James

LoveReading Says

It takes a brave writer to revisit a classic, it takes a genius to revisit the classic and write a novel that’s even better than the original.

That’s precisely what Percival Everett has done with James, an imaginative retelling of the American classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In this updated story, which has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Jim is now James, as he writes his story with a purloined pencil. He can read and write, but hides it from Huck as they travel the Mississippi River.

Everett turns Huckleberry Finn on its head. In this version of the story, James is an adept code-switcher, speaking one way in front of white people and another when he’s with slaves. In a scene early in the book, James is seen schooling the slave children on use of a “slave filter” to make themselves sound inferior and keep themselves safe. It is only through the resourcefulness and intelligence of James that the pair survive their river journey.

Originally written by Mark Twain in 1884, Huckleberry Finn—a children’s book for adults, as Twain described it—sits firmly in the canon of American literature. It continues to be one of the most banned books in America for its use of racially-charged language, but has also drawn criticism for its portrayal of Jim.

Everett is now enjoying a huge winning streak. His last book,The Trees also was shortlisted for the Booker. Earlier this year, his novel Erasure was adapted into the Oscar-winning film, American Fiction. The accolades James is justly receiving is undoubtedly bringing his work to the attention of even more people.

It isn’t necessary to have read Huckleberry Finn to understand and enjoy James. But I would argue, in fact, that “James” is a far better book than its source material. It should join its inspiration on the list of classics in American literature. 

Maureen Stapleton

Find This Book In