The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was a novel by the American author, Mark Twain, novelist, humorist and essayist. Published in 1876, it's the story of young Tom Sawyer, a adventurist boy who seems to always get into trouble. A bit of a con artist, he's able to take advantage of his friends to do the work around his house that he should be doing. Countless adaptations, plays and movies have been created about Tom and his friends.