James: A Novel by Percival Everett
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Web ID: 17868157Loved everything about this retelling
Not just an important read but a masterfully written story of courage and love and humanity.
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Razor-sharp, layered, and often darkly funny
I picked up James never having read Percival Everett before, and I was completely floored—by the imagination, the sharpness, and the depth of the writing. It’s rare to read a book that feels both wildly inventive and brutally grounded in history, but this one does exactly that. As a white woman who has never personally experienced the legacy of slavery or the daily injustices that Black Americans still face, I want to tread carefully here. I can’t pretend to fully grasp the weight of what this story holds—but I can say it opened my eyes in new ways, made me uncomfortable in necessary ways, and left me thinking long after I finished the last page. Everett takes a familiar character from American literature and reimagines him with such intelligence, wit, and heartbreak that it completely reshapes how you see the original. His writing is razor-sharp, layered, and often darkly funny, even when tackling devastating truths. I hesitate to use words like “important,” because it feels too easy to reduce this book to a lesson or an obligation—it’s so much more than that. It’s brilliant, unsettling, thought-provoking, and, above all, a testament to Everett’s incredible skill as a writer. If you’re on the fence about reading it, I’ll just say: it’s worth your time. And probably worth reading twice.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I could not stop reading this book!
Yes, it is difficult to read the "slave speech" at first, but you get used to it as you read. There is less of this speech as the book progresses. I was captivated, terrified and extremely sad as I read. Slavery and/or the unequal treatment of anyone is evil and a sin.
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What starts off sweet turns violent and vengeful
I loved this book. A retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through the eyes of Jim, the runaway slave. JAMES was at turns funny, poignant, tragic, and turning (later in the novel) VERY dark. Themes relating to language and identity are presented almost immediately and carried throughout the novel, both in terms of dialect, “secret language”, and depth of communication. The book starts out with scenes right out of Mark Twain’s classic, of Huck and Tom playing games on Jim, and Jim putting up with it, and soon Huck and Jim are fleeing down the Mississippi River. But quickly, Huck becomes a smaller and smaller background role, and Jim the guiding force, and for much of the story we learn what happened to Jim while they were separated. The author does not stay true to canon, and there were a couple plot twists I was not thrilled with, although I can understand the rational for them, relating to family engagements and redemption. What starts off sweet and silly turns violent and vengeful. But this was an engaging, rich story overall, and I enjoyed the journey—this latest chapter—in these characters’ lives! Five out of Five stars
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Literary Restoration
Having read both Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn this year, James felt like a necessary and powerful companion piece. Everett’s reimagining gives voice to Jim, the enslaved man whose perspective was largely overlooked in Twain’s originals. In James, Jim becomes more than a moral compass or comic relief, he is fully realized, deeply intelligent, and heartbreakingly human. The novel underscores the countless moments where Jim risked everything, moments that were often erased or diminished in the original narrative. I'm still sitting with the twist in the ending, it left me uncertain, but the emotional weight and literary craftsmanship of this book are undeniable. Everett doesn’t just retell the story; he reclaims it, radically illuminating the depth of Jim’s compassion, agency, and brilliance. 🛶 Synopsis Recap When Jim overhears he’s about to be sold and separated from his family, he runs. At the same time, Huck Finn fakes his death to escape his abusive father. What follows is a harrowing and satirical journey down the Mississippi. But this time, it’s Jim’s story. Everett’s novel is brimming with biting humor, emotional complexity, and sharp cultural commentary—reshaping a cornerstone of American literature through an essential new lens. 💬 Final Take: James is both tribute and transformation. It reminds us that revisiting classics with new voices isn't revision, more of a restoration.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
What a masterpiece!!!
Just finished reading James by Percival Everett — and what a masterpiece. A brilliant, powerful reimagining of the classic Huckleberry Finn, this novel gripped me from start to finish. Everett’s storytelling delivers a bold, unforgettable perspective that adds depth, voice, and urgency to a familiar tale. Without question: 10/10! A must-read for anyone who appreciates literature that challenges, enlightens, and stays with you long after the final page.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
An Instant Classic!
Percival Everett is a remarkable writer. Mark Twain would be proud. The reader becomes a black man and feels every bit of anger and grief which James endures. To me, this book is an immediate classic.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
James
In a way, it was a disappointment. It was the Bell Curve of excitement as the height of expectation was reached mid-novel and then slowly reading became a chore. It was one of those books where eventually you reach a point where you keep checking to see how many pages you have left before you finish. However, it is worth the effort because it reflected a sad period in U.S. history.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com