The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The story

Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly in St. Petersburg, a small town on the Mississippi. He tricks his friends into painting a fence for him, runs away to be a pirate on an island, and attends his own funeral.

But one night in the graveyard, Tom and his friend Huckleberry Finn witness a murder — and the truth will take them deep into McDougal's Cave.

Themes: childhood, freedom and rules, friendship, the Mississippi River.

Why it's a good book for language learners

Twain's narration is warm and funny, and the episodes are short and full of action. The dialogue is written in dialect, which is challenging at first; once you get used to it, it is a great window into spoken American English. Some language reflects the 1870s and is offensive today.

What you'll practise

• American dialect and informal speech
• Childhood, school and village life
• Humour and irony
• Phrasal verbs

Did you know?

The famous fence-painting scene is one of the most quoted passages about persuasion in American literature.

The PageWalker adventure

In the adventure you are Tom — and in McDougal's Cave every turn matters. The first page is free to play in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in other languages

• EnglishThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• العربيةمغامرات توم سوير
• DeutschDie Abenteuer des Tom Sawyer
• EspañolLas Aventuras de Tom Sawyer
• FrançaisLes Aventures de Tom Sawyer
• हिन्दीटॉम सौयर के कारनामे
• ItalianoLe avventure di Tom Sawyer
• 日本語トム・ソーヤーの冒険
• 한국어톰 소여의 모험
• PortuguêsAs Aventuras de Tom Sawyer
• РусскийПриключения Тома Сойера
• TürkçeTom Sawyer'ın Maceraları
• 简体中文汤姆·索亚历险记