“The remarkable truth, however, was that it was not the pistol, but my language, the fact that I didn’t conform to his expectations, that I could read, that had so disturbed and frightened him.”

A review of “James” in 100 words by Catherine Stover

There are so many ways Percival Everett could have taken his retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective. He could have focused on revenge, or the relationship between Huck and Jim, or finding justice. Instead, he focuses on James’s strengths and humanity. He presents a James who is secretly  well-read and articulate. He is a realist with the goal of freeing his wife and daughter from slavery. To read this book is to participate in a thought experiment: what if the untold stories of enslaved people were more interesting and more profound than the stories that were written on paper?

Work cited:

Everett, Percival. James. Doubleday, 2024, p. 290.