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  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

  • Written by: Mark Twain
  • Narrated by: Nick Offerman
  • Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (485 ratings)

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer cover art

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Written by: Mark Twain
Narrated by: Nick Offerman
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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.

Public Domain (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

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 Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful pairing of Twain and Offerman

Having read Tom Sayer in translation when I was a boy, it was wonderful to listen to it in its original dialect. Nick Offerman is the perfect conduit to make it come alive. Fun!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A timeless masterpiece!

This oil has never been so fundamental as a reference for future generations. The grandiosity of life starts with the the innocent of childhood. This is one of the greatest books of all time!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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good audio

this was very entertaining. I love the vocabulary and old phrases. it was very good.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Classic

Nick Offerman is an excellent narrator for this hilarious and heart warming story. Very well done

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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent Narration

Nick Offerman’s narration is excellent, with convincing voice affectations for the various characters. Very well done.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic Reading

Great reading by Nick Offerman. Compelling boyhood story that takes you back to a simpler time.

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  • 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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  • C
  • 2024-04-17

Very interesting and engaging tale

This was such an interesting and colourful story from a time and place I know very little about. I found the story very engaging because I felt like I was walking along with Tom and never sure what the next day might bring. The pacing was excellent and I liked the action sections just as much as the deep dives into one character or one thought/idea Tom is grappling with.

Nick Offerman's performance was wonderful (as expected) and created disctinct characters without the distraction of "showing off" how many different voices he could do. He was a perfect choice for this book.

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