Montgomery, AL – A new edition of Mark Twain's ``Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' and ``Tom Sawyer'' plans to replace the N-word with ``slave'' in an effort not to offend readers.
Twain scholar Alan Gribben is working with NewSouth Books in Alabama to publish a combined volume of the books in February. He says the N-word appears 219 times in ``Huck Finn'' and four times in ``Tom Sawyer.''
Gribben says he has used ``slave'' instead of the N-word at public readings and found audiences to be more accepting.
Other Twain scholars blasted his decision and Gribben has received a flood of hateful e-mail accusing him of desecrating the novels.
Twain scholar Stephen Railton, a University of Virginia professor, said Gribben was well respected, but called the new version a terrible idea.
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