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Dear Mark Twain,

Although I've heard a lot about you, I haven't read any of your novels up until now. I must say that you are indeed an excellent writer. Your novel Huckleberry Finn is quite an impressive piece of work. It comes off as a simple story about a boy named Huck and his adventures down a river, but it is sooo much deeper than that (as expected). Props to you for creating layers upon layers upon layers of symbols, themes, and motifs in this novel. Its so "deep" that I don't know what to do with it or where to start. Well, maybe I do ..

So I know you've probably been asked this a lot, but what really motivated you to write a novel such as this one using the language that you did? Moreover, what is your personal take on the "N" word? It is easy to see how this novel can become the center of controversy amongst readers and writers, but more props to you for being different and really challenging the literary world. I mean someone had to do it (eventually). Anywho, back to the novel.

I must say, so far so good. Although the dialect gets a little hard to read sometimes, it really puts a nice touch to the novel. I really like the concept that you have going on as well; how Huck and Jim (two totally different classes of people) are running away from their problems by traveling down the river of freedom together. They both have their own problems and reasons for running away, but as they spend more and more time together on the raft it seems to me as though they've come together as one. As if to say that they're not that different from each other at all. This leads me to think of the raft as a symbol of unity. See?? Now THAT'S deep!

Other opinions about Huckleberry Finn, hmm .. Well I kind of also feel as though it's a bit contradicting. Or at least Huck is. There's constant battles between what's good, bad, right, wrong, so on and so forth. It really gets me thinking about what is the right thing to do? For example, turn Jim in because (according to society) that's the right thing to do or keep him because he's my friend. No kid should have to make decisions like that, but Huck was forced to which brings about his more mature side. From pulling pranks on Jim to finally standing up for what he believe is right, Huck has really grown as a character which makes the novel a Bildungsroman. Your characters are undoubtedly very round.

As far as criticism is concerned, I sort of feel like certain events in the novel were "staged". What are the odds of the dauphin encountering someone who talks about a recently deceased man leaving behind a large lump sum of money? And what are the odds that he has sent for his two brothers that lives in a different country? It's far too coincidental to my liking. And the way the two con artists pull off their tricks so easily ... What is this, the tragedy of Othello!? Hahaha. No, but overall I'm really enjoying your novel. I'm so looking forward to writing more blogs about you and your novel. Thanks man.

Sincerely,
Sandy Nguyen