There are undoubtedly a lot of sorry excuses for sequels to stories that should have been left alone, and travesties such as when The Railway Children, The Prince and the Pauper, Little Women, and others were made into movies and then novelizations of the movies were published (bad). 
Every once in awhile, though, comes along a rewrite of a classic through the point of view of another character, or the continuation of stories featuring a minor character from a classic work. Some become classics in themselves or at least well-received.
Now there is one I can't believe has never been tried. Please tell me if it has, when, and by whom. Why does not a black author rewrite Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of Jim? Have Jim relate the events exactly as he experienced them, and explain where and how Huck got it wrong, left out, or misunderstood important points? (This could be after Jim learning to write, or relating his story to an educated black.) Present it as a newly discovered manuscript ignored or suppressed until now.
Why has no one ever done this, and what currently living author would you choose for this monumental literary task?
While we're at it, what woman should rewrite Tom Sawyer from Becky Thatcher's point of view, revealing Tom for the clueless shallow sort he was and showing Becky as a strong, intelligent being whose emotional outbursts mostly arose from frustration at the constraints of her time, place, and the stress of dealing with boys like Tom? I don't mean some hardcore radical feminist take which would render retellings ridiculous, but just something revealing the time and place in the ways that Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn do, and giving Becky more credit than Tom's point of view could possibly do her. (Again, please advise if this has been done.)
Every once in awhile, though, comes along a rewrite of a classic through the point of view of another character, or the continuation of stories featuring a minor character from a classic work. Some become classics in themselves or at least well-received.
Now there is one I can't believe has never been tried. Please tell me if it has, when, and by whom. Why does not a black author rewrite Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of Jim? Have Jim relate the events exactly as he experienced them, and explain where and how Huck got it wrong, left out, or misunderstood important points? (This could be after Jim learning to write, or relating his story to an educated black.) Present it as a newly discovered manuscript ignored or suppressed until now.
Why has no one ever done this, and what currently living author would you choose for this monumental literary task?
While we're at it, what woman should rewrite Tom Sawyer from Becky Thatcher's point of view, revealing Tom for the clueless shallow sort he was and showing Becky as a strong, intelligent being whose emotional outbursts mostly arose from frustration at the constraints of her time, place, and the stress of dealing with boys like Tom? I don't mean some hardcore radical feminist take which would render retellings ridiculous, but just something revealing the time and place in the ways that Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn do, and giving Becky more credit than Tom's point of view could possibly do her. (Again, please advise if this has been done.)
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