"Published in 1885, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a scathing satire and unapologetically candid portrayal of societal conflicts and slavery in post-civil war America. A sequel to the immensely popular The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), it is set in the imaginary town of St Petersburg, and follows the escapades of a young boy and a runaway slave, both trying to escape their respective tyrannical situations. Initially considered controversial and vulgar, the novel is now counted amongst the masterpieces of American literature, and has been adapted extensively across fi lm, television and theatre."