i believe that one of the factors that makes a piece of literature or even a movie a masterpiece is how well the reader can relate to the story. this is definitely a book everyone can relate to.
the adventures of tom sawyer is a literary masterpieces, written in 1876 by the famous author mark twain. tom sawyer is a mischievous young boy who lives in the small town on the mississippi river called st. petersburg. the story line is simple, the book reads like a biography or a memoir of a summer in tom sawyer's life.
tom sawyer seems to be the precursor of and the template for misfit kids such as dennis the menace, malcolm in the middle, and calvin and hobbs. what makes this story great is that tom sawyer represents everything that is great about childhood. the book is filled with tom's adventures playing pirates and war with his friend joe harper. tom has a trusted friend, huck finn, who few of the adults approve of. the book is filled with ideas of how the world works, such as how pirates and robbers work, that are so innocent, they could only come from a child. it is a story filled with action, adventure, ingenious ideas, love, and schoolyard politics. the whole story is seemingly a complication of what people did or wish they did during their childhood.
the book is a little difficult to read at first. personally, it takes me a little while to get used to the 19th century dialect in the book. other than referring to persons of african decent in derogatory terms (which i'm sure uses terms even young children already know), the book would be an enjoyable read for people of all ages. i highly recommend this book for anyone looking to feel young again, if just for a few hundred pages.