Books & Audiobooks
I have to admit that I am conflicted about Percival Everett’s James. While at times it is very funny, it is also devastatingly painful to read. The story is a reimagining of an old classic, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The narrative this time though comes from the perspective of Jim, the runaway slave and friend of Huck. Some of the funniest moments come when you hear Jim and the other slaves discussing how they behave in front of white people and the rationale for doing so. It’s those moments that made me cringe at the prospect of how dumb white people were and probably still are in many ways. The horrifying parts are no surprise but no less painful to read even wrapped in humour. It boggles the mind how cruel even ‘good massas’ were to their slaves.
The story begins with Jim overhearing that he is about to be sold to another owner. The thought of being separated from his wife and children is too much for him to bear and he escapes in the night with the goal of making enough money to buy his family out of slavery. Things start falling apart as Huck, who has faked his own death, shows up on the island refuge Jim has found and tells Jim that there is a bounty on his head as it is believed that Jim has murdered Huck’s father. Thus begins their journey to find freedom but the road is fraught with obstacle after obstacle… some funny and some excruciating for the cruelty. The people they meet along the way add levity and at times a sense of optimism for the inherent goodness of people.
This story will grab you from page one and keep you riveted until the end. I would like to suggest that this be mandatory reading for all American school children but sadly feel it may be too much to hope for in these troubled times.