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Although MT originally felt that pre-publication cut into subscription sales, the three installments of Huck Finn in The Century Magazine in 1884-1885 had obviously been valuable publicity. Thus he probably did not hesitate about arranging for an excerpt from his new novel to appear in the same place. The ten-page, illustrated excerpt appeared in the November, 1889, issue. MT chose five passages from five chapters, held loosely together by the drama of Hank's rivalry with Merlin and their "struggle for supremacy in magic." Over half the installment is Hank's joust with Sir Sagramore. To supply context and continuity, MT interpolated four brief passages in his own voice. Since the possibility of irony lurks everywhere in MT's use of Hank as a first-person narrator, it is valuable to see how he himself (speaking as a kind of third-person narrator) discussed the narrative. These passages can be found on the starred pages at right, and are outlined in blue on the pages themselves. |
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