“‘You can write.’ It was not a question or an accusation, more a discovery, perhaps a call to duty.
‘I can write,’ I said.
‘Then you had best write.’
‘I will,’ I said.”
A stunning work that manages to blend humor and terror in an accessible way, this work showcases Percival Everett at his very best. Coming on the heels of the incredible novel "The Trees," "James" was understandably named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
“After being cruel, the most notable white attribute was gullibility.”
“These white men scared me. They scared me because they weren’t invested in my being afraid of them.”
A reimagining of "Huckleberry Finn," this novel creates agency for Jim, showing how he must signify his status through a slave filter to keep his oppressors comfortable.
“I hated the world that wouldn’t let me apply justice without the certain retaliation of injustice.”
“‘Religion is just a controlling tool they employ and adhere to when convenient.’”
Through interactions with confused (Norman), lost (Sammy), and torn (Huck) souls, James traverses the Mississippi River trying to find his family, his freedom, and his voice.
“On occasion, as we traveled at night, the river was all ours. It was a vast highway to a scary nowhere.”
Some escapades can feel slightly abbreviated, and a revelation about the relationship between Huck and Jim that emerges at the end may have deserved a little more time and attention.
However, the ability to shift between genres and weave satire in seamlessly is an Everett trademark, and those gifts are demonstrated to their utmost here.
“‘Folks be funny lak dat. Dey takes the lies dey want and throws away the truths dat scares ‘em.’”
Emotional and evocative, funny and fraught, infuriating and informative, "James" is essential reading -- and so is Percival Everett.
“‘Who the hell are you?’ he asked. He pointed his gun at me.
“I pointed my pistol at him. ‘I am the angel of death, come to offer sweet justice in the night,’ I said.
‘I am a sign. I am your future. I am James.’”
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