James by Percival Everett
James
by Percival Everett
Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction
303 Pages
Released March 2024
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
When I was in high school, I read Huckleberry Fin and was absolutely bored to tears by it. Now, many years later, I only remember faint inklings of that book (and if I’m being really honest, most of what I remember of Huck is from that JTT movie back in the 90s, which probably does not count). Anyway. I’ve been seeing James everywhere and hearing such fantastic things about it that I decided to pick it up even though I was worried I wouldn’t like it either.
This book follows Jim, a slave doing his best to get by. One day, Jim finds out he is about to be sold. Determined not to be separated from his family, Jim runs away. Shortly after, he encounters Huck who has just faked his own death to escape his abusive father. Having no other choice, the two team up and begin their perilous journey down the Mississippi.
This book was such a pleasant surprise and I ended up really loving it! I really appreciate the way Everett was able to adapt a modern take on a well-known classic. I enjoyed the fresh perspective, seeing many of the events of Huckleberry Fin unfold through the perspective of Jim.
Everett does a wonderful job of giving a new voice to Twain’s original characters and because of that, this story felt much more entertaining to me than the original did. This story was way more engaging and I felt myself on the edge of my seat for much of the book (which really shocked me seeing how much the original bored me).
If you’re like me and want to ease into classic literature, I think this is a great place to start. Everett does a beautiful job of making classic literature more accessible and I highly recommend this book, even if you weren’t a fan of the original!