James 

by Percival Everett

James, the book by Percival Everett, is on the Pulitzer Prize short-list and a must-read by book groups near and far. The Esplanade Group was no exception and met to discuss this well acclaimed novel on  Sept. ( insert date). The book is a modern take on Mark Twain’s classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  “James” takes you on a familiar trip down the Mississippi River, but also on an unfamiliar, and unvarnished trip about slavery and emancipation.

If you last read Huck Finn in high-school you may recall that Jim was the slave that accompanied Huck on his rafting adventure. In this rewrite ‘Jim’ is now called ‘James’. This James is a savvy character that knows how to survive on the plantation, and off it. Most of all, he is a mentor and guide for the adolescent Huck.

Percival Everett, the author, has written more than 20 novels and his favorite topic is how the publishing industry pigeon-holes African-American writers. He is well known for the 2023 movie “American Fiction”.  That movie, like the book, sets us up to discover embedded meaning in our choice of language and dialects.

The book group discussed whether enlightened civics classes will now require reading  “Huck Finn” and “James”  together. Also noted, several members of the book group mentioned they enjoyed visiting the nearby Mark Twain home in Hartford, Ct.

 Reviewed by Jane Gould