September 28, 2024 AMAZING GRACE

 Ever been to The Mark Twain House in Hartford? It's a great day trip. It was the home of Samuel Clemens and his family from 1874-1891. Clemens adopted his pen name in 1863 as it referred to his steamboating days when the measure of water was called "mark twain" which meant two feet. He grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, with little to no formal education as he had to work to help support his family. One of his most famous characters, Huck Finn, was actually based on his childhood friend,Tom Blankenship and Twain's  American Classic, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was written at his home in Hartford. I'm pretty sure I read it when I was a kid but that was a billion years ago. So,  when I heard that  Percival Everett's new book James was "Huck Finn" with a twist, I was determined to read the original so that I could appreciate both. Everett's novel is definitely familiar, but this time the story is from the perspective of  Jim, slave and friend of Huck Finn. As this story unfolds, Jim learns that he is going to be sold, so he runs away to Jackson Island to work out a plan. In the meantime, Huck fakes his own death to escape his father and joins Jim on the Island. The two then journey down the Mississippi River where they overcome many hardships and some crazy adventures. Yes, the plot is the same but with Jim as the narrator--everything else is different. In James, Jim is a literate, well-spoken (unless he's speaking to whites and adopts his slave speak) intelligent person whose understanding of human nature is uncanny. As a slave, trying to navigate a world that literally make NO sense, Jim manages to find humor and compassion for others. This beautifully written gem about the friendship between a slave and an adolescent boy is both heart wrenching and laugh out loud funny at times.  It's a must read. James is up for several awards including the Pulitzer and National Book Award. I also heard that it is currently being developed into a movie too. Enjoy!