you weren't meant to read huckleberry finn as a kid

on "James" by Percival Everett

When did you first read “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”? I happened to read it when I was 11. twelve years later, I sit back and wonder,

“Why did a 30-year-old English teacher recommend this book to me?”

Did she think I was smart enough to understand what this book tackled? Or was it supposed to be a fun, adventurous read?

“At that moment the power of reading made itself clear and real to me. If I could see the words, then no one could control them or what I got from them.”

-James, Percival Everett.

i. the awakening, 12 years later.

If this book had not been nominated for the Booker’s Prize, chances are, I would have never revisited Huck and Jim. This book deserves to be the winner of the Booker’s Prize 2024.

As a kid, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was a fascinating book. A little boy runs away from his abusive father with the help of a slave. We all know how the story went. But, our young minds failed to notice the bigger picture. The satire in this book was not the failed adventures. Instead, it was the racism that America was built on.

James, by Percival Everett, is a powerful retelling of Huckleberry Finn. This time we see the escapade from the eyes of Jim and it answers so many questions. Why did Jim run away? What happened to him after they separated? How did he find Huck again?

Everett has given us another chance to visit this story and make amends. To notice the problematic side of Huckleberry Finn. To notice the struggles of a slave. To notice the story that everybody should have known.

ii. who was james? why do you need to know his story

illustration from “the adventures of huckleberry finn”

A side character in the spotlight. The plot. The backbone of a masterpiece.

James is everything that the world wanted to hide from us.

James is everything we wanted to be.

“I am a sign. I am your future. I am James.”
― Percival Everett, James

This book follows “Jim” and Huck on the same adventure Mark Twain wrote more than 138 years ago. However, this time you will see the story from the runaway slave, Jim’s point of view, which will change your perspective and perception of Huckleberry Finn,

From capturing the enslaved tongue to a slave’s determination for self-education- Everett puts a lot of focus on the power of being able to read and write, especially for the oppressed.

Although both of the books follow the same story, while the original work was satirical, the latter was mortifying. It makes one wonder how what was a fun adventure for a white boy ended up being a series of life-or-death situations for a slave.

iii. brace yourselves. i have a new favorite author.

This is the first time I’ve read Everett’s work and I want to read everything that he has ever written.

Everett gave Jim the voice and selfhood he deserved, without making him pitiful. To write a gripping story is daunting in itself. Yet Everett does it while playing a very vivid linguistic game. You’ll see slaves talk with sophistication and instantly switch to an exaggerated dialect. And this “switch” was written with finesse.

Retellings are tricky and Everett has won the game. His satire, moral clarity, and emotional depth have turned this book into something I’ll never forget.

I would be so disappointed if this book doesn’t win (or get shortlisted for the Booker’s Prize 2024)

That’s about it for this blog. I hope you’ll give a chance to this book. If you have, already, drop into the comments section and let me know how you felt!

with love,

siddaq.