The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Comrade)

438+[52 ad] pages with frontispiece and numerous illustrations. Small octavo (7 1/2" x 5 1/2") bound in original publisher's red cloth with gilt lettering to spine and cover and black decorative figures to cover and spine. First edition, first state with the publisher's ads dated 1884, precedes the American edition which was released in February 1885 and the British edition was released in December 1884.

The book is noted for its colorful description of people and places along the Mississippi River. Set in a Southern antebellum society that had ceased to exist about 20 years before the work was published, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an often scathing satire on entrenched attitudes, particularly racism. Perennially popular with readers, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has also been the continued object of study by literary critics since its publication. The book was widely criticized upon release because of its extensive use of coarse language. Throughout the 20th century, and despite arguments that the protagonist and the tenor of the book are anti-racist, criticism of the book continued due to both its perceived use of racial stereotypes and its frequent use of the racial slur. Twain initially conceived of the work as a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer that would follow Huckleberry Finn through adulthood. Beginning with a few pages he had removed from the earlier novel, Twain began work on a manuscript he originally titled Huckleberry Finn's Autobiography. Twain worked on the manuscript off and on for the next several years, ultimately abandoning his original plan of following Huck's development into adulthood. He appeared to have lost interest in the manuscript while it was in progress, and set it aside for several years. After making a trip down the Hudson River, Twain returned to his work on the novel. Upon completion, the novel's title closely paralleled its predecessor's: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Comrade).

Condition:

Spine age darkened, touch of rubbing to corners, some wear and age darkening to front issue guard, end papers renewed, closed tear to signature pages 369-384 probably during original binding process else a very good copy.