The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (International Collectors Library)

viii, 295 pp. Navy blue leatherette binding, gilt titles and decorations, top edge gilt, ribbon marker bound in, navy blue endpapers. The novel's preeminence derives from its wonderfully imaginative re-creation of boyhood adventures along the Mississippi River, its inspired characterization, the author's remarkable ear for dialogue, and the book's understated development of serious underlying themes: "natural" man versus "civilized" society, the evils of slavery, the innate value and dignity of human beings, and other topics. Most of all, Huckleberry Finn is a wonderful story, filled with high adventure and unforgettable characters.