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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- Narrated by: Nick Offerman
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
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Publisher's Summary
"Being paid to perform such a gratifying activity as reading Mark Twain aloud felt powerfully akin to Tom Sawyer hoodwinking other boys into paying him for the privilege of whitewashing a fence. Let's keep that between us." (Narrator Nick Offerman)
With The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, not even Twain could have known that when he introduced readers to the inhabitants of the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, he would also be introducing two characters - one a clever and mischievous scamp, and the other a carefree, innocent ragamuffin - whose stories would ultimately shape the course of American literature. But whereas its sequel and companion piece, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, would harken an end to childhood, the story of Tom Sawyer is one that depicts the excitement and adventure of boyhood along the Mississippi.
Revisit this enduring classic and you will be struck not only by Twain's skill at capturing a time and place so vividly but also by his uncanny ability to crystallize those oftentimes tumultuous and conflicting emotions that a child experiences at the precipice of adulthood: a longing to be free from the rules and obligations of adults while enjoying the laxity inherent in childhood; a love of all things macabre, like blood oaths, cemetery cures, and haunted houses, that reveal a true innocence - an unawareness of real-life consequences and one's own mortality; and the pangs of guilt when knowing the right thing to do and doing the right thing appear to be at odds.
A natural storyteller and raconteur in his own right - just listen to Paddle Your Own Canoe and Gumption - actor, comedian, carpenter, and all-around manly man Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) brings his distinctive baritone and a fine-tuned comic versatility to Twain's writing. In a knockout performance, he doesn't so much as read Twain's words as he does rejoice in them, delighting in the hijinks of Tom - whom he lovingly refers to as a "great scam artist" and "true American hero" - while deftly delivering the tenderness and care Twain gave to his own characters.
What the critics say
"Offerman's Illinois-raised voice and actor's talent suit him ideally to channel Mark Twain and his archetypal American Puck (that "P" isn't a typo), who played pirates with an archetypal American Huck, conned his pals into whitewashing the fence, fell in love with Becky Thatcher and showed up alive at his own funeral." (The New York Times)
"Nick Offerman reading Tom Sawyer is just as charming as you’d hope." (The Verge)
"There’s something about his wry Midwestern merriment that aspires to Twainishness." (Men’s Journal)
What listeners say about The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- James
- 2018-01-23
Excellent
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. No one is more suited to reading this book then Nick Offerman.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Gezim Hoxha
- 2018-01-11
Absolutely delightful
I enjoyed every bit of this book. The reading is superb and so is the story.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Reeko
- 2023-03-03
Great Narrator even at double speed
Word1 word2 word3 word4 word5 word6 word7 word8 word9 word10 word11 word12 word13 word14 word15
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emma David
- 2023-02-10
A classic for anyone.
I’ve always known Mark Twain novels are classics but didn’t read/ listen to any until this one. It’s written in 1800 so a few of the words used don’t make sense from today’s English perspective. It’s a good book though. Read a little slowly so I listened at x1.3 but I still enjoyed it. A nice read for anyone of any age.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-12-15
Mark Twain is a genius!
Such a great trip back to childhood. I loved everything about it, the very easy to read writing style, the childrens and parents seems so real I feel I know them. The audio part is one of the best I've had so far it felt like theater the way the narrator played with voices, the accent, the motive, the emotions added an extra layer to the book that I was not expecting and I'm now in love with it. looking forward to read Huckleberry Finn
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- VS
- 2022-12-03
Childhood favourite
I loved the performance!! So awesome, took me back to when I first read this book. Love it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jackie Law
- 2022-10-26
Wonderful story
Certainly a product of it's time, but I love the way Twain writes (many of his passages stand out as a unique joy to read), and Offerman is an excellent narrator.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- PM
- 2022-06-11
Great!
The audiobook was fun to listen to. The voice made me feel calm and helped get into the store. A real joyful experience.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-04-06
Aplus
obviously a well know story. it is perfect. well read, and an amazing story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rigolaf
- 2022-01-29
Offerman is Twain
When listening to a great American story, there can be no better voice than a great American one. Nick Offerman has done us all a great favour in narrating this in his inimitable style and grace. If you can even stand Twain, you will love this performance.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jb
- 2016-11-10
Reading from a new perspective
I don't remember liking Tom Sawyer much as a kid (more of a Huck fan). But now as an adult I realize how rare it is for an author to so accurately capture the way children talk to each other. The one-upsmanship (especially from little boys). The curious things they find valuable. The way that making their first moral choices will way on them. It all rings so accurate, from the view of an adult who still retains the memory of how those things felt.
And really it's just a fun story. The sort of episodic and loopy ways the story is told (where the narrative backtracks on itself as we switch points of view in the same incident) feel surprisingly modern.
The cultural differences (use of the "n" word, etc.) are, to be honest, a little uncomfortable. But for them not to be there would make the storytelling less true, and I think it would be a loss. Also, it's interesting to try to "read" Twain's telling to try to discover where he might have been indicating that, even as he told this story, he knew that the world was changing.
Nick Offerman's reading has a very light touch, differentiating the voices just enough so that it feels like a book and not a radio play (my personal preference). He seems to have a good handle on Twain's humor, and doesn't read like it's some sort of dusty museum piece, and not just a darned good, and darned funny, story.
48 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gillian
- 2016-09-26
Good, But Not The Best Audible Version--
You almost can't go wrong with Mark Twain, especially not the innocent joyousness of "Tom Sawyer" which is an ode to youth, adventure, and audacious mischievousness.
But you can hamper its retelling by having questionable narration. Nick Offerman, though feisty and capable, really doesn't settle into the story until about halfway through and, even then, he really doesn't do much for characterization as he mostly reads the text. Yes, with verve but, no, not much in the way of distinction. He offers mostly the same tones for each character, no "Oh, dear, what will I do with that boy," of a frustrated yet tickled aunt. No wheels whirring in a devious mind of Tom, no seen-much-and-done-much-more-than-that of Huck. No swirling yet beguiled sauciness of Becky.
The best "Tom Sawyer' on Audible is narrated by Tim Behrens (if you can handle the sound of a page turning here and there). Even Grover Gardner offers more vocal distinguishment. And yes, I have each version, so I can offer truthfully my personal opinion.
When I started listening to this, the story was so appealing, but Offerman's rendition was so uninspiring, that I switched to Tim Behrens so I could get the whole story with all the joy and excitement that Twain inspires.
Just remember: Get the kindle edition (anywhere from free to 1.99) and you can get most of the audible versions at a reduced rate, thus leaving your credit rations intact. Find the narrator that most suits your tastes.
But for my dollar, it wasn't Offerman, as talented as he is, who offered the wonder of the story as it should be told. Plenty of passion, but little warmth.
41 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rick
- 2017-01-10
Even better as an Adult!
I'm fairly certain this was required reading when I was in high school, and yet what I remember about anything Mark Twain was that it was school work and thus uninteresting, or at least I refused to let it entertain me. As I have with many of the classics which a person may or may not be introduced to in their formidable years, I have now begun a crusade to conquer these tales, or at least allow myself the time to read, and then later admit I found some enjoyment in the title. Tom Sawyer is no exception.
I was excited to see this title on Audible and so I dropped it in my queue thinking that if anything, Nick Offerman's narration would keep my attention, and I'd pick up most of what I forgot as a youth. I made a good choice! From the start, Nick Offerman does what he does best in story telling by relaying this American tale in only a way he can. His voice inflection and character accent is perfect for this work, which (almost) forced me to listen from start to finish. I was entertained from cover to cover only wishing Mr. Offerman read many other titles. I have his personal work in my library (Good Clean Fun, Gumption, Paddle your own Canoe), and hope that he will put pen to paper again, or will pick up another American classic and give us another performance.
Do yourself a favor and add this title to your library along with the titles I've mentioned herein. You'll be glued from start to finish and you may even find a new respect for Mark Twain and his ilk.
33 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vikings2473
- 2016-10-01
Top 5
In my top five audio books of all time, for the resplendent Twainian wit and deft penchant for adventure prose of course, but also the best new voice in audio books. Nick Offerman brought this old story up to date and lended it new life that had me sitting in my driveway long after I pulled in to finish chapters.
29 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Doug - Audible
- 2017-07-05
Fall in Love All Over Again
I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best things I have ever listened to. Nor would it be dishonest to say that this recording made me fall in love with Twain's classic ode to adolescence all over again. But perhaps the strangest thing, as I keep telling all my friends, is that I completely forgot how truly, laugh-out-loud funny this book is. I have the narration to thank for that reminder. Park and Recreation's Nick Offerman is known for playing the quintessential gruff male, but he thoroughly astonishes here, bending his baritone effortlessly to give Twain's characters life. My favorites: the uptight, exhaustive wailing of Aunt Polly; the cracked pleading of drunkard Muff Potter; and, of course, the winking, boyish charm of Tom himself, which Offerman gracefully transforms into tenderness during moments of adolescent melancholy. Which is to say, you can hear Offerman enjoying the reading and loving its characters.
26 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brad
- 2016-09-29
Stop what you are doing!
Nick Offerman was surely born to read this book. Tom Sawyer has been a classic boyhood story for years, and Offerman's performance of it is everything that one could want and more. Nick brings the story to life with unique voices in dialogue, and his own mellow tones for all the other narration make the story move. If you've ever considered reading Tom Sawyer, or have already read it and would like the audiobook, stop what you are doing and get this audible performance.
21 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert J
- 2016-09-23
Adventures of a timeless classic
Nick Offerman delivers this extraordinary adventure with a soothing voice and passion with the words on page. A story delivered as it should be. I highly recommend this.
20 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David L. Willson
- 2016-10-02
Nick Offerman was perfect for this.
I was surprised at how many different voices he had, and how he brought so many characters to life. Good job, Nick.
12 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Clayton Campbell
- 2016-09-22
Excellent!!
I couldn't recommend this higher. I've always loved the story of Tom Sawyer and having it read by one of my favorite actors was simply a joy.
11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Laura
- 2017-05-12
Offerman Is Just so Good!
I admit that calling The Adventures of Tom Sawyer a "latest discovery" feels a bit strange. I read (and loved the book) as a kid. But it wasn’t until a recent over-hyped blizzard when I convinced myself to listen to the version narrated by none other than Nick Offerman. I needed a familiar voice (I absolutely love Offerman) and a familiar story to keep me company in my tiny studio apartment as I worked. This entire production is incredible. I’m used to Offerman’s deadpan delivery, but his ability to bring distinct personality to each character just demonstrates his comedic acumen. I was cracking up on my commute the following morning, and was not-so-secretly pleased that my train stalled for 30-minutes due to "inclement weather
7 people found this helpful