Across the literary pages | 10 January 2011

Here is a selection of pieces from the world’s literary pages this weekend.

Writing in the New York Times, Michiko Kakutani lambasts the decision to remove the word ‘nigger’ from Mark Twain’s anti-slavery classic, Huckleberry Finn.

‘Haven’t we learned by now that removing books from the curriculum just deprives children of exposure to classic works of literature? Worse, it relieves teachers of the fundamental responsibility of putting such books in context — of helping students understand that “Huckleberry Finn” actually stands as a powerful indictment of slavery (with Nigger Jim its most noble character), of using its contested language as an opportunity to explore the painful complexities of race relations in this country. To censor or redact books on school reading lists is a form of denial: shutting the door on harsh historical realities — whitewashing them or pretending they do not exist. Mr. Gribben’s effort to update “Huckleberry Finn” (published in an edition with “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by NewSouth Books), like Mr.