Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism and child abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shares its setting (and many characters) with Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Have you read this earlier book? How would you compare its tone and intent with that of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?

2. Percival Everett’s contemporary novel James is a retelling of the Huck Finn story from Jim’s perspective. Have you read James? What purpose might be served by shifting the novel’s point of view in this way? Which other characters’ perspectives would you like to see explored?

3. This novel is intended to be humorous, but it also conveys serious themes. Do you think the book’s humor enhances or detracts from its serious moral messages?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How familiar to you are the dialects spoken in this novel? How does your level of familiarity impact your enjoyment of the story?