REVIEW: James by Percival Everett

 

OUR REVIEW:

As you know, we're normally a romance focused blog, but every once in a while we'll branch out to something else and feel compelled to share. Today you need to know more about James a look at Huck Finn's adventures from the point of view of Jim (James). 

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it at first. These days I read to escape and I wasn't sure if I wanted to escape into something that would feel heavy but my curiosity about the rave reviews urged me on and I'm so glad I did. I've told all of my friends who read lit fic to try it because it was such a great read. While it did most definitely delve into really heavy, despicable things in our American history, it also had an undercurrent of hope. I loved James's voice, his conversations with philosophers, his sharp, witty, poignant, striking inner monologue, and his empathy and compassion. Percival Everett gave me a novel I didn't know I needed and I'll be recommending it to all those who will listen. 

Please pick up this novel and then let me know how much you love it, because I think you will. 

Happy reading!

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3YFP4fN

SYNOPSIS:

A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view.

When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

While many narrative set pieces of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river’s banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin…), Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.