Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer is a young lad who loves adventure. He lives with
his Aunt Polly and brother Sid in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi
river and try, as he will, he finds it impossible to keep out of trouble. Life
is so interesting, and there is so much to investigate, that ‘bunking off’ from
school is inevitable; as is his deep friendship with Huck Finn who is the
town’s vagabond, shunned by all respectable grown ups.
For someone of such tender years Tom understands human
nature. He knows, for example, how to lure his friends into thinking that
whitewashing a fence is the greatest fun on earth, and make them willing to pay
for the privilege. On another occasion, he calculates exactly when it is time
to raise the morale of his pirate gang of truants by coming up with a
devastating plan.
Like all great actors, he is a master of timing, making a
grand entrance at his own funeral at the most dramatic moment of the service,
or arriving in the nick of time at the Widow Douglas’ party with the gold that
he and Huck have just dug up.
Tom’s swashbuckling, calculating and optimistic nature
nevertheless has a vulnerable side, and this is his love for Becky Thatcher.
The course of true love never runs smooth, and this was never so true as in
Tom’s case; he even nearly leads her to her death by getting them both lost in
the caves. However all ends well. Injun Joe, the villain, dies and the rest of
the rich array of characters live on to appear again in Mark Twain’s masterpiece,
Huckleberry Finn - also available on Naxos AudioBooks.
Notes by Jan Fielden
Garrick Hagon
Garrick Hagon has appeared in many films including Batman,
Star Wars, Cry Freedom, Anthony and Cleopatra and Fatherland. His television
credits include A Perfect Spy, The Nightmare Years, Henry V, The Chief and Love
Hurts. On London’s West End he played Chris Keller in All My Sons.
The Music
The music on this cassette taken from the NAXOS and MARCO
POLO Catalogs
JANÁCEK SINFONIETTA/TARAS BULBA/LACHIAN DANCES 8.550411
Slovak Philharmonic/John Hopkins
DELIUS AMERICAN RHAPSODY 8.220452
Slovak Philharmonic/John Hopkins
