Twain’s world

Dadeville Public Library kicks off statewide Big Read initiative

By Brent Maze (Contact) | Dadeville Record

Published Wednesday, February 10, 2010

The Dadeville Public Library is joining Alabama’s public library system in its new campaign, The Big Read.

The topic for the inaugural year of the program is Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

Dr. Alan Gribben, who spoke to a group of more than 30 people at The Big Read kickoff Tuesday, said this Twain book is one of the least read and discussed classic books.

“‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ is considered by many to be juvenile literature,” Gribben told the group. “It is overshadowed by its much heralded sequel ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.’”

But Gribben said that readers of Huckleberry Finn cannot fully understand the novel unless they read the introduction in Tom Sawyer, which is one of his 10 reasons to read “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” Other reasons he gives to read the book include:

• The book introduced fresh narrative tone into fiction writing.

• Academic critics have largely (and mercifully) ignored Tom Sawyer.

• Visitors to Hannibal, Mo., can still see many of the landmarks mentioned in the book.

• The book serves as a reminder about slavery.

• Twain also developed his first narrative moments of suspense.

After Alabama received its Big Read grant, Gribben was commissioned by the state to write an introduction to Tom Sawyer. Gribben is a professor at Auburn University-Montgomery and is an expert on Twain.

The Dadeville Public Library has 10 copies of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” for checkout. A series of events will be scheduled throughout the next month to promote reading of the Twain classic.

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