The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Run, skip, drive, walk quickly, swim or locomote to your nearest audiobook supplier and procure a copy of Patrick Fraley's sensational reading of this American classic. Touted on its packaging as a performance, as opposed to a mere narration, this rendition should be recognized as an audio classic in its own right. Fraley recreates Huck, Jim and the rest of the gang flawlessly, using an elastic voice, perfect diction and bubbling enthusiasm. He has mastered the many dialects of this nineteenth-century text, making it easy to follow the story and appreciate Twain's humor. Fraley also does some serious verbal gymnastics by changing character voices a half-dozen times within a two-minute span. The music between chapters adds to the overall exceptional experience. R.I.G. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Twain's classic of American realism is given a serviceable narration by Garrick Hagon, who voices the many personalities and dialects clearly. What is missing is the sense of wonder the boy-narrator experiences from lying on a raft and looking at the sky, from noticing the beauties of the majestic river and its traffic, and especially (in Chapter 31) from his soul-shaking battle with his conscience, one of the great passages of world literature. Pace is another casualty. Hagon maintains a mostly consistent pace, which fails at times to capitalize on some of the dramatic moments. In sum, this is a respectful reading of a famously disrespectful book, so this unabridged recording is welcome but not definitive. G.H. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Listeners are becoming more and more discriminating about the fidelity of the audio production, as well as the artistry of the reading performance. Norman Dietz's 1991 interpretation is at a listenable speed, and Recorded Books' acclaimed level of audio fidelity is definitely present. The immediacy of the voice produces an intimacy with the story. Dietz does not merely read; he interprets and gives life to the story. He portrays a very sympathetic and believable Huckleberry. His other vocal characterizations, however, particularly the real Phelps brother and the slave Jim, could be more realistic. Norman Dietz's professional performance offers us interpretive substance through his credible and kind Huckleberry. P.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

One of the better unabridged recordings of Mark Twain's masterpiece is on par with others vis-ˆ-vis interpretation and excels in sheer beauty. In this impeccably quiet release, Tom Parker (aka Grover Gardner) contributes a resonant announcer's baritone, superb technique, musical expressiveness, and a fond, intelligent understanding. He is less a narrator here than a storyteller, one of the best this reviewer has heard, sounding as if he were speaking extemporaneously. Of the half-dozen recorded renditions I've auditioned, this is the one that best expresses the brilliance of Twain's rendering of dialect and a rural boy's sensibility. A judicious use of sound processing enhances his performance. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Huckleberry Finn has had a rough life, enduring protests and book bans by generations of readers unfamiliar with the concept of irony. Revisiting a novel only dimly remembered from high school is always a treat, but Huck Finn still presents its challenges. Can a narrator stay true to the text without lapsing into caricature, especially in the case of Jim, the runaway slave? Michael Prichard does it rather well, giving Jim a distinctive voice without exaggeration. As most of the book is carried by Huck's own narrative, though, a more youthful voice than Prichard's might have been appropriate. Still, he does a good job with the dialect, and his pace is suitably laconic. As Huck might say, by and by, a body does get used to it. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Using a script delightfully faithful to the original, Ned Chaillet directs an all-Canadian cast in this co-production of the BBC and CBC. The story is priceless, relating Huck Finn's escape down the Mississippi with an escaped slave and the adventures they encounter along the way. Cast direction is quite good, as are the performances themselves, but the choice of actors Christopher Jacot as Huck and Peter Oldring as Tom makes it difficult to suspend disbelief--according to Twain's text, Huck is 12 or 13 years old while the actors sound like adults. Music composed of fiddle, guitar, and harmonica riffs is used more effectively than the sound effects, which at times are awkward. Originally broadcast in December 2002, the Canadian production also features Martin Roach as Jim and Mark Caven as Mark Twain. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Mike McShane, who played Muff Potter in the 1995 film Tom and Huck, is best known as a regular on the British improvisation game show "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?" McShane's satisfying and spirited performance of this great American novel would put a smile on Samuel Clemens's face. The story, told through the eyes of the titular runaway, is read with a respectful awareness of place and character, and a comedian's sense of timing. Most remarkable about McShane's reading is his rendering of the runaway slave, Jim, not as a mindless caricature, but as a strong, deep-voiced, and affectionate man on a quest, along with Huck, for hope and freedom. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Tim Behrens's 1990 reading is a fully voiced, virtuoso performance. His Huckleberry is young and believable. His pacing is good, as is his understanding of the novel, and his sincerity in transmitting it excites the listener. When Jim scolds Huck for playing a humiliating practical joke on him, the listener feels shame and embarrassment for Huck. Behrens' acting ability carries the day, and we are treated to the feast of voices and dialects that make up, in large part, the magic of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tim Behrens's versatile and inspired performance captures the soul of this great novel. P.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER.]--Recorded over a decade ago, these volumes suffer from a few bad edits and sound quality inferior to today's standards. Tim Behrens does a spirited job performing both, fully voicing the characters and keeping his touch light. But he adds an inappropriately mincing quality to the children and women he impersonates and emphasizes the low humor. These are definitely not the most profound interpretations of these classics but are amusing enough for the casual listener. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Listeners are becoming more and more discriminating about the fidelity of the audio production, as well as the artistry of the reading performance. Michael Pritchard's 1977 reading for Books on Tape reflects a quality typical for that time; the fidelity is only fair. Pritchard's reading is too rushed and gives the listener little chance to form images and absorb the material. His vocal characterizations are only moderately effective in helping the listener enter Huck's world of diverse personalities. If Pritchard's heart really is into telling the story, his voice betrays him. P.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

HUCK FINN is a daunting challenge to any narrator, and Will Wheaton does not comfortably articulate the required Midwestern accents. This fine actor is not at home here. The production shows signs of haste; Cairo (Illinois) is regularly mispronounced, for example. However, the abridgment is well done, catching the proper highlights, and Wheaton is expressive if not convincing. My younger children (5 and 7) enjoyed listening; the older ones (10 and 13) were more critical, but they've read the full text. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Radio personality and best-selling author Garrison Keillor lends his considerable charm, enthusiasm and taste to this superb reading and abridgment of Mark Twain's classic. His cutting makes no concessions to the Comstockery that has made HUCKLEBERRY FINN an object of heated debate. Instead, he gives us a "good parts" version, his personal pick of choice passages, edited with sensitivity to narrative flow, style and theme. The same literary tact plays in his voice, along with love and a child-like ingenuousness. This pristine recording is an excellent introduction to Keillor, as well as to Sam Clemens, two of America's most engaging heartland storytellers. Y.R. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN is a literary classic, and one novel that lends itself to a repertory presentation. That is what it receives in this performance by the St. Charles Players. Performed in what the publisher calls "radio theatre style," Huck Finn and characters comes alive. By using a cast of more than a dozen performers, and mixing in music, this production allows youngsters, and oldsters, to enjoy the tales that have made this book a classic. Although the abridgment certainly takes away from Twain's tale, it also allows the players to emphasize the most enjoyable scenes from the book, in just the right mix for a family audience. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Elijah Wood's performance of THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN is my nominee for the Narrators' Hall of Fame. Wood's unself-conscious reading doesn't sound like a reading at all. He creates an entire world filled with people who cross class and color lines. His accents range from British to faux-British to all manner of regional affectations, twangs, and drawls. Wood's delivery makes Mark Twain's delicious wit and twisty language sound completely natural, especially as Huck invents plausible words to suit the moment. The journey down the Mississippi with Huck and Jim is pure pleasure, as the boy who won't be "sivilized" and the runaway slave encounter scoundrels, slip out of scrapes, and invent outrageous tales. The listening couldn't be better if Huck read the story himself. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Narrator Robin Field magnificently captures the tone and rhythm of Mark Twain's classic novel. Most challenging for any narrator is the reproduction of the dialects, dramatic emphasis, and accents that are essential to the story, which on the surface is merely a journey down the Mississippi but, in truth, explores the coming-of-age of an "uncivilized" boy. Added reverb to some passages is an interesting production choice and adds to understanding the thought process of the protagonist. Field's youthful tone and connection to the emotional core of the story anchor the action of the novel, creating a connection between the listener and Twain that adds an extra dimension to the pleasure of what is arguably the great American novel. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Johnny Heller's stellar narration makes this audio experience ALMOST like hearing Mark Twain himself. Twain's dialogue and descriptions of people and places along the Mississippi River come alive. Huck; the escaped slave, Jim; and Tom Sawyer are equally distinct and believable. Most compelling is hearing Huck and Tom return after hunting for Jim; their discussion sounds like listening to a real conversation. Heller's portrayal of Huck is especially amusing when he pretends to be a shy, soft-spoken girl in order to pry information from an unsuspecting woman. A vivid description of a thunderstorm demonstrates how well-delivered words can serve as sound effects. This is Mark Twain at his best on audio. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine