There has been a bit of a thing recently for books that retell classic tales from the perspective of a different character, or which give the original story a new slant with an updated setting. Here are some of my favourites of the genre
James by Percival Everett – This is a retelling of Huckleberry Finn and focuses on the character of Jim, the escaped slave. It’s an absolutely wonderful book and brings a whole new light to the characters and the story. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver – Perhaps the most famous of this genre currently, this takes the tale of David Copperfield and transposes it into modern day Appalachia and a very different kind of poverty to that written about by Dickens. It rightly won the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow takes Pride and Prejudice and looks at the least mentioned daughter – Mary. Here is her storyof how she struggles with the place society boxes her into and how she manages to find her way. You might want to take a look at Longbourn by Jo Baker too. It’s a retelling of Pride & Prejudice through the eyes of one of the maids in the Bennet household. Both are really good.
The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys is a classic in its own right. The tale of Bertha (Mrs Rochester) from Jane Eyre and how she came to be the madwoman in the attic. It’s a short book but perfectly formed.
March by Geraldine Brook is a retelling of Little Women from the point of view of Mr March, who is much absent in the original book. Here we find out what happened to him off-page and see a whole different side to the family.
Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin is a wonderful re-imagining of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde through the eyes of Dr Jekyll’s maidservant. She’s suspicious that Dr Jekyll keeps disappearing and doesn’t like the man who works for him, a certain Mr Hyde.
Julia by Sandra Newman takes a fresh look at 1984 from the perspective of Julia. It brings an interesting feminist slant to the story.
Becky by Sarah May is a delightful modernisation of Vanity Fair through the eyes of Becky Sharp. She’s an ambitious journalist in 1990s London, using guile and her sharp wits to get to the top.
