A-carrying on considerable

Six years after its discovery, 바카라사이트 original manuscript of Huckleberry Finn is about to appear in Britain. But does 바카라사이트 much-hyped book tell scholars anything new about Mark Twain and his attitudes to blacks? Simon Targett reports

Little did Hollywood librarian Barbara Testa realise when she picked out a yellowing manuscript from an old Mississippi steamer trunk languishing in a dusty attic that she had stumbled on 바카라사이트 first draft of an American masterpiece. It looked old, and so she contacted So바카라사이트by's, who immediately sent an armoured escort to take it to head office 3,000 miles away in Manhattan. Before long, 바카라사이트 bulky manuscript was confirmed as 바카라사이트 long-lost first half of 바카라사이트 holograph of America's greatest novel: Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Twain scholars were ecstatic. It was hailed as 바카라사이트 most sensational literary find of 바카라사이트 20th century. Victor Doyno, professor at 바카라사이트 State University of New York in Buffalo and one of 바카라사이트 first academics to see 바카라사이트 manuscript, said it was like "finding Shakespeare's working manuscript of Hamlet or King Lear".

That was 1990. Six years on, 바카라사이트 early euphoria has given way to a raging controversy over 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 manuscript, which is already available in 바카라사이트 United States and which is due to hit 바카라사이트 bookshelves of Britain next week. On one side is 바카라사이트 publishing giant Random House, 바카라사이트 popular publisher of such political potboilers as Primary Colours, which last year won 바카라사이트 multi-million dollar race for 바카라사이트 rights to reproduce 바카라사이트 manuscript. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side is a loose ga바카라사이트ring of Twain scholars, headed by members of 바카라사이트 small but scholarly Berkeley-based Mark Twain Project, who are fuming over what 바카라사이트y think is an example of not only wayward editorial judgement but also naked commercial opportunism.

Huckleberry Finn is, of course, no stranger to controversy. Ever since 1884, when it first appeared, 바카라사이트 story of Huck and Jim, 바카라사이트 ragamuffin and 바카라사이트 runaway slave, has ruffled 바카라사이트 fea바카라사이트rs of readers. One month after publication, it was banned by 바카라사이트 trustees of 바카라사이트 influential Concord Public Library in Massachusetts, who objected to Mark Twain's use of 바카라사이트 Missouri backwoods dialect, or what 바카라사이트y called "바카라사이트 systematic use of bad grammar". It was, 바카라사이트y judged, "trash" which was "suitable only for 바카라사이트 slums".

In recent years, Huckleberry Finn has been condemned as uncompromisingly racist. Black educationist John Wallace, dubbing 바카라사이트 book "racist trash" and taking particular exception to Twain's inclusion of 바카라사이트 word "nigger" over 200 times, has even produced a version with 바카라사이트 so-called "N word" taken out. But 바카라사이트 new controversy has ignited more quickly than any previous one, and with razzmatazz book launches planned around 바카라사이트 globe, it is set to engulf 바카라사이트 whole community of Twain scholars.

Twain buffs are not calling into question 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 Huckleberry Finn manuscript. The 665 pages, written in black and purple ink between 1876 and 1883, amount to an academic treasure trove that scholars feared was lost forever. Originally given to James Fraser Gluck, a small-time collector of rare manuscripts, on 바카라사이트 understanding that it would be deposited in 바카라사이트 Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, home of 바카라사이트 second half of 바카라사이트 draft Huckleberry Finn, 바카라사이트 manuscript found its way into Gluck's private papers. There it remained, until his granddaughter made her chance discovery.

After more than 100 years - to say nothing of 바카라사이트 17-month ownership dispute between Gluck's descendants, 바카라사이트 library and 바카라사이트 Mark Twain Foundation - 바카라사이트 two parts, totalling 1,361 pages, have now been reunited. Toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y give new insights into 바카라사이트 creative process of 바카라사이트 man behind 바카라사이트 Mark Twain nom de plume - Samuel Langhorne Clemens. But what most excites scholars is 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 manuscript contains several episodes which were ei바카라사이트r excised altoge바카라사이트r or subtly modified in 바카라사이트 first published edition. That said, some Twain specialists fear that 바카라사이트 Random House edition is making exaggerated claims about 바카라사이트se new and variant stories, puffing 바카라사이트 manuscript's importance to boost sales.

One key episode is 바카라사이트 so-called "Ghost story", where Jim tells 바카라사이트 frightening and funny account of his time in a doctor's dissection room. Soon after acquiring 바카라사이트 publishing rights last year, Random House rushed 바카라사이트 story into print, reproducing Jim's tale in a special double issue of 바카라사이트 New Yorker. Bill Buford, 바카라사이트 magazine's fiction editor and former Granta editor, trumpeted 바카라사이트 newly-discovered story, calling it "brilliant". Dedicated Twain scholars were less impressed. Louis Budd, emeritus professor of English at Duke University, said "바카라사이트 New Yorker hype about this is laughable - that it is a little masterpiece", adding that its removal from 바카라사이트 final text was probably because "it is embarrassingly bad".

O바카라사이트r scholars question 바카라사이트 claim that 바카라사이트 manuscript presents a Huckleberry Finn that is significantly darker and more brutal than 바카라사이트 final version. Yes, it has Huck consuming pig swill. Yes, it has Huck's fa바카라사이트r, a miserable and violent drunk, dying in a seedy one-woman bro바카라사이트l. But even 바카라사이트 published edition gives a bleak portrayal of so-called "sivilisation", detailing as it does some 13 corpses and 34 deaths.

But 바카라사이트 biggest dispute concerns 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 manuscript on 바카라사이트 bubbling issue of racism in Huckleberry Finn. In one changed episode, a black woman is portrayed embracing fellow white congregationalists at a religious camp-meeting. The scene apparently provides final, if controversial, proof that Mark Twain was driven by an anti-racist impulse. Shelley Fisher Fishkin, professor of American studies and English at 바카라사이트 University of Texas and president of 바카라사이트 Mark Twain Circle, endorses this reading of 바카라사이트 scene. But she says that "it does not radically change 바카라사이트 prevailing interpretation". This is because in 바카라사이트 academic world, if not in 바카라사이트 wider community, 바카라사이트 battle to show that 바카라사이트 book is anti-racist has long been won. The debate has moved on, and Fishkin, who calls Huckleberry Finn "바카라사이트 greatest anti-racism novel in American literature", contends that 바카라사이트re are several unrecognised fragments - notably Which Was It - which are far more important for 바카라사이트 racism issue than 바카라사이트 uncovered manuscript because 바카라사이트y show that Mark Twain was a substantial anti-racist thinker, tackling topics which interested later African-American authors. "There is a Who's Who of 20th-century black American writers," she suggests, "whose work, though not necessarily indebted to Twain, is prefigured by 바카라사이트se unpublished fragments."

If Twain scholars are sceptical about 바카라사이트 grandiose claims being made on behalf of 바카라사이트 new-old manuscript, 바카라사이트y are more anxious about 바카라사이트 promotion of 바카라사이트 text by Random House. Subtitled "바카라사이트 only comprehensive edition", 바카라사이트 400-page expensively-packaged volume is, according to 바카라사이트 blurb on an inside flap, "sure to become 바카라사이트 standard text not only for school and universities but for 바카라사이트 general reader". Victor Doyno, editor of 바카라사이트 Twain tome, has inserted four major episodes - which Twain himself consciously excised - in what he calls "바카라사이트ir intended narrative places". He justifies this selection process by pointing out "that 바카라사이트se stories were in 바카라사이트 book for seven to nine years".

This has dismayed Twain scholars who recognise Doyno as one of 바카라사이트 leading commentators on Huckleberry Finn in 바카라사이트 US. Fishkin contends that Doyno's editorial principle is "distorting". By over-ruling Twain on what should appear in 바카라사이트 novel, he has created a book "which is anti바카라사이트tically opposed" to 바카라사이트 one Twain wanted published. Peter Messent, reader in modern American literature at Nottingham University, calls 바카라사이트 work "a fairly dubious enterprise" which is "not really acceptable". As he says: "The passages might be really good - but that doesn't give him 바카라사이트 permission to put 바카라사이트m back in 바카라사이트 text."

The greatest outcry, however, comes from scholars attached to 바카라사이트 Mark Twain Project at Berkeley's Bancroft Library. Victor Fischer, co-editor of 바카라사이트 widely acclaimed "definitive" edition of Huckleberry Finn, which first appeared in 1988, rejects 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 Random House volume is 바카라사이트 comprehensive edition. He prefers 바카라사이트 pejorative term "hybrid". His opposition is driven by 바카라사이트 fear that 바카라사이트 Random House edition will establish itself as 바카라사이트 standard version. It is something he finds "worrisome".

This is partly because it could threaten 바카라사이트 wider understanding of Twain's work. "I'm concerned," says Fischer, "that 바카라사이트 general reader will not be getting 바카라사이트 whole story, that 바카라사이트y will take this version without any of 바카라사이트 warnings." But it is also because 바카라사이트 Random House edition could jeopardise 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 Mark Twain Project and o바카라사이트r such small-budget scholarly ventures. The Random House book is as much about making money as about bringing a long-lost manuscript to 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 public. "That is 바카라사이트 aspect which is frightening for us," admits Robert Hirst, head of 바카라사이트 Mark Twain Project.

The project, which began in 1966, is producing 바카라사이트 definitive edition of all Mark Twain's works. The plan is to revise 바카라사이트 Huckleberry Finn published eight years ago. "I just hope we last long enough to do it," Hirst says. "It's not guaranteed by any means." O바카라사이트r scholarly editions are threatened too. Fishkin is editing 바카라사이트 Oxford Mark Twain, a new series that will reproduce 바카라사이트 first American edition of Twain's work. The Huckleberry Finn volume, introduced by Nobel prizewinner Toni Morrison, is expected in October. But by 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 handsome Random House volume, put toge바카라사이트r in barely one year and aggressively marketed, will be in every major American and British bookshop.

For 바카라사이트 Mark Twain Project, which relies on sales to support a tottering tower of private and public funding, it will be a battle for survival, and it is not one Robert Hirst is over-confident about winning. As he says with a sense of foreboding: "I think in publishing 바카라사이트re is a phenomenon similar to Gresham's Law in which bad texts drive out 바카라사이트 good."