By far one of the best volumes devoted solely to _Huckleberry Finn_ is: Doyne, Victor. _Writing Huck Finn._ U. of Penna. Press, 1991. You also may want to consult: _Mark Twain: The Fate of Humor_ by James Cox _Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain_ by Justin Kaplan _Mark Twain at Work_ by Bernard DeVoto _Mark Twain: Social Critic_ by Philip Foner _Was Huck Black?_ By Shelley F. Fishkin _Comedic Pathos: Black Humor in Twain's Fiction_ by Patricia M. Mandia The above is just a miniscule portion of the very tip of the iceberg of Twain scholarship. The texts and articles on Huck Finn could go on and on forever. Marcus W. Koechig