“James” by Percival Everett It was a big year for the writer whose publisher used to be Minnesota-based Graywolf Press. “Erasure,” which Graywolf released before Everett’s move to Doubleday, was adapted for the movie “American Fiction,” winning an Oscar for screenwriter Cord Jefferson. And then came “James,” a spin on “Huckleberry Finn” that does just about everything a novel can do.
It starts with the provocative idea that Huck’s enslaved pal Jim (who prefers to go by James) was much smarter and better educated than anyone knew. “James,” which closely follows events from Mark Twain’s original story, finds the title character on the lam after he’s accused of murder in a page-turner that features vivid characters, breathless plotting, wizardly experiments with point of view and a moving conclusion. Expect lots of awards for “James.
” “Time of the Child” by Niall Williams We don’t get new novels from the “Four Letters of Love” and “This Is Happiness” writer as often as I’d like, but when they appear, they always are worth the wait. “Time of the Child” returns to the fictional Irish village of Faha, where many of Williams’ works are set. Its main characters are a 70ish doctor and his adult daughter, who lives with him in a home that also houses his medical practice.
Their lives are upended by the discovery of an abandoned child, whom they secretly care for while not looking very hard for a permanent home for the baby. “C.