Play Book Tag discussion

I thought this was an amazing retelling of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s POV. The original is definitely from a child’s viewpoint, a coming of age perspective on life and the issues Huck is confronted with on his adventures and in life. But it is set 20 years before this retelling, before these issues have reached their peak. Though Huck sees Jim and his situation in a new light on the trip he is still willing to go along with Tom’s pranks at Jim’s expense.

I think one of the most powerful devices in the retelling is the language and literacy subtext of the slaves. Rather than hearing them only as a cultural group with a dialect of their own, able to be portrayed as separate, we hear them in a well-spoken, rational voice with erudite arguments and descriptions of injustices. It made the fact that all humans are equal and deserving of equal treatment so much more in your face, and horrific when it’s not. This was definitely an adult version of the story. It was Huck’s adventure tale versus James survival story.

tagged as summer 24x

I waited quite a while to read this, thinking all the rave reviews would raise my expectations too much. But I was wrong and thought it was an amazing story. It's definitely a contender for Top Ten this year.