In which we wonder about the audience

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer poses an interesting question. The author clearly states in the text that he intends it to be a book for children, but Twain’s style makes it seem anything but, not to mention that it is filled with pretty grim stuff, including graverobbing and murder and attempted mutilation and homelessness and the like. As for the style part of it, Twain’s use of understatement and overstatement and his coy omniscience would have to go over the head of almost any reader the same age or so of his hero, that is, his stated audience, while inevitably tickling the amusement of the adult reader. As for the plot, maybe in 1876 all manner of vile criminality was one’s daily bread, and no one would blink twice at the things the Injun Joe is up to, but I have to say that the proceedings made me wonder once or twice. A little dab of research on my part did not uncover whether Twain was serious about aiming it at a young audience, but I will say this: I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud listening to it. (I mentioned before that it was Nick Offerman narrating very, very well.) Obviously I have set myself up for a visit with Huck in the near future, a book that I will not listen to but instead handle the old-fashioned way. It will be about the umpteenth time I’ve read it. If I happen to find myself on a desert island some day, it will be there along with me. 

I’m falling away from watching The Tudors. The more I see, the less real it becomes. Reading Hillary Mantel at the same time is the key kibosher, given that the facts outweigh the fancy, but the melodrama I watched yesterday of the death of Thomas More was tedious enough to do the work all by itself. And I don’t know if I can watch Natalie Dormer sneer even one more time. No wonder Crumb/Cremuel was so efficient at getting AB’s upper regions removed. I’d volunteer to do it myself at this point. 

For the record (no pun intended), recent additions to the Spotify playlist include songs by KT Tunstall (for which I probably ought to apologize for the poppishness, but an ear worm is an ear worm is an ear worm), Levon Helm (yet again, so take that Robbie), Gram Parsons (sigh), and Graham Parker and the Rumour (new to me). 

And there you are.