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A review by hali
James by Percival Everett
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
“With my pencil, I wrote myself into being. I wrote myself to here.”
James is a wonderful subversion of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. While it hits the main story beats as Huck Finn, it is more concerned with what James was doing outside of that. While Jim was originally a “Magical Negro,” here he is placed in a survival thriller that shows how nothing comes easy in the antebellum south.
I loved the focus on language, philosophy, and identity. The specific conversations around speech and code-switching served as a commentary on the language in Huck Finn and the skills Black people still employ today.
This was a great read, and I’m excited to pick up more of Everett’s works.
"I am the angel of death, come to offer sweet justice in the night… I am a sign. I am your future. I am James."
James is a wonderful subversion of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. While it hits the main story beats as Huck Finn, it is more concerned with what James was doing outside of that. While Jim was originally a “Magical Negro,” here he is placed in a survival thriller that shows how nothing comes easy in the antebellum south.
I loved the focus on language, philosophy, and identity. The specific conversations around speech and code-switching served as a commentary on the language in Huck Finn and the skills Black people still employ today.
This was a great read, and I’m excited to pick up more of Everett’s works.