Tom Sawyer

Mark Twain is one of the most enjoyable classic authors to read. As a child, I was an avid reader of his work, and even got to take a trip to Hannibal, Missouri to visit his boyhood home. He was witty and smart, as well as very critical of the culture of his time. It’s not a wonder his books are being read in so many classrooms.

Manga Classics had already done a great job adapting The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, so I was excited to see what they would do with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. While the story itself is well-suited to being a manga adaptation, it felt like it was missing something that made Twain’s work so much fun to read.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a historical coming-of-age/slice-of life story featuring immature boys doing immature boy stuff. If you’re an anime or manga fan, you’ve no doubt come across a lot of stories like that. So, the story of Tom Sawyer is well suited to the medium. Adapter Crystal S. Chan and artist Kuma Chan did a great job at bringing that fun, signature manga style into this classic American tale in a way that feels very natural.

The Author’s Voice

As I read, it kept feeling like something was missing. The realization eventually struck that it was the lack of Twain’s voice. Being a visual adaptation, the narrative is expressed through images, and the characters speak the dialogue. Twain was an incredible wordsmith and storyteller, so a huge part of the fun of reading his work are the narrations themselves.

Having read and loved his original work, this felt like only a taste of the good stuff. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If an adaptation can spur a reader on into reading the original text, then it is a successful work.

Manga Classics is dedicated to adapting each new text with the utmost care and passion. I love classic lit, manga, and how well the two mediums marry in each of their adaptations. While I was left wanting for more of Twain’s voice, any reader who wants the story by itself will enjoy this adaptation. It’s also a good introduction for any newcomer to Twain’s work.

If you’d like to learn more about Manga Classics and their adaptations, visit their website here.

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