Julia and James
Julia and James are both family names that show up frequently on our family tree. Don’t worry. I don’t plan to bore you with the details. These names are also the titles of two separate books that have recently been published. We can start with the one that has been getting the most attention.
James, by Percival Everett, is a reimagining of Huckelberry Finn but told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view. If you liked Huckleberry Finn, you will no doubt enjoy James. Many of the same episodes on the river remain the same. The Boston Globe calls the book “A provocative, enlightening literarty work of art.”
Percival Everett is a well-known author whose books I have never read. Obviously, I am missing a lot. Recently, Everett’s adapted screenplay of his novel American Fiction won an Academy Award. Everett grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. He earned an M.A. in fiction from Brown University in 1982. He and his family now live in Los Angeles. Everett really doesn’t like his novel James to be referred to as a ‘retelling’ of Huckleberry Finn. To hear what he says on this matter click the link below to hear an interview on PBS.
Julia, by Sandra Newman, IS a retelling of George Orwell’s 1984. Newman boldly labels it as so. Julia Worthing is Winston Smith’s girlfriend in the original book. I must say that I have not read 1984. Just don’t do well with dystopian novels, BUT many of you like them. Can you believe that 1984 was written almost seventy-five years ago? An idea would be for a book club to read both 1984 AND Julia. One would get a good look at the situation from two perspectives. According to some critics, Julia is the better book! The Economist states, “This Julia cannot help but balance out [Orwell’s] blind spots and bring his opus up to date.”
