Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - James

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Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

James by Percival Everett

66 reviews

mj_j's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous informative inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The character James was very well developed. Considering the subject matter, there were many surprisingly funny moments.

I loved how James gained more self assurance throughout the book. His relationship with Huck was really touching.

A great read!

Content Warnings

sfantarella's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I listened to the audiobook of James and wow! The reader, Dominic Hoffman brought this book to life. It was like being at the theatre. I was absolutely transfixed. We follow the character Jim (James) through his adventures with Huckleberry Finn. Although the story is wickedly funny, the reader is not allowed to escape big issues such as rape, murder, beatings, and racism.
It would be ruining the book to deep dive into the characters in a review, so I can just urge you to read it!

Content Warnings

legalizedmischief's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Brilliant.

Content Warnings

vixusg's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

James is a powerfully poignant read but it's also an incredibly harrowing story of how James reclaims his agency, his life or death journey to freedom, and his exploration of identity.

This book had many great aspects, the code switching, the use of philosophic writers, not to mention the writing is to-the-point and fast-paced, which I liked.

I greatly enjoyed James' tactic for stupid white people and his big reveals to them.

Obviously lot of bad things happen in the book, that's the nature of slavery. Much of it is uncomfortable to read, but expected because that was reality. There's a great deal of things covered, the varying dynamics of oppressor/oppressed, minstrels, black face, fake ally-ship, slave rape, murder, hope, resistance, and writing his story.

Some might criticize some of the deviations from Mark Twain's Huck Finn but I think what's being forgotten here is that this book is James' story, not Huck's. Not to mention that Huck's an unreliable narrator for a host of reasons. I saw someone mention that Huck didn't get conclusion, but neither did James in the original. They said he was 'free' but what does free mean in a slave state where any white person's word is worth more? History can answer that one (the book too, James does tell us outright).

If you're YT like me, this book will force you to examine your whiteness, the foundations of it, the cracks in it, and the ways in which we have been complicit in the oppression of black people. And if you didn't get that, I fear you didn't read it close enough.

Content Warnings

jamieclower's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Magic in book form ✨

Content Warnings

deathray's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Absolutely stunning in every way. I’m so grateful this book exists and that Percival gifted it to us. The retribution, the retelling of who truly is the heel of the story, and the humanity of every step.

Content Warnings

emmasiporatyler's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This book is so well written!!!! Essays upon essays could be written about all the brilliant shit Everett did with his retelling of this classic story. Like how did he make such a heavy story so fast-paced (and almost under 300 pages) without glossing over the severity and depth of everything happening? I think this book also hit different for me a biracial Black person. There was so much about passing for white vs. not (or not wanting to), and I appreciate the way Everett explores both the pain and privilege that comes with that. I loved the way the Mississippi River (and nature in general) was ever present in this book - definitely made me think about the unique relationship enslaved people had with the earth/nature. The final third of the book is impossible to put down and gave me actual chills while I was reading. I think that is the fastest I’ve read a book in a long time! As I read, I could viscerally see each scene in my mind’s eye as if I was watching a movie. I don’t mean that to say this book should be turned into a movie, just that the writing is truly THAT good. So smart, so powerful, so captivating - I think everyone should read this!

Content Warnings