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A review by richardbakare
James by Percival Everett
5.0
Percival Everett won me over with his masterful portrayal of the Black experience in the Academic & Literary worlds in his book “Erasure.” He has solidified my esteem for him with “James.” A novel that fully captures Everett’s storytelling, imagery, and dialogue powers. An effort worthy of all of the 2024 accolades he has garnered.
In “James” we are taken on a harrowing journey that gets right to the deepest sorrows of the Black experience during the time of America’s great sin. Everett empowers our protagonist in ways that challenge stereotypes while still staying grounded in the hell that was chattel slavery. Everett achieves this recasting without wallowing in the darkness. There are glimmers of hope that make the trek worth it.
For me, the most captivating element is the compelling mosaic of images from around the south during America’s love affair with slavery. A myriad of characters and cross sections of the lived experiences felt like a Ken Burns masterpiece on any period of history. The macro thread we find is that all manner of evils persist under a sky where an eternal sin casts its long shadow.
A more narrow dissection illuminates the crippling Stockholm syndrome in the slave / master relationship. A beguiling surrender that kept a damned institution from being choked out by the very hands it shackled. A deep appreciation for the strength of Black women is also present and specifically for their strength in enduring the particular evils visited upon them. I am grateful to Everett for this book and his ability to write about Black America in a way we don’t often get to see.
In “James” we are taken on a harrowing journey that gets right to the deepest sorrows of the Black experience during the time of America’s great sin. Everett empowers our protagonist in ways that challenge stereotypes while still staying grounded in the hell that was chattel slavery. Everett achieves this recasting without wallowing in the darkness. There are glimmers of hope that make the trek worth it.
For me, the most captivating element is the compelling mosaic of images from around the south during America’s love affair with slavery. A myriad of characters and cross sections of the lived experiences felt like a Ken Burns masterpiece on any period of history. The macro thread we find is that all manner of evils persist under a sky where an eternal sin casts its long shadow.
A more narrow dissection illuminates the crippling Stockholm syndrome in the slave / master relationship. A beguiling surrender that kept a damned institution from being choked out by the very hands it shackled. A deep appreciation for the strength of Black women is also present and specifically for their strength in enduring the particular evils visited upon them. I am grateful to Everett for this book and his ability to write about Black America in a way we don’t often get to see.