Huckleberry Finn

I have heard a great deal about this book but never took the chance to read it previously. It starts by Huck describing how trapped he feels in his current situation, he is staying with a woman who he depicts as conservative and "dismal." His mother is deceased, and his father is a drunk, so he has limited support besides the widower and judge who act as pseudo guardians. Him and his friend Tom Sawyer, who has an expansive imagination, spend time in a fantasy world of sorts. Im curious as to how old they are. I found it interesting that it seems Huck is highly superstitious but doesn't seem to value religion (what I gathered from his interactions with the widower). Personally, I wasn't incredibly impressed by the very beginning of the book, but it became more engaging as I read farther. When Huck is "kidnapped" by his father, brought to the cabin I felt it displayed two extremes. He went from a clean home, strict and proper, to living off of the land with his abusive father. I was slightly confused about his father's persistence to keep his son, but when I realized the amount of money Huck had it made sense. Huck seems stuck for lack of a better word and skeptical about those around him with the exception of Tom Sawyer. Sawyer often embellishes the truth, and Huck seems to idolize him. When reading I found my thoughts very scattered maybe due to his narration. I'm not sure how I feel about the book yet, it is definitely different than my expectations. Huck is a character you empathize with, and I found that he yearns for a sense of freedom from the mundane day to day staying with Widow Douglas.