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A review by casey_sunshine
James by Percival Everett
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this as part of a book club, and would not otherwise have chosen it, so that colors my review.
The project that this book undertakes—retelling Adventure of Huckleberry Finn and reimagining it from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man—is clever and thought-provoking. As someone who did not love Huck Finn and does not love the Americana of it all, some of this book’s excellence is lost on me.
I appreciated the choices that the author made to differentiate from the source material, and the correctives he makes to the White Savior narrative lurking therein. This book permits Jim and other enslaved people to claim their own liberation, form their own senses of self, and always be in on the joke and the subversion—rather than always the one mocked and humiliated.
The content warnings should not come as a surprise, given the subject matter, but be warned.
The project that this book undertakes—retelling Adventure of Huckleberry Finn and reimagining it from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man—is clever and thought-provoking. As someone who did not love Huck Finn and does not love the Americana of it all, some of this book’s excellence is lost on me.
I appreciated the choices that the author made to differentiate from the source material, and the correctives he makes to the White Savior narrative lurking therein. This book permits Jim and other enslaved people to claim their own liberation, form their own senses of self, and always be in on the joke and the subversion—rather than always the one mocked and humiliated.
The content warnings should not come as a surprise, given the subject matter, but be warned.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Death and Death of parent