101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion

Discuss the second half.

Well, Twain says in the beginning that the characters are compilations of people he knew, and the adventures are a collection as well, so I suppose it's no surprise that so many crazy adventures happen to primarily these two boys. But what a ride! You have to laugh at the boys' antics, even while a parent would roll their eyes and pull their hair out in frustration.

I think my favorite part is just how well Clemens managed to capture the whole atmosphere of small town Missouri...or rather, the South in general. What's so amusing about it is that it has changed so little, at least in places, to this very day. The church ladies and the villains and the roguish boys really haven't changed that much, and the mentalities are mostly still the same--which is both good and bad. It's nostalgic in some ways and makes me smile and shake my head, in the way I do when making fun of my own family (when I would never suffer someone from outside my family to make fun of them in the same way!)

I always find it very enlightening to read so-called children's books as an adult, because much like Disney and Pixar, the adult underlying themes become more readily obvious.

It's a charming, nostalgic adventure, and one I look forward to revisiting again in the future.