The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Annotated

With the publishing of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain introduced the two immortal characters of Tom and Huckleberry to the "Hall of Fame" of American literature, as well as re-invented the traditional frontier tale. Written around 1870, the novel initially began as a series of letters from Twain to an old friend (Letters to Will Bowen) about their boyhood pranks, schooldays, and childhood mischief. In his preface, the author notes that Tom Sawyer is drawn from real life, but is a combination "of the characteristics of three boys whom he) knew?" With recollections fresh in his memory, it is supposed that Twain completed the work of Americana rather quickly, at the rate of 50 pages per day.

Published in England several months before distribution in the United States, Tom Sawyer still remains Twain's top-selling book, considered a popular classic for all ages. Ironically, Twain wrote to his publisher: "It is not a boy's book, at all. It will only be read by adults. It is only written for adults."

The novel describes the youthful adventures of the young protagonist, who embodies the ideal of American youth during the frontier era that preceded Industrialization. Critics agree that the story is often overshadowed by the novel's sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; but there is no doubt that Tom Sawyer is considered among one of the greatest pieces of American fiction, particularly with Twain's exceptional ability to capture the "idylls of boyhood" with such vivid and dramatic detail.

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