The novel was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884, then in the United States in February 1885.

The novel is told in the first person by Huckleberry "Huck" Finn, who also narrates two other Twain novels (Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer: Detective)

Tom neglects to tell Huck and Jim that Jim is already a free man. Old Miss Watson has died two months previously and, ashamed that she had ever intended to sell Jim, set him free in her will.

The book is noted for its colorful description of people and places along the Mississippi River.

"Jim talked out loud all the time while I was talking to myself. He was saying how the first thing he would do when he got to a free State he would go to saving up money and never spend a single cent, and when he got enough he would buy his wife."

"Jim had a hair-ball as big as your fist, which had been took out of the fourth stomach of an ox, and he used to do magic with it. He said there was a spirit inside of it, and it knowed everything.

Huck dresses as a girl to get information from Judith, specifically news of his own supposed murder.

Huck says, "I went to the cavern ... and found a rattlesnake in there. I killed him, and curled him up on the foot of Jim's blanket, ever so natural, thinking there'd be some fun when Jim found him there."

When Huck presses Buck for information on what started the feud, he admits, "Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago."

"I didn't see no diamonds, and I told Tom Sawyer so. He said there was loads of them there, anyway; and he said there was Arabs there, too, and elephants and things. I said, why couldn't we see them then? He said if I warn't so ignorant, but had read a book called Don Quixote, I would know without asking."