The American reading public was clamoring for more of Mark Twain's slice-of-Southern-life writing after being introduced to Tom Sawyer, but what readers received with the publication of Huck Finn was not to everyone's liking.

Life magazine condemned the book due to its content, specifically objecting to the nudity and death. The Concord Public Library regarded Huckleberry Finn as "trash" and banned it. Most critics found the book too vulgar for the reading public and particularly offensive and inappropriate for children. Twain actually did not mind negative reviews because as a businessman, he knew that any press was good press and that negative reactions would spur sales for those eager to read what was elsewhere banned.

Twain anticipated objections to the text, but he thought the protests would come from his positive portrayal of Jim and realistic depiction of the South. Ironically, his depiction of Jim, often considered negative and belittling by contemporary standards, causes more concerns today than when the novel was first published.

To this day, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains high on the list of the most frequently challenged and banned books in America. Check out the list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books on the American Library Association Web site to find out more.