James

Author: Percival Everett

First, I must confess that I have not read the Mark Twain classic,  “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.  Percival Everett has chosen to retell this story from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved person in the original novel. In doing so, he gets an opportunity to bring out the violence and injustice of slavery that were probably missing from the original.

There are some aspects of the plot that are from the original. Jim who is referred to as James in the book, runs away and escapes to Jackson island to avoid being sold and separated from his family. He is joined by Huckleberry Finn who has faked his own death to escape from his abusive father. Together they journey down the Mississippi River and run into all kinds of trouble as they meet robbers, con artists, singing minstrels, etc.

Since I haven’t read the original, I can’t attest to how much of the story is unique to this novel. Everett’s James is a complex, intellectual figure in contrast to the simplistic portrayal of Jim in Twain’s original. One interesting twist from Everett is that James speaks eloquent “Standard English” when interacting with other enslaved people, but switches to simplistic African-American vernacular English when interacting with White people. James also delves deep into philosophical territory while engaging in imagined conversations with thinkers like Rousseau and Locke. 

"James" is not a mere retelling or critique of Twain's work, but stands as a powerful novel in its own right. It offers a searing examination of racial identity, the construct of whiteness, and the enduring legacy of slavery. Everett's ability to blend humor with profound insights into the human condition makes for a compelling and often uncomfortable read. My favorite quote from the book is 

“If you are not making mistakes you’re not learning.“