(Book review)

From early childhood, the world of native literature opens its wide doors before us. But we do not always think about the fact that culture is the work of all mankind, not of one nation. And it turns out that Ukrainian literature is only one of the branches on the fruitful tree of world literature.

The works of American writer Mark Twain are loved by adults and children even in the remotest corners of the globe. There is so much light and good humor, witty jokes and wise things on every page of this author’s book entitled as ‘The Adventures of Tom Sayer’! His most famous characters are Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, the boys depressed by school and church, and, at the same time, managed to live free and happy lives.

In the image of the main character – Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain portrayed himself as a child. The story is based on real events that happened to the writer during his childhood, so the story is practically autobiographical.

Tom is an ordinary boy, a rascal and a brawler. His life is full of adventure, light and joy. Not everyone is allowed to see the unusual in everyday life. And Tom is able to surprise himself with a seemingly ordinary event and show it to others from an unusual angle. Original and amazing opportunities open up for him including a task to pull out his own tooth, a task to whitewash the fence, and to make numerous household items: a key, a lump of chalk, orange peels and more. The boy is a true friend, knows how to entertain and to keep secrets. Tom’s intelligence, responsibility, and nobility help him and Becky, the girl he’s in love with, get out of the cave.

In Tom’s character we can see both the positive and the negative points, but the positive prevail. Of course, Tom is a carefree and naughty boy who can drown himself in any mischief. Sometimes he misses classes at school, rude to his aunt, naughty at home, but at the same time this brawler and headstrong is a good and caring, noble and brave, truthful and honest friend. In brief, he is like many of his peers. He brags not out of evil, but because of his dreamy nature, liking to invent various adventures to make life funny and fascinating.

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are my favorite characters from Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.’ When I read this book, it seems to me that something is written about me. I study well, but for me, as well as for Tom, Monday morning is unpleasant time. “Tom Sawyer felt very unhappy on Monday morning. It always happened to him on Mondays, because this day begins a week of new suffering at school. ” It really happens. You don’t want to leave school on Friday, and it’s hard to start school on Monday. But with Tom and Huck, everything seems easy. Tom taught me how to do unpleasant things with ease.

‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ is a hymn to childhood, translated into prose, as Mark Twain himself noted. The events in which Tom Sawyer is involved make Mark Twain’s book marvelous and magnificent. And Tom Sawyer became a good friend of mine. My rating is 10/10.