Dear Hal:

Sorry, I should have realized that among a group 
of Twain scholars, all of you would be familiar 
with the novel's flaws.

I guess my post seemed foolish to the Forum 
readers.   In retrospect, your humor/irony 
should've been apparent.

Anyway, no big deal.

Often, I've found some of life's best lessons are 
learned when one makes a fool of oneself ;-)

Steve Hoffman
Takoma Park MD


On 5/7/2014 8:47 AM, Hal Bush wrote:
> it's irony, Steve.  i.e. a joke, or perhaps 
> failed humor. I believe most folks on the LIST 
> are pretty familiar with those arguments...
>
> ps:  if you really want to see a scathing review 
> of the flaws of AHF, check out Jane Smiley's 
> notorious review in Harper's, circa 1996.
>
> -hb
>
>
> On Wed, May 7, 2014 at 12:09 AM, Steve Hoffman 
> <[log in to unmask] 
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
>     What's so shocking about that?
>
>     Many readers of Huck Finn would argue the last
>     section of the book (once Tom Sawyer comes
>     in and
>     starts running the show) is quite flawed, for a
>     variety of reasons!!!!!!
>     And I count myself among them.
>
>     Many an astute reader of that great novel have
>     been disappointed by the turns the story takes
>     once Tom Sawyer sort of takes over from Huck
>     Finn.
>
>     -Steve Hoffman
>     (no academic credentials, just a lay-person
>     Twainiac in Takoma Park MD)
>
>     On 5/6/2014 12:10 PM, Hal Bush wrote:
>     > Tom:  "The Flawed Greatness of Huckleberry
>     Finn"??  "Flawed"? ? ? -- you
>     > must be joking here ... -hb
>     >
>     >
>     > On Tue, May 6, 2014 at 11:01 AM, Quirk,
>     Thomas V. <[log in to unmask]
>     <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>wrote:
>     >
>     >> John, I did have one essay:  =B3The
>     Flawed Greatness of Huckleberry Finn.=
>     >> =B2
>     >> American Literary Realism 45:1 (Fall
>     2013) 2: 38-48.  I don't know the
>     >> electronic link.
>     >>
>     >>
>     >> On 5/5/14 3:39 PM, "John Bird"
>     <[log in to unmask]
>     <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>     >>
>     >>> Once again, I will be writing the
>     chapter on Mark Twain for American =3D
>     >>> Literary Scholarship, reviewing all the
>     Twain scholarship for the year =
>     >> =3D
>     >>> 2013. If you had an article or book
>     published in 2013, please send me =3D
>     >>> links to articles, copies of articles,
>     or have the publisher send me =3D
>     >>> book copies. Email and mailing address
>     below. Thanks! (I will most =3D
>     >>> likely do this again for 2014, so if you
>     have something this year, send =
>     >> =3D
>     >>> along!)
>     >>> =20
>     >>> [log in to unmask]
>     <mailto:[log in to unmask]> or
>     >>> [log in to unmask]
>     <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>     >>> =20
>     >>> Department of English
>     >>> 250 Bancroft
>     >>> Winthrop University
>     >>> Rock Hill, SC 29733
>     >>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>     >>> John Bird
>     >>> [log in to unmask]
>     <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>     >
>     >
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Prof. Harold K. Bush
> Professor of English
> 3800 Lindell
> Saint Louis University
> St. Louis, MO  63108
> 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h)
> <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml 
> <http://www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>>