I didn't finish "Crime and Punishment". The reasons I'm about to give made me think twice about typing up a review. My decision has been made however, and some may disagree with my reasons; probably with a disgusted "who do you think you are?" spoken in my direction. Well, I'm sorry, but do read on if you like.

I am not a Dostoevsky newbie. Previously I read "The Brothers Karamozov" as well as "Notes From Underground", and both demanded my full attention to grasp what Dostoevsky was trying to put across. He's a very thoughtful writer, and a self-styled philosopher as well. Many times through "The Brothers Karamazov", he would go for page after page, thinking out loud about whatever subject came up, be it infidelity, God, friendships, gambling, social classes, you name it. The same can be said for this novel, although I was getting confused throughout "Crime and Punishment", so confused in fact that I had to put this book down, and will not likely return to it.

The story is not confusing, really. We follow Raskolnikov, a nearly-useless beggarman while he tries to live his pathetic life in 19th century Russia. Dostoevsky paints a bleak picture of the country at that time, with most people being filthy, drunken, poets and "intellectuals" eeking out a living by begging and mooching off everyone in sight. Raskolnikov (rascal?) is no different, and spends much of his time leeching off relatives and pawning off anything of value to the local pawnbroker. Shortly into the book, he murders said pawnbroker and we follow the wretch as his inner torments get the better of him over time. No, that's not a spoiler; it's right there on the back cover glurge, silly. A simple concept for a book, something we're all familiar with in one form or another, and the way his conscience affects him after the murder should lead to a satisfying novel. Instead, all I got was confusion. I was able to follow the action, but too much of my time was spent piecing together what I THOUGHT was happening, rather than being taken for the ride the writer intends.

Asking myself why I was confused, I picked up "Brothers" again and opened the book randomly. Reading ten or so long-winded pages of that monsterous work, I was NOT confused. So what was my problem with "Crime"? Was the book written earlier, when Dostoevsky was a lesser writer? No, that can't be it since I read "Notes" with no problem, and it had been written many years before "Crime".

Then it dawned on me. Translation! Each of these three in my collection have been written by a different translator. In this case the translator is a person named Constance Garnett. Looking into other books in my "unread" pile, I noticed that Ms. Garnett's translations are considered "definitive". I gulped. Could it be that this nonsensical style is what Dostoevsky really intends to put in front of his readers? Was my version of "The Brothers Karamazov" NOT translated as it was intended? How, then, to reconcile the fact that I LOVED the novel?

I don't read Russian. I am personally incapable of translating a novel from ANY language into English. Maybe I am completely off base. But this novel, as translated by Ms. Garnett, is nearly UNREADABLE. It makes very little sense. These characters behave like lunatics, and can't seem to express their thoughts in anything resembling coherency. Razumihin, Raskolnikov's best friend and essentially a 19th century "beatnik", is incomprehensible in everything he does. Was this intentional? I don't think so, as the characters who interact with him only find him a "little" strange. I couldn't understand what Raskolnikov was trying to accomplish, WHY he thought the way he did, nor HOW he was able to pull the wool over everyone's eyes without even trying. This CANNOT be how Dostoevsky imagined his work would be read. He styles himself a deep thinker; not a clown. And Ms. Garnett makes him a clown though this very poor translation. Grammatically, it is as atrocious as anything I've ever read as well.

A new reader to Dostoevsky would probably be pushed toward reading "Crime and Punishment", as it is his most famous work and considered to be his first important novel. But when presented with this sloppy and unreadable script, it's likely to turn them off for good. I know I would have been. It is a crime, no pun intended, for his most important work to be translated as ham-handed as this. Is it possible that poorly-translated Dostoevsky paved the way for other Russians like Tolstoy to steal the center stage of Russian literature? I think that IS possible, and that is an unforgivable crime as well.

If anyone should know of a different English translation of this novel, please let me know. I am unable to finish it in it's present form. In my opinion, Garnett is a very poor translator, and this novel is in dire need of a new, readable translation. New readers to Dostoevsky should steer clear. Buy "The Brothers Karamazov" instead.

The basic premise of this novel is well-known, namely that a young Russian law student (Raskolnikov) commits murder. He does this out of pride, vanity, and in order to act on a napoleonic theory of society and history that he develops. "Crime and Punishment" is a very dark novel that mostly deals with criminal psychology, psychology in general, and redemption. One would think that the "punishment" in the title refers to Raskolnikov's self-inflicted psychological torturings from the pangs of guilt for his crime, that he is "accepting his suffering" or "taking up the cross" to use expressions from the novel. However, Raskolnikov never really seems to feel guilty or come to acknowledge his guilt; his tortured state of mind seems rather to be mostly based on an intense questioning of his self-worth in the recognition that he is not destined to succeed like Napoleon. He is intelligent, selfish and vain.
There are no "moments of wild humor" as claimed on the back-cover of my edition! The novel does not really deal with crime and punishment in a legal or even a philosophical sense. Those pre-law students who read the book looking to perhaps gain some insights relevant to their crim law courses in law school will most likely be disappointed in this respect.
I read the translation by Jessie Coulson in Oxford Classics and can recommend it.

I initially approached this book with a great deal of trepidation. I had never read Dostoyevsky, and was concerned that I would get bogged down in some lengthy, mind-numbingly boring, nineteenth-century treatise on the bestial nature of man or something. I am happy to report this is not the case. Instead, and to my delight, it is a smoothly flowing and fascinating story of a young man who succumbs to the most base desire, and the impact this has both psychologically and otherwise on himself and those around him.

To be sure, the book seems wordy in places, but I suspect this has to do with the translation. And what translator in his right mind would be bold enough to edit the great Dostoyevsky? But this is a very minor problem.

What we get with Dostoyevsky is dramatic tension, detailed and believable human characters, and brilliant insight into human nature. Early in the novel our hero meets and has a lengthy conversation with Marmeladov, a drunkard. This conversation is never uninteresting and ultimately becomes pathetic and heartbreaking, but I kept wondering why so much time was spent on it. As I got deeper into the book, I understood why this conversation was so important, and realized that I was in the hands of a master storyteller. This is also indicative of the way in which the story reveals itself. Nothing is hurried. These people speak the way we actually speak to one another in real life, and more importantly, Dostoyevsky is able to flesh out his characters into whole, three-dimensional human beings.

And what a diverse group of characters! Each is fleshed out, each is marvelously complex. Razujmikhin, the talkative, gregarious, good-hearted, insecure and destitute student; Sonia, the tragic child-prostitute, with a sense of rightness in the world; Petrovich, the self-important, self-made man, completely out of touch with his own humanity; Dunia, the honorable, wronged sister: we feel like we know these people because we've met people like them. They fit within our understanding of the way human beings are.

Dostoyevsky also displays great insight into human nature. Svidrigailov, for example, talks of his wife as liking to be offended. "We all like to be offended," he says, "but she in particular loved to be offended." It suddenly struck me how true this is. It gives us a chance to act indignantly, to lash out at our enemies, to gain favor with our allies. I don't believe I've ever seen this thought expressed in literature before. In fact, it never occurred to me in real life! Petrovich, Dunia's suitor, not only expects to be loved, but because of his money, and her destitution, he expects to be adored! To be worshipped! He intentionally sought out a woman from whome he expected to get this, and is comletely flummoxed when she rejects him. His is an unusual character, but completely realized.

There is so much more to talk about: the character of Raskolnikov, which is meticulously and carefully revealed; the sense of isolation which descends on him after committing his crime; the cat and mouse game played on him by the police detective. I could go on and on. I haven't even mentioned the historical and social context in which this takes place. Suffice to say this is a very rich book.

Do not expect it to be a rip-roaring page turner. Sit down, relax, take your time, and savor it. It will be a very rewarding experience. And thank you SL, for recommending it.

~The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a fascinating and adventurous book about a boy named Tom Sawyer. He has a major crush on a girl called Becky Thacker. In this book, Tom goes to an island with two of his friends, attends their own funeral, and look for treasure! Tom sees Injun Joe a killer with treasure. He wants it, but his only clue where Injun Joe hid it is that it has something to do with number 2. Tom is now lost in a cave all alone with Becky. Can he find his way out of the cave and~~ the way to the treasure? I agree with Mark Twain's decisions and ideas. I believe that I would be doing the same thing if I were in his position. His decisions are able to happen; yet The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is such a good book. I would recommend this book to people who like adventurous books, and likes classics. It leaves you at so many cliffhangers that you can help but read all of it at once, for the people who like cliffhangers.~

Tom Sawyer was one of the best books. It was good from the becinning to the end. It was exciting,suspenseful, and adventurous. I recomend this book to all ages. Kids, because they canrelate to the characters. Adults, because they can relive there childhood, and remember hoew they were when they were kids.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is about a 12 year old child who gets into a lot of mischief. Tom has many adventures with his comrads Huckleberry Finn, and Joe Harper. Between feeding the cat painkiller, falling in love with Becky, getting engaged, whitnessing a murder, finding burried gold, conning his friends into whitewashig a fence, running away to an island, getting into trouble, and much more Tom Sawyer is a timeless classic.
Tom Sawyer taught me a lot. At first I thought The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was going to just be about a kid whitewashig a fence, but I learned that it has meanings behind the story. One was that kids should be able to be kids, and parents should let them be kids. Also you better enjoy being a kid whial you still have the chance. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer will always be one of my favorite books.

127 years after its initial publication, Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer (1876) remains the definitive account of American boyhood. Bright, sassy, dauntless, charming, and shrewd, Tom embodies the archetype of every healthy, mischievous, and extroverted American boy.

The book's plot, probably better known to most readers today via cinematic versions of the story, is uncomplicated. Tom tricks and antagonizes his beloved, easily outraged Aunt Polly, develops a frustrating crush on young schoolmate Becky Thatcher, tricks his pals into doing his chores, reinvents himself as a pirate on the Mississippi, and, with Huckleberry Finn, runs afoul of Injun Joe when they unexpectedly witness a murder in a graveyard at midnight. Like every good story with a traditional structure, the narrative offers a series of contrasts, here between the comfortable, familiar, sunlit world of St. Petersburg and the events that occur when curious Tom strips back daylight's veil and peers into the community's secret life.

Interestingly, with The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, the clever Twain was writing about present day (1880s) America, but simultaneously already portraying that era in nostalgic, sentimental terms. Thus, today's readers may find in a double nostalgia in the novel: the first, their own, focused on a longing for America's mythological "simpler times," and the second a reflection of the homey, intimate, bumpkin - , eccentric - , and "character" - ridden American small town that Twain provided for the readers of his own era. By writing so powerfully about boyhood, Twain offers readers of all eras yet another powerful provocation towards nostalgia: that for one's own lost childhood, youthful initiations, and passages from innocence into adulthood.

The novel contains seductive, lulling passages of great poetic beauty, such as the following: "He entered a dense wood, picked his pathless way to the centre of it, and sat down on a mossy spot under a spreading oak. There was not even a zephyr stirring; the dead noonday heat had even stilled the songs of the birds; nature lay in a trance that was broken by no sound but the occasional far - off hammering of a woodpecker, and this seemed to render the pervading silence and sense of loneliness the more profound. The boy's soul was steeped in melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with his surroundings. He sat long with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, meditating. It seemed to him that life was but a trouble at best, and he more than half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released. It must be peaceful, he thought, to lie and slumber and dream for ever and ever, with the wind whispering through the trees and caressing the grass and the flowers of the grave, and nothing to bother and grieve about, ever any more."

However, most of the book is written in a tone of buoyant theatrical artificiality: in episode after episode, Twain carefully sets his audience up for the punch lines to follow, and does so in a fashion that unabashedly reveals his own calculation as well as his intention that the reader be able to predict exactly what is to come. Even the narrative's tragedy - leaning moments are eventually punctured by corny, charming, tongue - in - cheek humor which seems to suggest that life, when well balanced, is primarily a pleasant affair of straw hats, freckled skin, rolled - up dungarees, molasses candy, indolent summer days, fishing tackle, white picket fences, and lovely chintz wallpaper.

A defining moment in American literature, the Adventures Of Tom Sawyer is an evocative, light, and fanciful book littered with shrewd social commentary and fragments of wisdom and insight composed by an American master at the height of his powers.

"Come here, Huck," Aunt Polly called from the front porch where she was washing the clothes, " Don't you dare talk to that nigger again, you hear me, Huck, never!"
"Alright, I am coming I was just making a bargain," Huck yelled back as he slipped the money in his pocket.
My essay is on the book Huckleberry Finn. I read this book and loved it. I think this book shows a friendship between a black slave and a white boy during a time when that was considered an unusual thing.
This book takes place during a time when blacks were not treated equal. Blacks were thought of as property not as humans. An example of this takes place in the down town slave market.
" Cheap niggers, get your cheap niggers," a slave driver called out from on top of the stage. Families are being separated and children are crying while they are standing in shackles and cuffs. This is hatred.
In this book, there is a lot of action. Every time you turn the page somebody is getting into trouble. It even goes as far as to put on a play to rip people off.
" Come see the Play of Nonsense, the best in the world," the duke yelled to the listeners. The duke and so called king are going to put on a play. Their idea is to rip people off and run with their money. It is a smart idea but later on they pay for it. The next night the play starts. Hundreds of people walk in and hand their money to the duke. Right when the play starts, the duke comes out and announces that there have been some misunderstandings and rushes off with
the money he collected from the audience. This book's plot is awesome.
In this story the main characters are laid back and have a great sense of humor. An example this happens when Huck and Jim, a runaway slave, are rafting down the huge river. Jim is in great danger, but they always have time to play tricks on other people.
Also, there is a lot of dirty tricks and cheating. All four characters have a good sense of humor and a mind that is made to get into trouble. An example of this takes place when Huck fakes his own death and fools everybody while he lives on a raft for two years. He left his Aunt Polly behind to mourn about him and fooled everybody else. For a while he stayed on a little island but then decided to raft down a river. He made his own camps and caught his own food. All this to him was a fun vacation. He loved it!
In conclusion, this book is awesome! My four beliefs are: there is a hatred toward blacks in this story; the plot is filled with all kinds of action; the characters are happy, laid back, and have a great humor; and there is a lot of bad trick playing and a whole bunch of cheating in this story. I think Twain was trying to show us an ideal example of friendship.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a sequel to Mark Twain's other famous novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, is a classic American Literature that is dated back during the pre-civil war era. This book is about a young boy named Jim. This book has many plot twists to keep the reader busy while unfolding Twain's real motives through this book. The word "nigger" was just a way for Twain to make his world come to life. Although people think the usage of this word is vulgar and racist, it is a must to read this book and to find it for yourself why this book is highly against slavery. Mark Twain also gave each character their own style of speech to fit there characteristics and intellect. Mark uses this journey of Jim and Huck to emphasize some of his themes and morals that he wanted to teach the readers. Such morals are that of racism and slavery when Huck befriends Jim, a slave, and lies and cons, which is shown through the characters of Duke and Dauphin. If you like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or any other pre-civil war era books, than you are sure to like this great adventure. I personally give this book a four out of five stars.

Hallo, Tom Sawyer here. I seen they wuz havin' this here book re- view contest, so I figgered I'd write in to tell the folks my two bits 'bout the book made by my bosom friend, Huck Finn. I says to my Aunt Polly, says I, "I can't believe them pack of flatheads is aimin' to just give away $100 worth of books, but I reckon that's their bizness." At any rate, just so you know, Huck's book, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, it come out after the book Mr. Mark Twain made about me and some of my adventures. Huck's book is just bully! He kinda picks up where Mr. Twain left off in the Adventures of Yers Truly. Like my story, it's chock full of high adventure, with new dangers 'round every bend of the ole river. Huck escapes from his evil pap with a grand scheme and then meets up with the runaway slave, Jim, and sets out to help him to freedom. He has powerful many struggles 'long the way, 'bout more'n a body can stand, includin' havin' to deal with two rap- scallions posin' as a king and a duke. I don't figger in much till t'wards the end, but then I'm powerful glad I come along cuz I has to help Huck get Jim free of some capters, and do it the proper way, with style. Huck, he ain't never read the books on how these things is done, so I always has to learn him. Do yerself a favor and read this great adventure yarn. Sure, it's got a few stretchers in it, but what adventure yarn don't? It's the bulliest--Honest Injun! Tom Sawyer

Do others ever misjudge you? Did you, as a result, ever have a nickname you didn't like? Did you appreciate that experience? How did you overcome it?

What if you had been switched in the baby nursery at the hospital for another child? How might your life have been different?

These are the kinds of thoughts that will occur to you as you read Pudd'nhead Wilson.

I was attracted to the story after reading about its genesis in the new illustrated biography of Mark Twain.

Pudd'nhead Wilson is tragic story about the consequences of two children being switched at birth in the slave-holding society of the American South. Those who admire the eloquent portrayal of common humanity among African-Americans and whites in Huckleberry Finn will find more examples of this point to delight them in Pudd'nhead Wilson.

Pudd'nhead Wilson was a novel that gave Mark Twain a great many problems. The book started as a short story about Italian Siamese twins with a farcical character, as the drunken twin caused the Prohibitionist one to get into trouble with his woolly headed sweetheart. As Twain turned the story into a novel, the most important characters began to disappear in favor of new characters. Stymied, Twain realized that he had written two stories in one novel. He then excised the original of the two stories in favor of the tragedy, while leaving many satirical and ironic characteristics. Part of this switch no doubt related to Twain's growing pessimism as he grew older and to the personal tragedies and financial difficulties dogged his efforts and life.

Perhaps it is this deep plot difficulty that caused Twain to leave the novel with two rather large flaws, which vastly reduce its effectiveness. The first flaw is building a plot around switching two children at birth to establish that perceived racial differences and slavery had been unjust. Unfortunately, the "bad" actor in the novel turns out to be the irresponsible Tom Driscoll (ne Valet de Chambre), who is 1/32 African-American but is raised as a white free man. Thus, those readers who wish to believe in racial differences affecting character can point to that underlying racial factor as still being present in explaining the misbehavior in the story . . . despite what appears to have been Twain's opposite intention. Had Twain developed his story to make the false Tom morally equal to his all-white counterpart Chambers (ne Thomas a Beckett Driscoll), the story would have worked much better in condemning racism and slavery. The second flaw involves having the story turn on establishing the unchanging nature of finger prints in a trial conducted in a small Missouri town many decades before that point was scientifically proven and legally accepted.

For us today, the story moves slowly because we know all about fingerprints as a means of identification which makes much of the eventual resolution easy to anticipate, and also because Twain left many unnecessary remnants of his other story in the book.

Despite these weaknesses, the Pudd'nhead Wilson has many brilliant sections that strikingly portray how the concepts and realities of slavery corrupted both African-Americans and slave-holders. Because of thefts in the Driscoll household, the real Tom's father threatens to sell his slaves down the river (a fate to be avoided). When three of them confess, he agrees to sell them locally. Frightened by the potential for her child to be sold in the future, Roxy plans to kill herself and her son. By accident, she realizes that she can successfully switch the two children's clothing, since both of them look the same to Tom's father, and ensure that her son will never be sold, because he will be raised as the master's son, a white person. Many of the ways for rearing white child are bad for Tom, making him spoiled and disagreeable. Chambers does much better on a simple diet, and from performing physical labor. Tom is arrogant and nasty. Chambers is uneducated and cowed. Later, when Tom realizes that he is 1/32 African-American, he begins to behave as a slave would towards white people.

But the story is much broader than that. Pudd'nhead (a derogatory term somewhat like "featherhead") Wilson is thought to be a fool by the townspeople because of something he said about a dog when he first came to town. Because of that perception, his legal career is delayed by 20 years . . . even though he is actually quite bright. In other areas of the story, a man dresses as women and a woman dresses as a man. A thief has his booty stolen from him, so he is also the victim. In many ways, the story reminds me of Shakespeare's many comedies and tragedies about misperceptions being harmful to all concerned.

Although you will not think this is one of Mark Twain's best books, it is one that will encourage you to have many valuable thoughts about questioning labels and assumptions that we apply to one another. For example, if someone is not very quick to grasp certain widely-accepted points, we may feel the person is stupid. The person may actually be able to grasp many nuances that make the situation ambiguous, and be the opposite of stupid. Or someone who is slow in one way may be a positive genius in other ways. Yet a label may be attached that is the opposite.

Keep an open mind, and observe vastly more about what is going on . . . and be able to create vastly better results!

This book is considered one of Mark Twain's "Mississippi" writings. The setting is Dawson's Landing, Missouri in the 1850s. There is a melodramatic surface plot that seems rather trite by modern standards. The story revolves around switched identities and solving a murder by the fledgling science of fingerprinting. Mark Twain's celebrated acerbic wit is in evidence, but mainly in the chapter heading quotes from Pudd' nHead Wilson's calendar of daily observations and homespun philosophy rather than in the novel itself. In addition, the book portrays 19th century American slavery. The slave woman Roxy, speaking in a heavy dialect, is the catalyst that sets the critical events in motion. The injustice of racism is the underlying theme of the book. Twain refrains from preaching a social justice sermon, but the inferences are there. Pudd'nHead Wilson is a country lawyer with no clients. To pass time, he dabbles in one experiment or another, and enjoys fingerprinting the local citizens. Wilson resembles a 19th century version of Jimmy Stewart's "everyman" in films. Although a minor work, the novel is interesting as an example of Mark Twain's other writing beyond "Tom Sawyer" and "Huck Finn."

The Dover Thrift Editions are an inexpensive alternative to accessing major works of world literature. The no-frills packaging presents the unabridged text and a brief biographical note on Mark Twain. ;-)

Pudd'nhead Wilson is the story of a town in which people aren't always what they seem, and life doesn't always go the way it should. The novel is short, but packs a lot of thought into such a small space. Mark Twain deals with complex topics such as race and freedom with humor and ironic wit.

The story is set in a time period marked by severe racial inequality. One of the dominating topics throughout the book is the difference between the rights and privileges of white citizens, and the lack of rights of black slaves. It is set before the US Civil War, so in many states, such as Missouri where the story takes place, slavery is legal and practiced. Blacks, even free blacks, have no real options in life other than to live in poverty and servitude. This disparity of lifestyle prompts a slave named Roxy to perpetrate a hoax, which places her own child, who to all intents and purposes looks white, in the place of the young son of the master of the house, and vice versa. She can't see how her own natural son's life could get any worse than what he'd been dealt by fate and law, and so felt she had nothing to lose.

Twain uses irony to illustrate that the differences between whites and blacks is superficial. He cynically explains that even though Roxy is 15/16ths white, and her son 31/32nds white, the one fraction that was black "outvoted" the rest of them, and so they were considered "by a fiction of law and custom," Negroes, and therefore not entitled to the rights and freedoms of whites. A few pages earlier he used the same ironic style to describe the more upstanding citizens of the town, one of which was described as being a gentleman of such good bearing, he'd be ready to duel you to the death over some perceived insult to his honor. Another character is described as a man "of formidable caliber," yet it turns out that this is the man who fathered a bastard child on a slave woman, and someone else's slave at that. This piece of information makes the fact that the son, Chambers, is considered a Negro and a slave all the more ironic, because if one determines one's worth in society by one's lineage, the Negro slave Chambers actually has a more prestigious lineage than all but a couple of the white people of Dawson's Landing. The use of irony to juxtapose the status of the individuals with the qualities that define them accentuates how meaningless such distinctions are.

Twain explores the age-old argument of "Nature versus Nurture" - that is whether a person's ancestry and social class determine his character, or if character is determined by the influences in one's upbringing. Tom and Chambers are placed into roles they were not born to, and no one notices the difference. Roxy makes the switch to correct the fact that her son was a slave as an accident of birth. The examination of these issues leads into the irony of Tom's life and how his story is resolved.

The strange joke made by the title character Wilson, and the conversation among the townsfolk, which earns him the name of Pudd'nhead, plays off of the difference between educated wit and country wisdom. The people of Dawson's Landing cannot make sense of the metaphorical wit of the educated Easterner, which earns him the nickname he bears for most of the next three decades. The irony is that although the people of Dawson's Landing consider Wilson an idiot, he clearly has more education and more cerebral pursuits than any of those townspeople. Twain examines the question of what defines a person. Twain investigates whether a man's identity is determined by how people see him, or if he can have definition other than what is observed.

Twain balances all these tensions to explore complex themes and meanings, examining the value or futility of judging a person based on his outward appearance or first impressions.

Silas Marner is a very interesting book. It is filled with excitement and suspense. I liked the book very much, but as a freshman in high school, it was very hard for me to read. George Eliot uses a lot of dialect along with some Old English words in her lovable tale. Eliot tells the story of a lonely weaver. After getting betrayed by friends in his old town of Lantern Yard, Silas moves to the town of Raveloe searching for a new life. His delusions keep him from getting accepted into the Raveloe community. After losing his faith in God and having his money stolen he gets a very special gift from someone he doesn't know, a little baby girl with golden hair. After that things work out for Silas and Eppie. George Eliot tells her classic novel in great detail with a lot of adjectives and metaphors. She has made a great novel that while a challenge is good for everybody. Silas Marner is really easy to comprehend because it is so realistic. I live in a small town and it reminds me of Raveloe. Sometimes I imagine that I am in Silas Marner's place and all my friends are the villagers. I think about what I would do if I was in Marner's place. Eliot also created a great plot for this book. This classic is great because it teaches people about life. It teaches people not to be selfish and to be kind to people no matter how good you think you are. Eliot has made a great book that would be great to read as a family.

I enjoyed this book very much. The morals and lessons it teaches you are very important. It is the story of a lonely man, who because he was falsely accused of stealing and because this cost him all his relationships with people, he secluded himself in his lonely house along with all his gold that he saved up. He never spent his money because he enjoyed its company. His gold was his only companion for several years of his life. Then one day, he was robbed, and he no longer had anything worth living for.
Silas was slowly dying of misery and depression. He had no reason to live. Then one day a little girl walked into his house and into his life. Her mother died, leaving the baby girl as an orphan. So, Silas adopted her and took her into his home. She grew up a poor, hard-working girl who loved her new father Silas and vice-versa. Because of this new daughter of his, Silas changed for the better. He became more caring and devoted to someone else besides himself. He started to go to church again and changed his views on what really was important in life. And one day when his treasure was found and returned to him, he didn't even care for it. He had something even more precious than gold: someone to love and receive love from.

The fact that Amazon has so many editions of Silas Marner available indicates that it is truly a classic if it is still being read more than 150 years after it was written.

It is unfortunate that some high school reviewers (or former high school readers) feel that they had this book "forced" on them. Yes, the English language has changed since the early 19th century, especially for American readers of this British author.

My suggestion would be to listen to "Silas Marner" as an audiobook, perhaps while reading along. I recently finished listening to this fine book narrated by Margaret Hilton, but I couldn't find her rendition among the titles available here. I'm sure there are many fine versions available.

So, give this tale a listen, and let the language flow into your ears. Then you will discover why this tale about a miserly old weaver, who has been wronged by his neighbors more than once, finds redemption and a new life when he adopts the little girl left on his doorstep is truly a classic.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an intriguing novel written by Mark Twain. This is a fantastic book for the high school level reader, but would be entertaining to adults as well. I am a freshman in high school, and I enjoyed many attributes of the plot and writing style. In this novel the main character, Hank Morgan, is mysteriously transported from the nineteenth century in Connecticut back to the fifth century in England. During his time in medieval Britain, he keeps a journal which is what most of this book is. The preface and afterwards are both the narration of Mark Twain who writes as if he has found Hank's journal, and is merely writing it down in a book. As the journal starts out, Hank is introduced to King Arthur and after narrowly escaping death and becomes the country's most powerful advisor. Hank introduces many modern wonders to this feudal society. He is hailed a magician, being able to perform wonderful "miracles" and "magic", when it really is only modern science. It is very entertaining to read about how the feeble-minded people of that time react to these feats. In the end, there is a tremendous battle with many exciting episodes leading up to it. If a reader is partial to battle scenes of high caliber, this is a book for him! Of course, Hank has many other battles as well. Once of his biggest enemies is the Church of England. The big question the reader asks themselves during this book is "Will Hank return to his time and if so, how?". It was exciting for me to ponder this question throughout the novel. During Hank's travels through medieval Britain, he meets many people. The people he meets who think a government ruled by the people in Britain (his ultimate goal) would be a good idea, he sends to Camelot where he has schools set up which teach people about modern governmental ideas. Schools were also set up to teach people how to produce his wonders of modern science. These few enlightened people remain loyal to Hank until the very end. I thought it an entertaining notion that people who were trained from birth to believe in one thing, could realize it's faults and begin to believe another things. I really enjoy this book because it brings a lot about human nature into question. It discusses the vast differences of beliefs, manners, and life styles between one hundred years ago and fourteen hundred years ago. I also thought the differences between classic Arthurian legend and Mark Twain's perspective of the time were very interesting. Hanks training of these idealistic people he runs across plays into the large political aspect of this book. Since Hank's ultimate goal is to transform Britain into a country ruled by the people, he starts factories producing modern goods which greatly changes the lives of the Britons. I enjoyed the descriptions of the people's reaction to these modern products of science thirteen centuries before they would be invented. Throughout the entire book commentary and philosophizing concerning the comparison of the fifth century feudal system of Britain and the nineteenth century democracy of the U.S. by Hank Morgan is common. This political aspect is typical of Twain's works. It gave me great pleasure to read this aspect of the book and to comprehend it's meaning. Through Hank Morgan, Mark Twain is able to depict vivid images in the readers mind. Whether it be a person, scene, or sensation felt by Hank Twain describes it in a way which puts a solid picture in the imagination of the reader. I have not seen the movie of this novel, but I have heard it isn't very well done and it is nothing compared to the book. I believe this is because Mark Twain paints such a realistic picture in the mind of the reader, it is nothing compared to what some director can film. From Mark Twain's great descriptions and writing style to the unique ideas presented, the novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a fantastic novel. There are so many aspects of it to enjoy, and it is just an all around entertaining book. I give this book four out of five stars and I recommend it to any one interested in fantasy, especially if they want a different perspective on King Arthur.

This is an excellent book. It is by far the best Twain I have read yet, and I give it four stars. In this novel, Mark Twain holds the glory and romance associated with Arthurian Legend up to the standards of 19th century society, and reveals defects in both the romantic ideal of King Arthur and the faith that Twain's generation holds in scientific and social "progress." Both funny and thought-provoking, this book provides the reader with a new set of eyes with which to view the barbarism and injustice that Arthur and his knights so valiantly fought to preserve. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is the tale of Hank Morgan, a typical 19th century man who is transported back in time to the days of Merlin, Guinevere, and King Arthur. After becoming aware of his surroundings, and deciding to ignore his uncertainty about whether King Arthur actually existed, this man uses the common knowledge of his time period, his practicality, and some perfectly timed arrogance to acquire a position of great power in this land that he finds repulsive and in need of an enlightened leader. The ensuing story is the tale of what happens when the two utopias collide and this man abuses his power in an attempt to bring the "great and beneficent" miracles of the 19th century to the Age of Chivalry. I would recommend this book to any reader in 8th grade or above, but I would discourage people with passionate faith in the purity and glory of King Arthur from reading this book if they do not want to be forcefully presented with demonstrations of chivalry's inhumanities. A fairly well developed sense of humor will help the reader to enjoy Mark Twain's subtle ironies and satirical situations, and some basic knowledge of science helps in understanding some of the scenes, however this isn't vital to the book. The vocabulary is moderately advanced, the subject matter is somewhat mature at times, and the philosophical reasoning is probably beyond the reach of most Junior High students, yet I would encourage anyone who is interested to give this book a try. This novel is also great for the general public because A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court provides the reader with a main character with whom they may identify. The main character, Hank Morgan is presented with situations in which he must deal with being a stranger in a new atmosphere, being a social outcast due to his uncommon beliefs, he must avoid physical confrontation, and he is forced to use his intellectual abilities rather than brute strength to solve difficult situations. Many readers will have faced similar difficulties in their lives, and this ability to identify with the characters will definitely add to the overall enjoyment of the story. With this piece of work, Mark Twain displays his true talent for excellent writing and story telling. He incorporates enough adventurous and action filled scenarios to make the reader want to continue reading vigorously, yet he also manages to discuss very philosophical and thought-provoking topics during the lulls in the action. This book reads very quickly near the beginning and end. The action tapers off during the middle of the story, but not for long, and once it starts to pick up again, Twain demonstrates his true potential for greatly entertaining writing in the very climactic and cleverly ironic ending that brings this all-around great book to an even better close. This is definitely a book worth reading.

Well, the perfect companion to La Morte d'Arthur...

Twain completely dissects the "good ol' days" of Arthurian Britain by exposing the vicious social practices of the time: white slavery, le droit de seigneur, confiscation of property in event of suicide, the complete lack of impartial justice, the degrading influence of the Church on the mass, etcetera etcetera etcetera...

The Arthurian legends are wonderful tales, but they are a mythic literary production; Twain deals with the brutal reality of daily living in the Dark Ages, and points out that the good ol' days were not so good, anyway.

As for its applicability to modern America, I am not fit to judge. Perhaps it's there. But "The Connecticut Yankee" is a wonderful tonic for those prone to romanticizing the past. Twain seems to agree with Tom Paine that the English nobility were "no-ability", and simply the latest in a series of robbers.

And, of course, the book is stuffed with wonderful Twainisms... My favorite is his observation that a conscience is a very inconvenient thing, and the significant difference between a conscience and an anvil is that, if you had an anvil inside you, it would be alot less uncomfortable than having a conscience.

Twain also mentions the beautiful mispronunciations of childhood, and how the bereaved parental ear listens in vain for them once children have grown.

You'll never look at castles the same again...

The Prince and the Pauper was a classic example of early literature. It was written like every other Mark Twain book, in old English dialect. I could understand it, but at times I had to read some areas over again to get what he was saying. I read this book for a literature assingment, and I did not enjoy it. Some areas of the book are funny and quite charming, but overall the story is really hard to get into. If you like fairy tales or stories from medievil times, this is the book for you. I really think I could have read a book better than this one with my time though. I also recommend: "Princess: A tale of life under the veil in Saudi Arabia" By: Jean Sasson

Mark Twain's, The Prince and the Pauper is a classic look back into sixteenth-century English society. Tom Canty is a young boy who is born into poverty and is forced to beg in the streets of London by his father. Edward Tudor is the Prince of Wales, heir to the throne. Both of these boys were born on the same day but grew up in opposite ways of life. One day Tom is dreaming about being a prince and starts walking towards the royal palace. When he reaches the palace the guards try to stop him but Prince Edward sees Tom's condition and invites him to his quarters to hear what Tom has to say. While they sit there they begin to realize what strong resemblance there is between them and decide to switch clothes to fulfill Tom's dream of looking Princely. All of a sudden Edward storms out of the room to denounce the guards who did harm to Tom, only to be mistaken as the poor pauper and locked out of the royal palace. From here on out the two boys experience what life is like in the other's shoes. Mark Twain does an outstanding job of developing each character and showing how each must learn new ideas to deal with their latest way of life. Unfortunately I did find myself losing my concentration while reading this book. This easily could have been due to the fact that the way Twain wrote The Prince and the Pauper was actually on a very easy reading level, which would lead me to recommend this book to readers of middle school age who enjoy adventurous tales like The Boxcar Children or The Hardy Boys.

This is the story of a prince and a pauper who switch places because of their uncanny outer resemblance. They obviously go through many trials and ordeals - the pauper trying to learn the ways of royalty, and the prince having to witness and undergo the results of some of the ridiculous laws and practices of the period.

Like many of Mark Twain's books, this is another satire that makes fun of the values that society holds to be important. In this story, Mark Twain points out how people place so much importance on outer appearance. A prince and a pauper, who, despite their outer resemblance are very different people, switch places, without anyone noticing. There is more to a person than their looks, and this is one point stressed throughout the novel.

The one complaint I have about this book is that there wasn't enough written about Tom Canty, the pauper who became a prince. I found his situations much more interesting than those of the true prince, but this was only a minor point.

I would recommend this book for ages 12 and older. Younger people could read the story, but miss the underlying meanings in certain situations. I wouldn't call this book a "Must Read" but it is a good introduction to classic literature.