David Hart wrote: > I am trying to find out which published edition is considered the "standard > edition" of _Huckleberry Finn_ and WHY. I would appreciate any information > or suggestions you could give. Thanks. > I understand the California editions are generally regarded as > standard critical Twain texts, but WHY? "Despite his protests, all of Mark Twain's books appeared with literally thousands of undetected errors in form and content. Later reprintings only compounded the problem, and none but the original publisher could afford to include the illustrations that Mark Twain always commissioned for his books . . . The aim of the _Works of Mark Twain_ is to restore his published writings as nearly as possible to their pristine state--freed from 'uninvited emendations' . . . Editorial work on texts and annotations is carried out by members of the Mark Twain Project . . . in Berkeley. . . . Each is an 'Approved Edition,' endorsed either by the Center for Editions of American Authors or its successor, the Committee for Scholarly Editions, of the Modern Language Association." (_Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, U. of Cal. P, 1988 back cover) An excerpt from the MLA's December annoucement of California's _Roughing It_ receiving the inaugural MLA Prize for a Distinguished Scholarly Edition shows the quality many of us expect from California: "Combining superb commentary, detailed composition history, and lucid editorial explanation with the presentation of difficult textual problems, the volume addresses both the intricacies of textual editing and major content issues . . ." For me, California has the standard _H.F._edition of the moment. I consider the raftsmen' passage essential. Others may disagree. The Graff/Phelan _Huck Finn_ which has been reviewed and commented on in the Forum "contains the 1885 text . . . the one most commonly read and taught . . . [and does] not include the raftsmen's passage, which was not part of the 1885 text and is not directly relevant to any of [their] three controversies" (v). Incidentally, the California _H. F._ paperback is printed on acid-free paper which will last forever, but is held together by a binding which does not withstand the abuse I give paperbacks. I hope the upcoming Forum review of _Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: The Only Comprehensive Edition_ will explain which text the recently discovered manuscript was collated with, and I expect many of us will rethink our viewpoints on the standard edition once Random House releases the book. Regardless, like the buyers of 19th century subscription books, I like the feel of a thick, heavy volume.---larry marshburne [log in to unmask]