What readers think of James, plus links to write your own review.

Oh, wow! This book gave me goosebumps. Quite simply, it's a masterpiece.

Brilliantly and imaginatively written by Percival Everett, this is the other side of Mark Twain's 1885 novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." It is a treatise on the inherent evils of slavery, the significance of abiding friendship and romantic love, and the deeply human need to be respected and free. It rightly won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2024 National Book Award.

In Twain's novel, Huck frequently goes off on adventures, leaving Jim alone, mostly to tend the raft and canoe, their mode of transportation as they both escape their former lives as they float down the Mississippi River. What was Jim doing all that time when he was left alone? Everett has reimagined "Huck Finn" to tell Jim's side of the story, and it's a story that is so compelling, so enthralling, so mesmerizing that you likely will stay up long past your bedtime to read just one more chapter.

Mark Twain portrays Jim as a befuddled, ignorant Black man, liberally using a much harsher and derogatory epithet than "Black man." In Percival Everett's book, Jim is an educated, erudite man who can read and write. He expounds complex philosophical ideas. He speaks English properly, as do all the slaves, except in the presence of White people when he speaks in a put-on Southern dialect common to slaves. They call it slave language. But Jim is trapped as a slave, until he escapes Miss Watson. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has been abused by his no-good father one time too many, and he, too, escapes, leaving an ingenious trail so the townspeople will think he was murdered. The two serendipitously find each other on a deserted island in the Mississippi. Everett sticks fairly close—but not entirely—to Twain's story of Huck and Jim's adventures. In this book we see a whole new side of Jim, as he cares for and protects Huck, who is, after all, just a child.

About two-thirds of the way through "James," which is the beginning of Part II, Everett bids farewell to Twain's "Huck Finn" and strikes out on his own in a page-turning story that is riveting and remarkable and filled with surprises—especially one stunner. (No spoilers here!) Everett wisely abandons Twain's version when it got to be silly and farfetched as Huck and Tom Sawyer try to rescue Jim when he was captured as a runaway on the Phelps family's plantation. This second part of "James" is the strongest and most electrifying part of the book.

This is a fast-paced novel that is more plot than philosophy, but taken as a whole it is one of the most powerful and profound novels I have ever read. Most notably, Everett, unlike Twain, treats slavery as the violent, bloody, abusive, and inhumane institution it was.

And the ending? I will only say it was amazing. It's the best ending, albeit unexpected, I could ever have imagined.

"James" is truly an extraordinary novel with sophisticated storytelling that is provocative, haunting, and triumphant. Read it.

Just a thought: Consider reading (or rereading) "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" before reading "James." I did this, and had I not, I wouldn't have appreciated or even understood not only certain plot turns, but also many subtle references. That said, because "James" does veer from Twain's novel, it's not absolutely necessary to read "Huck" first.

My first thought on reading this retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's point of view was "Why has no one done this before? And why have none of the white people who have revered Huck's story ever thought to deeply consider the way Jim's character is portrayed?" Praise the Lord for Percival Everett then! His use of dark humor to describe the way slaves had to disguise themselves to escape the scorn and brutality of the white people around them -- and the deep intelligence and thoughtful curiosity, as well as the strength and profound resilience of slaves like James who were somehow able to survive their narrow, pinched world views, makes James easily the best book I read in 2024! (And if you haven't read The Trees, about two black detectives in Alabama working to solve a series of mysterious lynchings -- make that next on your list!

"James" by Percival Everett has the unenviable position of receiving almost every accolade. My eighth-grade English teacher gave us a list of 20 classics, and we had to do three book reviews. "Huckleberry Finn" was my third and favorite. I do not require but highly encourage rereading Twain since some actions assume your recollection. It is the same southern adventure.

James ends up by himself and discovers the freedom of reading and writing while recognizing the danger of doing either in public. He meets allies who share his hopes and fears. He also meets some swindlers and tries to survive among them, knowing he does not have many options. Those who have forgotten most of Twain's work will benefit from their ignorance.

Stories come back frequently from previous parts of the story. When they lynch an enslaved person over a pencil, as requested by Jim, word travels quickly through the grapevine. The writing incident is not his last predicament; this benefits readers since they will recall some events but not all. The minstrel show slipped my feeble mind.

Even when influenced by classic literature, reading about slavery never gets easier. When James puts himself in trouble for the greater good, you feel for him as someone who wants to see his family. Kids read the banned book "Huckleberry Finn" in junior high, but "James" has very adult content and scenes of violence. Twain's work had more of a romantic feel.

When related to the Civil War, the story's timing provides a great backdrop to America. Jim's questions about freedom most likely echoed the anxieties of all involved with the enslaved. The ending, which I will not reveal, has the intensity and audacity that most books could not achieve. Its late climax gives the reader great satisfaction and a dropped jaw.

I belong to two book clubs and they both picked James as the next read. Because I hadn't read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for decades, I decided to give it a quick read first. I really didn't enjoy Huck Finn that much, but felt that it did help to read it prior to reading James.

Percival Everett has done a masterful job telling the story from the perspective of James, the slave. I thought he created a completely believable character. I'm not giving anything away to say that we learn at the very beginning of the book that James has a family. In doing so, I thought Everett created an urgency in the story that made it a great read.

I could go on and on about this brilliant book. It's at the top of my list for the best of 2024 reads.

I honestly only have minimal memory of "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. I know I read it after "Tom Sawyer" and I was probably eight or nine years old-that was the time frame when I was borrowing a lot of classics from my local library. I recall Huck's basic character and I did not pay as much attention to the character of Jim. Granted, I was a child and I did not yet care about the perspectives of adults (particularly male viewpoints as I was already a budding feminist!) so I am glad (like thousands and thousands of others) that I picked up "James" by Percival Everett.

This is the book we did not know we needed. Powerful and memorable, funny and poignant, and a masterful work everyone should read. Everett has a masterful writing style and the reader is immediately drawn into the narrative. Giving voice to Jim was a brilliant choice and stirs up so many emotions. This one is a keeper, get it now!! I would definitely enjoy a sequel!

JAMES by Percival Everett

Narration by Dominic Hoffman was perfectly done. Percival Everett has written a brilliant story of reimagining at its best. I absolutely loved everything he took liberty with in this story about James. James is a father and husband, and an enslaved man living in Missouri before the civil war. I suppose you can say this is a reboot of Mark Twain’s 1884 novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, narrated by the enslaved Jim. James is a father and husband, and an enslaved man living in Missouri before the civil war. James has found out he is to be sold and separated from his family. He flees to a deserted island and encounters Huckleberry Finn, also on the run.

The two begin their adventure in this entertaining read on multiple levels that is painful, funny, gripping and horrifying. This is definitely a top read for me in 2024 and Percival Everett certainly knocked it out of the park with this ingenious book. Kudos to him!??“To fight in a war,” he said. “Can you imagine?”?“Would that mean facing death every day and doing what other people tell you to do?” I asked.?“I reckon.”?“Yes, Huck, I can imagine.”

I started and stopped reading this book several times. I finally decide to buckle down and read it- after all, it has received many accolades and awards!

I have not read Huckleberry Finn, but this book is a riff on that story- but from the perspective of James, the slave in the story. I liked the book- it was a good story (if you can get past all of the slave dialect that is incorporated)
I did not love the book, but if you want life perspective from a slave ( and it is frightening!) this is a good story. The character of James just grows on you- I was rooting for him all the way!