is very brave boy.If I saw horryble thing, I escape soon.He is smart and strong.I want to be like him.I also like adventure,so I want to go adventure with hm.
    • 3/5
      I thought it was a fun read, but enjoyed it more when I was younger. I think Mark Twain has an excellent way of making you sympathize with the characters. I found myself shaking my head at some Tom's antics and laughing at the same time.
    • 5/5
      In the preface to Tom Sawyer Mark Twain writes that the book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls but that he hopes that men and women will not shun it on that account.Adults, by and large, have not shunned Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Pudding Head Wilson, or other Twain stories with children protagonists. Kids and their parents alike will enjoy the adventures, the hijinx and tricks, the fun and make believe, the freedom of unfettered play and the torturous confinement of Sunday sermons and the one room school house. But there's a lot more to Tom Sawyer than the famous tableau of the painted white picket fence. There's real danger in Injun Joe, a near death experience getting lost in a cave for three whole days, and the heartache of puppy love with Becky Thatcher. And it may be these darker elements of the story (though not nearly as edgy as Huck Finn which deals more directly with the issue of slavery and uses the infamous N word a lot more freely) that makes this story transcend that of mere entertainment for young ones. Tom Sawyer, is a story about children, intended for children, written with the greatest respect, without condescension, with a pitch perfect ear for dialogue and character. Twain was, and may forever be, America's greatest story teller.
    • 5/5
      I read this for the first time when I was 7 or 8 years old and it has been one of my favorites ever since. I loved the character of Tom Sawyer and the story. The story appealed to me because it's a combination of adventure, imagination and youthfulness. A classic!
    • 5/5
      Come on, who doesn't love old Tom Sawyer?!
    • 5/5
      Tom represents the perennial, eternal, perfect boyhood - both for an adult remembering childhood, and a child wishing for a perfect life. His story has aged enough, however, that my nine-year-old set it aside halfway through (he particularly didn't like Injun Joe's casual violence in the graveyard.) I picked it up from there, remembering it was read to me when I was about his age. It was like reading for the first time, so foggy was my memory.Books with no plot always make me stumble. There is a sort of a plot around Injun Joe, but it's clearly secondary for all that it's visited and the point of climax is tough to pinpoint. The focus is on Tom's hijinks and seeing what he comes up with next, one thing after another. It's strangely compelling for all the lack of what-happens-next tension, replaced with what'll-he-do-next curiosity. Credit belongs to the fun narrative voice, the creativity of Tom's ideas, and the unexpected results they inevitably lead to for himself and the town.I played special attention to Huckleberry Finn throughout because of this book's sequel, but he remains a fairly thin character outside the limelight. Tom doesn't even automatically pick him first as fellow adventurer, often preferring Joe Harper. I read Huckleberry Finn's story as a child but that's mostly gone from memory too; I should probably do something about that. "Children's books" these may be, but due to their age, Twain's storytelling power and my nostalgia for childhood I feel no shame at diving in.
    • 5/5
      I plan to make a practice this year of re-reading books, not just books I enjoyed in my childhood and adolescent, but books from my own library that I keep because" I might want to read them 'someday'". I read Tom Sawyer more than once, more than twice, I don't actually remember how many times. At some point I began to understand that much of what Twain writes from Tom's point of view was ironic and therefore funny. I finally got the joke. This time I appreciated Twain's craftsmanship with plot, as well as character. Obviously, this book is a classic. I will probably read it again some year.
    • 5/5
      We read the book in school in Germany. I learned English with the book. The reading was good. I like the story. But some words are difficult. The school edition has word help that was good for me. I want to read Huckelberry Finn next.
    • 4/5
      I had never read the Adventures of Tom Sawyer except in a childhood version in Golden Books or something like that. I skipped right over to read Huck Finn. While this is definitely a children's book in many ways, Twain writes in such a way that adults still enjoy Tom and his picaresque adventures, both as nostalgia for our own childhoods and because the adult voice of Twain cannot help inserting his snide commentaries on humanity.