James by Percival EverettMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The slave Jim (featured in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) learns that he is about to be sold and separated from his wife and daughter, so he runs away. About the same time, Huck Finn fakes his death to escape from his drunken and abusive father and also runs away. The two meet up by chance along the Mississippi River and the story details their adventures together, as told by Jim.
I read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn prior to reading James, in order to give me some perspective and framework of the original story and characters. Huck Finn was very difficult to read, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading James. Not that it wasn’t difficult to read – the life of a slave in the late 19th century in the South was extremely difficult. However, it was very rewarding to read about Jim, a slave, who could read and write, was a lover of books, and a teacher to the other slaves. It was also heartwarming to see how he interacted with Huck and several of the other key characters in this story. A very strong bond formed between Jim and Huck, in spite of race.
My book club will be discussing this book tomorrow evening, and I anticipate a lively discussion! I would highly recommend this book, would suggest reading Huckleberry Finn (or a synopsis) prior to reading James.
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