A review by jnzllwgr
James by Percival Everett

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

This was a hot book, but I think I have a different definition of what should qualify for National Book Awards. Call me an unsubtle mind, but this was nothing earth-shattering. Everett’s conceit is that this is story of Huckleberry Finn from the slave, Jim’s, point of view. Roughly the first third/half of the book sticks closely to the Twain plot. Then begins to deviate significantly, even warping the timing of the events by decades. Why parallel Twain’s story at all? Having come finished re-reading Twain’s novel(s), these deviations ended up being a distraction rather than some response/evolution from it. Specifically, the ending of Huck Finn is so problematic (does Huck really see Jim as human, as an equal? It’s seriously debatable), I was hoping that Everett would address that head on. But the deviations never return to the denoument of the original myth. So, instead, Twain/Huck seems to get off the hook—again.  And then James’ journey becomes more radicalized and dark, separate from what I felt was an unequal friendship of convenience. Was this an anti-hero trope? The concept that slaves had developed a vernacular to speak to their white masters for the purposes of survival is fantastical, but also intriguing. And the author uses that meaningfully to shift and propel the narrative. There are other events that further put into relief enculturated dehumanization and its moral/ethical emptiness. But in the end, all hands are bloody. As James becomes bolder, I found myself split with satisfaction and sadness. Perhaps the books greatest strength, however, is that Everett doesn’t attempt to claim any territory of righteousness. This allows the reader to wrestle these issues find their own conclusions. In all, it seemed like an opportunity to interrogate the legend of the original that leaves me puzzled still why Everett did not leverage that to it maximum