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franklola's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
savvylit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
James is a darkly comic expansion of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Everett has taken characters well-known (Huck Finn) and less-developed (Jim) and made them each richer, more complex, and human. James as protagonist is intelligent, compassionate, skilled, and determined. Much like in the original text, Huck & Jim spend the novel "adventuring" along the Mississippi River. Unlike in the original text, though, there is an undercurrent of terror throughout the narrative. It's a terror specific to Jim's status as a runaway slave in antebellum America. At every turn, there's a possibility that Jim could be captured, beaten, or hung by the white owning class that lurks in every town or hamlet along the river. This element of fear adds a more realistic approach to the so-called adventures for the era in which it's set.
Regardless of your familiarity with Mark Twain's original story and characters, James is a very enjoyable and well-paced historical novel injected with Everett's signature wit.
Thank you @netgalley & @doubledaybooks for the advance reader copy of James in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Regardless of your familiarity with Mark Twain's original story and characters, James is a very enjoyable and well-paced historical novel injected with Everett's signature wit.
Thank you @netgalley & @doubledaybooks for the advance reader copy of James in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, and Alcohol
deedireads's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
All my reviews live at https://deedireads.com/.
Everyone’s already calling James — Percival Everett’s reimagining and extension of Huckleberry Finn — a favorite for next year’s Pulitzer Prize. I’ve got to agree.
You don’t need to read Huck Finn first, but I do recommend familiarizing yourself with the story before you start. I read Sparknotes’ detailed chapter summaries and analyses, and I was glad I did.
Everett doesn’t have to prove that he’s one of our modern greats, but he does so with this novel all the same. That’s not too surprising. What did surprise me was how ultra-readable so easy to sink into the book was without losing its electricity and urgency. Top it off with a raging ending and these nuanced, multi-dimensional characters, and holy smokes. It’s one of those books you just know is special as you read.
The audiobook was also stunningly performed by Dominic Hoffman (who, by the way, also read James McBride’s two most recent novels). His talents are on full display with his deft, empathetic handling of James’s voice — both internal and external as he code-switches.
This one is a must-read.
Everyone’s already calling James — Percival Everett’s reimagining and extension of Huckleberry Finn — a favorite for next year’s Pulitzer Prize. I’ve got to agree.
You don’t need to read Huck Finn first, but I do recommend familiarizing yourself with the story before you start. I read Sparknotes’ detailed chapter summaries and analyses, and I was glad I did.
Everett doesn’t have to prove that he’s one of our modern greats, but he does so with this novel all the same. That’s not too surprising. What did surprise me was how ultra-readable so easy to sink into the book was without losing its electricity and urgency. Top it off with a raging ending and these nuanced, multi-dimensional characters, and holy smokes. It’s one of those books you just know is special as you read.
The audiobook was also stunningly performed by Dominic Hoffman (who, by the way, also read James McBride’s two most recent novels). His talents are on full display with his deft, empathetic handling of James’s voice — both internal and external as he code-switches.
This one is a must-read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, and Rape