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The Dialogue Society Book Group - Meeting 42: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Tue, 31 May 2022 18:00 in Community Engagement
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Venue: Online
Date: Thursday, 31st May 2022
Time: 18:00-19:30

In this session of the Dialogue Society Book Group, we will explore Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain on Thursday, 31st May 2022.

The Dialogue Society Book Group - Meeting 42: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Who doesn’t know this rebellious teenager with the big straw hat? But Mark Twain’s second book about the young Huckleberry Finn – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the sequel to The Adventures of Tom Saywer – is much more than a children’s story full of adventure and excitement. It is dark in places, dealing with difficult topics such as slavery, lies, betrayal, moral actions, and true friendship. It is a biting satire of American South romanticism and a poignant portray of the pre–Civil War American society as the often naive but always perceptive perspective of Huckleberry Finn questions preconceived ideas and accepted prejudices. Yet at the end of his journey down the Mississippi River, he and the runaway slave Jim arrive at the epitome of the American dream: freedom!

"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. It's the best book we've had."
Ernest Hemingway

"A masterpiece"
T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) American poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor

About the Dialogue Society Book Group

The Dialogue Society Book Group explores the capacity of books to provide windows into different cultural and intercultural worlds. We will be choosing a series of quality novels to read and then to discuss together at relaxed, sociable gatherings at the Dialogue Society. Participants are welcome to suggest books for future sessions.

Participants will need to find a copy of the book chosen for each meeting and will need to read it prior to the meeting.

We will have a conversation about the book and our responses to it. Discussion may cover:

  • the quality of the storytelling
  • the authenticity and accuracy with which a historical/cultural situation is portrayed
  • our personal responses to it

You do not need to be an expert on literature or anything else to join in. The group should be enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a good book and likes discovering new ones.

Prospective books for future sessions (NB we are open to suggestions)

  • Bird Summons, Leila Aboulela
  • Pachinko, Min Jin Lee
  • Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus, Isaac Asimov
  • An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway

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