Commonly considered one of the greatest American novels of all time, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first published in England in 1884 and in the US in 1885. Among the first works in American vernacular, the novel tells the story of “Huck” Finn, his friend Tom Sawyer, and his attempt to free Jim, a neighbor’s slave.
Although quite a success, the novel was banned in many areas across the US. In 1885, several libraries banned the book for its “crudeness.” In 1905, the Brooklyn Public Library banned the book for the obscene word choices Mark Twain used, citing lines like Huck’s having “not only itched but scratched.” Even author Ernest Hemingway was among the critics who believed the book should have been banned on grounds of being obscene.