The 10 Best Mark Twain Books

10 Must-Read Mark Twain Books - TCK Publishing

10 of the Best Books by Mark Twain

Mark Twain Books That Everyone Should Read

14 Mark Twain Books That Everyone Should Read | Reedsy Discovery

In a quaint town by the Mississippi River, two boys - Huckleberry Finn, a poor child with an alcoholic father, and Tom Sawyer, a middle-class imaginative boy, stumble upon a robber's treasure. The newfound wealth is kept in a bank for Huck, who is taken in by Widow Douglas, a well-meaning woman with her self-righteous sister, Miss Watson. Despite Huck's initial displeasure with his new respectable life, he stays put for the sake of joining Tom's new gang. However, his alcoholic father reappears demanding Huck's money, resulting in a custody battle. A new judge tries to reform the father, but fails. Angered when Widow Douglas warns him to stay away, Huck's father kidnaps him and confines him in a cabin across the river.

Huck endures imprisonment and regular beatings until he fakes his own death and escapes to Jackson’s Island in the Mississippi River, where he encounters Jim, a runaway slave. Despite reservations about the legality and morality of aiding a fugitive, Huck pairs up with Jim on their journey downriver, encountering robbers, narrowly escaping slave hunters, and surviving a steamboat collision. Huck ends up with the Grangerfords, a feuding Southern aristocrat family, while Jim repairs the damaged raft. The duo then rescues two men pursued by bandits, who claim to be a displaced English duke and a long-lost French heir. Despite their obvious deception, Huck and Jim are forced to continue with them down the river.

The charlatans commit numerous scams, culminating in selling Jim as a runaway slave. Huck locates Jim and resolves to free him, ending up in the household of Tom Sawyer’s aunt and uncle, who mistake him for Tom. Tom arrives, pretending to be his younger brother and devising a dangerous plan to free Jim. After unnecessary complications, they free Jim, but Tom is shot in the process. Jim sacrifices his freedom to nurse Tom, but it is revealed that Jim had been freed via Miss Watson's will. Tired of civilization, Huck plans to set out for the West.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Aventuras de Huckleberry Finn

In the small town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, young Tom Sawyer, renowned for his imaginative and mischievous nature, resides with Aunt Polly and Sid, his half-brother. His antics lead him into punishment, whitewashing a fence, after he plays truant and returns home with soiled clothes. Initially disappointed, Tom astutely convinces his friends to trade small treasures for the privilege of doing his task. These treasures later buy him a Bible at Sunday school, but his glory is short-lived when he incorrectly names the first two disciples. In the meantime, he falls for Becky Thatcher, a newcomer, only for the relationship to crumble when she discovers his past engagement to Amy Lawrence. Not long after, Tom and Huckleberry Finn, a friend and son of the town's alcoholic, witness the murder of Dr. Robinson by Injun Joe in a graveyard, leading to them fleeing and swearing secrecy, but their guilt increases as Muff Potter is falsely accused and detained for the murder. 

In an attempt to escape their guilt, Tom, Huck, and another friend, Joe Harper, decide to play pirates on an island. They soon realize that the town is searching for them, thinking they have drowned. Tom, however, sneaks in and witnesses the chaos before deciding to surprise everyone by showing up at his supposed funeral, a plan he manages to convince Joe and Huck to join. Their return is met with excitement and admiration. Back at school, Tom regains Becky's favor by taking the blame for a ripped book. When Muff Potter's trial starts, a guilty Tom testifies against Injun Joe, leading to Potter's exoneration and Injun Joe's escape. 

As summer sets in, Tom and Huck embark on a treasure hunt in a haunted house. They unexpectedly find Injun Joe, disguised as a Spanish mute, and his unkempt companion planning to bury their stolen treasure. The sight of Tom and Huck's tools makes them suspicious, leading them to take the gold away instead of burying it. Huck starts following Injun Joe, waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch the gold. Simultaneously, Tom and Becky get lost in a cave during a picnic, only for Tom to stumble upon Injun Joe, who uses the cave as a hideout. Eventually, Tom finds an exit, leaving Injun Joe to starve to death after the cave is locked. Tom and Huck later find the box of gold in the cave, the earnings of which are invested for them. The Widow Douglas adopts Huck, but when he tries to run away, Tom convinces him to return by offering him a spot in his robber band.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Las Aventuras de Tom Sawyer

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Un Yanqui de Connecticut en la Corte del Rey Arturo

A stranger from the North, aspiring to be a lawyer, arrives in the small town of Dawson's Landing, Missouri. However, not being able to comprehend his sense of humor, the local people brand him as "Pudd'nhead" and deny him their legal work. He manages to survive by doing odd jobs while spending most of his time engaging in scientific experiments, particularly on fingerprints.

Roxy, a stunning slave who could be mistaken for a white woman, exchanges her infant son with her master's identical-looking child, who was born the same day, to protect her son from being sold. Her son, Chambers, now referred to as "Tom", grows up as a privileged white man and is set to inherit an estate. On the other hand, her master's child, known as Chambers, grows up as a slave. "Tom" grows up to be a heartless, cowardly man whose gambling debts eventually drive him to rob houses, put Roxy, who is now free, back into slavery, and ultimately kill his uncle, Judge Driscoll, in a failed theft attempt.

Luigi and Angelo, one-time sideshow artists, are attractive and charismatic, claiming to be Italian twins and the sons of a dethroned nobleman. They arrive in Dawson's Landing, looking for a peaceful life away from the world's hustle and rent a room in Widow Cooper's house. Luigi had once killed a man who tried stealing an invaluable Indian knife from them. This knife is stolen by "Tom" and used to murder Judge Driscoll. The twins initially gain popularity among the townsfolk, but lose it due to a dispute with "Tom." Following a city election where "Pudd'nhead" is declared mayor, "Tom," desperate for money, murders the Judge using the twins' knife. When his true identity is revealed by "Pudd'nhead" and his scientific evidence during a murder trial, "Tom" is sold to pay off his debts while the twins leave for Europe and "Pudd'nhead" is seen successful, but left without any old friends around to share his triumph.

14 Best Mark Twain Books of All Time

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson

Roughing It

Original Illustrations

The Gilded Age

A Tale of Today

The Mysterious Stranger

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

A Tramp Abroad

The Innocents Abroad

Original Illustrations

Life on the Mississippi

Following the Equator

A Journey Around the World

The Prince and the Pauper

Original Illustrations

Autobiography

Sources

What To Read Next

14 Best Mark Twain Books of All Time

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson

Roughing It

Original Illustrations

The Gilded Age

A Tale of Today

The Mysterious Stranger

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

A Tramp Abroad

The Innocents Abroad

Original Illustrations

Life on the Mississippi

Following the Equator

A Journey Around the World

The Prince and the Pauper

Original Illustrations

Autobiography

Sources

What To Read Next

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