meanieheadbookreviews 's review for:

James by Percival Everett

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This one is not yet banned, though there are discussions about banning it for language and racial discussions (anti-CRT folks hate that), much like the book from which it draws inspiration. This is a retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s POV. I prepped for this by reading both Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn a few months ago. I wouldn’t say you need to read those beforehand, but it did help inform me quite a bit, so I’d recommend it. The ending was Tarantino-esque. It really ramped up to a place where you were rooting for a very dramatic, bloody event (perhaps a bit revisionist in a good way). I really enjoyed this one. This is one of my favorite authors I’ve discovered this year (read Erasure a few months ago and loved it). He’s so witty and blunt and the writing is smart and sparks so much conversation. This book was short-listed for the Booker Award (did not win) and won the National Book Award. Very deserved. Highly recommend any work by this author.