A review by juanat77
James by Percival Everett

adventurous emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

James by Percival Everett


Easy 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!

Barnes and Noble book of the year!!

At a time when books are being attacked (the U.S. has banned thousands of books in public school) and fighting on how to teach African American history this is such an essential book to read. 

“James” is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s (James) perspective. 
Jim is an enslaved Black man in the South during the 1800s who escapes when he finds out he’s being sold. 

He is very intelligent but conducts himself the opposite when he is around White people so he doesn’t offend them. Before his escape Jim was teaching his daughter and other enslaved children to speak in “slave dialect.” In order to survive they must be submissive. 

“White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them….The only ones who suffer when they are made to feel inferior to us”

Jim’s chooses to risk his freedom to earn money and buy his wife’s and daughter’s freedom. During his journey of freedom Jim experiences many obstacles and hate but he is determined to get his family back.

It’s a bit difficult to read due to the racist stereotypes and how horribly the slaves were treated but I think it’s an important read. 

The author has written the characters vividly and the writing is stunning. I am eager to read his backlist starting with “Trees” which has won multiple awards. I recommend this book to everyone!

#james #percivaleverett #knopfdoubleday 
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