'James' by Percival Everett

James, Percival Everett (4.0)

This book is a retelling of ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ from the point of view of Jim, the slave who escaped down the river with Huck. Different viewpoints can be interesting, but here the author has successfully turned the story by 180 degrees. The title foreshadows the main character’s worldview difference – he is a well-spoken, self-educated ‘James’. He does his best to protect his family while playing the appropriately subservient slave. Once his wife and daughter are sold, he decides to escape, which seemed a bit odd as someone who appreciates the shadows, he then becomes a major target Overall, I appreciated the tone taken that the slaves had a whole culture hidden from others as a survival strategy. I only questioned it when in a time when the average person did not finish 8th grade, the self-educated James with severely limited access to books, pencil or paper, uses vocabulary that is indicative of a college education.