James (Pulitzer Prize Winner): A Novel

I promised myself I wouldn’t dive into any more space horror stories, but “Julia,” Sandra Newman’s retelling of Orwell’s 1984 from Julia’s point of view, completely swept me up. Naturally, when I saw James hit the shelves—a reimagining of Huck Finn through Jim’s eyes—I couldn’t resist. I was curious, but also wary, because I knew this story would be as psychologically traumatic as I feared. And I wasn’t wrong. Reading James is a deeply personal experience, especially as a Black woman, knowing that the only thing separating me from that nightmare of slavery is the year I was born. The narrative forced me to confront the reality that my great-grandparents and countless others who share my skin color endured this hellscape. It's more than just history—it's a stark reminder that they were treated as "it," less than animals, mere property. This is the kind of story that takes a physical toll on me every time I bear witness to it, but at the same time, it's necessary. One of the things I found most powerful was how James fills in the emotional and psychological blanks left by Huckleberry Finn. In Everett’s hands, Jim is more than just a loyal protector or a man enslaved. The inner thoughts and eventual confession he shares go beyond the brutality of slavery, offering an explanation for why he’s so devoted to Huck. This complexity and depth made the retelling masterful—it's still settling with me, but I can already say it was absolutely worth the read. Another aspect that haunted me was the subtle but consistent pattern Everett weaved through the story—everyone who helped Jim, except Huck, met a tragic end. It’s hard to tell if it was a coincidence or a chilling reflection of how dangerous it was to aid a Black person back then, but either way, it made clear just how easily Black lives were discarded. That’s a stark, painful truth to digest. Percival Everett’s writing is as sharp and introspective as ever, breathing new life into a character who has long been a symbol but rarely fully understood. His retelling connects a lot of plot points and unspoken questions from Huckleberry Finn in ways that are satisfying, thought-provoking, and deeply unsettling. It's one of those stories that will stay with you long after you've closed the book.

This book was a beautiful telling of a different aspect of a familiar and beloved childhood favorite. The story of Jim needed to be told. What could have been a sad retelling of a deplorable time in our nation’s history where people were treated as commodities and not humans was filled with humorous passages that lightened the heaviness of the story. It moved at a captivating and engaging pace. The protagonist is one whose outcome you feel invested in immediately because of the detailed nuances of his thoughts and feelings in his telling of his story in the first-person voice. Huck plays a key role in this tale and we gain new appreciation of him as one of the greatest literary characters ever invented. It’s a must read. You will love it.

What an exceptional idea. This novel is a (sort of) retelling of Huck Finn, but from Jim's perspective. The reason I say 'sort of' is because you will recognize some characters and moments from Huck Finn, but there are also some major deviations. There is also one incredible plot twist, and while I don't want to ruin it, I will say it's why I gave it four stars instead of five...I feel like the plot twist wasn't really complete in some way. I wanted/needed more. In this telling, Jim is such an interesting character...one who both fights against the system to which he's been born, and succumbs to its cruelty in some ways. He is both brilliant and biting and contradictory in so many ways. Jim yearns to be James, the more complete version of himself...but how do you achieve that without agency? There are moments of dark humor, tenderness, rage, and confusion. Ultimately, James is a portrait of a man trying to be a man, when his environment sees him as less than human. In some ways I am reminded of Frankenstein's creature and a question of that book: can someone be good when treated so monstrously?

This book is brilliant. It is beautifully written. But there is much more to it than that. Besides its Pulitzer prize-winning story, I would recommend this book to anyone (especially white people, as I am) who would like to gain some understanding of racism and slavery from the point of view of a Black person (there is *always* more to learn) and also learn more about themselves in the process. I thought I had come to understand a great deal in my 78 years, yet this book gave me so much more, even though I know that there are things that, as a white person, I can never truly understand. Some of my realizations were -painful-but I consider that to actually be a good thing, because they still don't compare to the pain a Black person would (and often does) experience--even today. My appreciation, empathy, insight, and understanding have deepened, and for that I am grateful. Thank you, Mr Everett !

We read this for our church book study and found so much to talk about that we discussed it for 3 weeks! There is so much in this book - the historical setting and connection to Twain's "Huck Finn" make it an enjoyable read. The events in the book, especially in the second half, make it a challenging read - not because of the literacy level, but because of the subject matter. I read through tears more often than expected, and my heart ached at Katie's story. This book gave us so much to talk about, not just in the story itself, but in how it relates to current events and today's society. We spent so much time discussing code-switching in the first session, that we had no choice but to plan another discussion. That one became mostly about identity and perception, and the third session was to hit all the other topics (as much as we could in 2 hours anyway). It was interesting that Jim is really anti-religion, but his views and experiences prompted our church ladies to have an engaging conversation about our own religious views and the history of the Black church, particularly in regards to the history of our own church denomination (like many, they were unaware of this history prior to this study - assumed our denomination had always been white and diversity is relatively new). For readers of a sensitive nature, there is some violence and disturbing content, but it is authentic to the time period in which this novel is set. We can't truly become better people until we face the awful things in our past and learn from it, move on from it and do better.

Percival Everett's James is a rarity: A buzzy literary novel that absolutely lives up to (and possibly exceeds) the hype. I wouldn't be surprised if James came away with both the 2024 Man Booker and the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. The setup for James almost sounds like a gimmick — it's a retelling of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written from the perspective of Jim, the escaped slave who accompanies Huck on his journey down the Mississippi River. But Jim is so much more than a mere runaway, and author Percival Everett employs a fascinating usage of dialect that challenges the classic "slave vernacular" questionably used by writers like Twain in the 19th century. Written in a clear and accessible prose and propelled by an episodic narrative structure, James often reads like a thriller and avoids the pretentious literary stylings so common in the genre. Percival Everett also does a masterful job blending tone — despite the intensity of the subject matter, there were multiple times when I laughed out loud. But James doesn't shy away from the horrors of chattel slavery, and while the violence is never gratuitous, the resigned matter-of-fact depictions of the institution's inherent psychological and physical cruelty hits just as hard as any graphic blow-by-blow account. Additionally, throughout Jim's travels, he encounters various personalities who provide the opportunity for rich discussions on the southern mindset toward slavery at the time. Funny and bleak, adventurous and timely, James is a brilliant reimagining of an American classic that ranks as one of the very best books of the year. It's both a respectful homage and instructive critique of the source material, while also daring to tell its own unique story. Note: Do you have to have read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to enjoy James? I don't think so. Though I haven't read Huck Finn, I do have a passing familiarity with the story from watching the 1993 live-action Disney adaptation starring a young Elijah Wood. But James is designed to stand on its own (and, besides, its not a true 1:1 companion piece). However, I think James is so good — and offers such a canon-busting take on a beloved classic — that I'd love to see it incorporated in high school curriculum alongside Huck Finn

The book started out slowly for me, but turned into an exciting adventure. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Percival Everett takes the basic elements of the Huckleberry Finn story to tell Jim’s version of what happened. As is true in any eyewitness account, the story takes on its own life in the words of another person. In this story, the narrator brings to the tale the experiences of a slave and the reflections of a seasoned adult rather than the impressions of an adolescent teenager. Throughout the tale, the friendship of Jim and Huck is told with grace and dignity. Everett crafts a captivating story through language that grips your heart and soul to tell a beautiful and heartfelt story. His characters dance on the page. Everett used precise terms to share the harshness of Jim’s life. His courage in creating a life for himself is inspiring and brings an ache to create a life for oneself. In the end, the questions Everett creates for the reader are, what has named you and what will you name.