BOOKS OF THE WEEK
James by Percival Everett Mantle, £20 (ebook £9.99) Review by Prudence Wade
James is a powerful retelling of The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, from the slave Jim’s perspective. It broadly follows the same Bildungsroman storyline as the original, as Jim escapes with young boy Huck – you’ll recognise characters like con men Prince and Duke and various other tableaus along the way. But this version puts Jim’s story front and centre, showing the brutal reality of being a slave that isn’t really represented in Twain’s satire. It’s extremely sharp novel from Booker-shortlisted Percival Everett – dark humour is particularly found in the way slaves code-switch with their language, dumbing themselves down around white people to seem less threatening. A must read.
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo Viking, £20 (ebook £10.99) Review by Kerri-Ann Roper
Luzia Cotado is a scullion in the new capital of Madrid, where she toils away in the kitchen depths of a household, longing for a step up in life. The only glimmer of hope she has is her magic, which she uses sparingly so as not to attract attention. But hiding in the shadows only lasts so long, and when the socially ambitious mistress of the household discovers her secret powers, Luzia’s life takes a different turn. Suddenly she’s performing at the tables of nobility and the socially upward, no longer scrubbing pots and relying on scraps to get by. But everything has a price, as Luzia will soon learn. From author Leigh Bardugo, The Familiar is spellbinding. The only question for Bardugo is: please deliver more.
The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey Picador, £16.99 (ebook £8.99) Review by Charlotte McLaughlin
Niamh Mulvey’s debut novel has a sharp premise – sandwiched between the consequences of the introduction of the Eighth Amendment in the 1980s and its repeal around six years ago when the Irish public said yes to changes on abortion law. The consequences of the legislation, which had enshrined “the equal right to life of the pregnant woman and the unborn”, sit in the background of the work and it instead explores how women, Nell, whose partner Adrienne is expecting a child, her mother Dolores, and religious group member Martina, grappled with Ireland’s cultural changes. The lack of distinction between the separate three points of view detracts from what is a worthwhile and challenging read.
Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie Jonathan Cape, £20 (ebook £10.99) Review by Kerri-Ann Roper
Sir Salman Rushdie was left with life-changing injuries, including losing sight in one eye, following a violent knife attack ahead of him delivering a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in August 2022. In his new book, Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder, Sir Salman recounts his experience of the near-fatal incident and the aftermath, which includes a cancer scare not long after he was repeatedly stabbed. It is a searingly honest account, including the highs and lows of the long months on a path to recovery. But through it all, the power of love, resilience and his extraordinary way with words shines through. The result is a powerful and poignant read.