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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- Narrated by: Nick Offerman
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
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Summary
"Being paid to perform such a gratifying activity as reading Mark Twain aloud felt powerfully akin to Tom Sawyer hoodwinking other boys into paying him for the privilege of whitewashing a fence. Let's keep that between us." (Narrator Nick Offerman)
With The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, not even Twain could have known that when he introduced readers to the inhabitants of the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, he would also be introducing two characters - one a clever and mischievous scamp, and the other a carefree, innocent ragamuffin - whose stories would ultimately shape the course of American literature. But whereas its sequel and companion piece, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, would harken an end to childhood, the story of Tom Sawyer is one that depicts the excitement and adventure of boyhood along the Mississippi.
Revisit this enduring classic and you will be struck not only by Twain's skill at capturing a time and place so vividly but also by his uncanny ability to crystallize those oftentimes tumultuous and conflicting emotions that a child experiences at the precipice of adulthood: a longing to be free from the rules and obligations of adults while enjoying the laxity inherent in childhood; a love of all things macabre, like blood oaths, cemetery cures, and haunted houses, that reveal a true innocence - an unawareness of real-life consequences and one's own mortality; and the pangs of guilt when knowing the right thing to do and doing the right thing appear to be at odds.
A natural storyteller and raconteur in his own right - just listen to Paddle Your Own Canoe and Gumption - actor, comedian, carpenter, and all-around manly man Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) brings his distinctive baritone and a fine-tuned comic versatility to Twain's writing. In a knockout performance, he doesn't so much as read Twain's words as he does rejoice in them, delighting in the hijinks of Tom - whom he lovingly refers to as a "great scam artist" and "true American hero" - while deftly delivering the tenderness and care Twain gave to his own characters.
Critic reviews
"Offerman's Illinois-raised voice and actor's talent suit him ideally to channel Mark Twain and his archetypal American Puck (that "P" isn't a typo), who played pirates with an archetypal American Huck, conned his pals into whitewashing the fence, fell in love with Becky Thatcher and showed up alive at his own funeral." (The New York Times)
"Nick Offerman reading Tom Sawyer is just as charming as you’d hope." (The Verge)
"There’s something about his wry Midwestern merriment that aspires to Twainishness." (Men’s Journal)
What listeners say about The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ben E
- 14-02-17
a classic for a reason
Would you consider the audio edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to be better than the print version?
nick offermans performance adds a new depth and tone to the book that lets you relax into it and lets it surround you rather than just reading it
Who was your favorite character and why?
tom of course, theres no adventures with out him
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
through out the tale you feel a strong bond to tom and only wish the best for him
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10 people found this helpful
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- B.H.
- 03-03-19
Pretty much perfect
This was one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. I hadn’t read any Mark Twain for a long, long time and had forgotten what a fantastic writer he was. Nick Offerman’s reading was flawless and very well suited to the book.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Rebecca
- 22-03-18
Awesome!
So glad I chose this version! Never read AOTS before- loved it! Will most likely listen to it again soon.
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5 people found this helpful
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- ahmad
- 25-12-18
A period piece that seems personal to the author
This is a story that seems very personal to the author. This fact becomes clear to the reader half through story even without knowing the backdrop to which this novel was written or its author.
Although being one the best renowned literary classics, the story is simple and straight forward and is suitd any age demographic.
The narration is excellent and is worthy of such novel.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 16-10-17
Excellent narration, nice story
Loved the narrator's effort to make it such lively story to listen to. A tale of a young boy, it'll bring back your childhood.
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4 people found this helpful
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- gerry chick
- 01-05-20
Not Read Before
At the age of 65 it seems hard to believe that I have not already become acquainted with the works of Mark Twaine.
This is the first in the series and was considerably more enjoyable than I had imagined it was going to be.
Overall an entertaining and easy that its well worth a listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Tambo
- 11-07-18
Terrific Tale
This is a classic you simply must listen to. Nick is the best narrator for Twain’s story. I hope he also narrates Huck Finn
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3 people found this helpful
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- M. Griffiths
- 16-10-17
Fine production
Solid performance of Twain's coming of age story. The plot is pretty thin but the whole is elevated by the author's wit.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Daft Monk
- 10-11-18
Perfect Narrator!
I think this book was made for Nick Offerman to narrate and he does a great job of voicing the characters without hamming it up too much!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 26-03-21
Beautifully read
A perfect performance. (Note: this is the original text, including use of racist N word.)
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1 person found this helpful