This is a remarkable retelling of the Huckleberry Finn story from the vantage of the slave who accompanied him on his travels. James (aka Jim in Mark Twain's book) becomes the protagonist dealing with white racism, ignorance, and violence in pursuit of freedom for himself, wife, and child. I read it in a day because once started, I could not put it down. The writing is exceptionally good. One of the most telling and witty aspects of the story is that the slaves speak highly literate English and their masters speak an awful Southern patois.
'Truly extraordinary books are rare, and this is one of them' - Roddy Doyle, Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha
James by Percival Everett is a profound and ferociously funny meditation on identity, belonging and the sacrifices we make to protect the ones we love, which reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. From the author of The Trees, shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and Erasure, adapted into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction.
The Mississippi River, 1861. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new…
I bought this book fifty years ago but have only just got round to reading it. My initial interest resulted from seeing the 1936 Hollywood movie that is based on the book. It is an exceptionally well-plotted novel about the courier of the Tsar charged with getting through Tartar lines to deliver a vital message to the besieged city of Omsk. Jules Verne had never been to the Russian steppes, but he recreates their physical environment expertly, and in Michael Strogoff, he creates his greatest hero.
Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876. Critics, including Leonard S. Davidow, consider it one of Verne's best books. Davidow wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than this, in fact it is deservedly ranked as one of the most thrilling tales ever written." Unlike some of Verne's other novels, it is not science fiction, but a scientific phenomenon (Leidenfrost effect) is a plot device. The book was later adapted to a play, by Verne himself and Adolphe d'Ennery. Incidental music to the play was written by Alexandre Artus in…
This is a riveting read about pre-Great War youth in Cornwall, the loss of innocence in the awful conditions of the Western front, and the tragic consequences of a young veteran trying to possess land that he can farm as his own. It is wholly enthralling in its weaving of past and present and in its depiction of class in early twentieth-century England. The writing is stunningly good.
A British World War I veteran returns to Cornwall in this “enthralling novel of love and devastating loss” from an Orange Prize winner (Good Housekeeping).
Cornwall, 1920: Infantry officer Daniel Branwell has returned to his coastal hometown after the war. Unmoored and alone, Daniel spends his days in solitude, quietly working the land. However, all is not as it seems in the peaceful idylls of the countryside; and although he has left the trenches, Daniel cannot escape his dreadful past.
As former friendships reignite, Daniel is drawn deeper and deeper into the tangled traumas of his youth and the memories…
This non-fiction history book explains how Franklin D. Roosevelt transformed the office of president to bring America through the challenges of the Great Depression and World War 2. It explains why he has very few rivals for the title of greatest ever president, with only Abraham Lincoln coming close. It can be read as a backdrop to understanding what is going on in the contemporary United States.
