A review by cassielaj
James by Percival Everett

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is a bonafide masterpiece. Immediately an important piece of the American literary canon. Percival Everett takes one of the most famous books in American history and flips it on its head. He keeps the sense of adventure that audiences have loved in Huck Finn for many years while giving voice to a previously unheard character. The Jim/James that Everett introduces is intelligent, witty, curious, complex, emotional, and three-dimensional in a way that Mark Twain and his contemporaries never would’ve considered for a Black man. The characters he meets along his journey, Huck included, are fascinating and real, and his questions and insights about his life circumstances are sharp and poignant. I was riveted, and I’m going to be thinking about this one for a while. 
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