Editions

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Read this 19th-century childhood adventure story that confronts the reality of racism in America.

'There comes a time in every boy's life when when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure'

Impish, daring young Tom Sawyer is a hero to his friends and a torment to his relations. For wherever there is mischief or adventure, Tom is at the heart of it. During one hot summer, Tom witnesses a murder, runs away to be a pirate, attends his own funeral, rescues an innocent man from the gallows, searches for treasure in a haunted house, foils a devilish plot and discovers a box of gold. But can he escape his nemesis, the villainous Injun Joe?

BACKSTORY: Find out some fascinating facts about the author and have a go at a game of marbles!

Reviews

  • This classic story will stay with you through life, and always remind you of the things that you knew were important when you first read it

    Independent

  • Whet juvenile appetites with Tom, his entrepreneurial spirit and his taste for treasure-hunting adventure. A paean to true boyhood

    Guardian

  • The language is hard to begin with but the hero is one of the most endearing in literature

    Michael Morpurgo, Daily Telegraph

  • Twain had a gift for reliving the innermost feelings of growing up, the insecurity, fears and hopes that lie beneath the swagger that young boys maintain. He turned them into literature

    Daily Mail

  • Tom and Huck Finn are as immortal as their swashbuckling friendship

    Daily Mail

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About the Author

Mark Twain

Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835, Mark Twain spent his youth in Hannibal, Missouri, which forms the setting for his two greatest works, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Trying his hand at printing, typesetting and then gold-mining, the former steam-boat pilot eventually found his calling in journalism and travel writing. Dubbed 'the father of American literature' by William Faulkner, Twain died in 1910 after a colourful life of travelling, bankruptcy and great literary success.

Mark Twain

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Features

12 of the best Mark Twain quotes

Mark Twain — real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens — was an American writer and humourist. Famous for writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, indeed, he is a pioneer of The Great American Novel. Here are 12 of his most brilliant quotes.

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