James by Percival Everett / Review 

James deserves all the attention and praise it is getting. There is so much to discuss in it. Thank you for this video that highlights so much of what is excellent about Everett’s work.

I read 1984 before reading Julia & didn’t enjoy that experience. So I went into James without reading Huck & was glad I did. It felt very fresh on its own - not like I was comparing the 2 stories. I will now read Huck. I loved James. Every once in a while a book comes along that I recommend to everyone I know - this is one of those books!

I am loving reading James. I have read many of his other books and think his wriitng is brilliant. If anyone could tackle Twain, with the same talent for humor and characterization, it would be Everett. I listened to Huck Finn before reading the book and while I found the use of the N word jarring, I also found myself laughing out loud at Huck's observations about religion and humanity. In an online book club, people mentioned that he worked with a new edtior (after many years with another which he credits at the end) who they feel really had him change his focus from too much satire to a more in depth emotional journey. Their collaboration seems to have made this novel into a classic.

I read James first and Huck second. Thank you for you comprehensive review. This combination can help understand some of the cultural polarization that is building in America. Just one piece but extremely important.

Thank you for such a powerful and succinct review of James. I am half way through the novel and it has affected me deeply. And your inclusion of the interview with Mr Everett was heart wrenching.

The best book of the year so far for me. This is a great presentation, as well, Eric- very informed and thoughtful. Thank you.

This was brilliant! Thank you, Eric!🌷

Due to a demanding course load, my personal reading time has been severely curtailed. However, I recently listened to the audiobook version of James. This novel has become one of my all-time favorites, and I find myself hesitant to revisit Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer for fear of diminishing the impact of this beautiful novel. Thank you, Eric, for your insightful review of this exceptional work. The critical acclaim it has received is well-deserved, and your review prompted me to purchase the hardcover edition so I can revisit a story that has stayed with me since completing the audiobook.

The Trees was my favourite book last year - turned me into a Percival Everett fan and I have James and a number of his earlier books on my TBR list

Just added to my TBR list. I really enjoyed The Trees by Everett, and have read Huck, so really looking forward to getting to this novel. Kevin, as ever, thank you so much for your brilliant channel. I watch every video, though not always commenting, and enjoy them very much. 🙂

I’ve been enjoying Everett’s work for years and I’m so happy he’s finally getting so much praise. I agree this novel is a new classic.

James was terrific. A beautiful book.

Just finished James. Absolutely fantastic - Everett's wit is first class. It takes a great writer to use humour to poke fun at and show the absurdity of institutions and beliefs. Thanks for your review.

Maybe an important distinction between Julia and the other featured novels that build on an acknowledged classic is that the protagonist of that new novel actually experiences a lot of the same plot twists as Winston does in the original. Of course, Julia has had several relationships with high-ranking party members. Orwell chooses not to develop her backstory and we the audience wonder if they're throwing Winston a bone, simply discarding her as used goods, or perhaps she triggers in one of them the jealousy that motivates the attack on the lovers. Despite what Winston thinks about doing, it seems that he doesn't do much to trigger the state's anger. I haven't gotten around to it yet so I'm excited to discover what the author did with those plotlines.

Definitely going on my reading list. I first became aware of Percival Everett’s genius after reading The Trees. At that point, when I looked Everett up, I couldn’t believe how many books he’d written. I was so blown away by the strong, clear and true voice in The Trees that I kept wondering “Why isn’t this author famous?” Everett seems to finally have gotten his due in the past few years. So happy to see Erasure hitting the cinema in the form of American Fiction.

Sounds cool. I read Copperhead on your recommendation, and really loved it. But, I'm a big Dickens fan. It was fun catching all of the connections and allusions to Copperfield, one of my favorites.

This video has me itching to read James - your passion for Everett's clever approach is contagious! I'm particularly intrigued by the idea of James's internal dialogues with Enlightenment thinkers. What a powerful way to expose the hypocrisy at the heart of those ideals.

If you enjoy retellings, Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor is The Great Gatsby from POV of the women.

I love Everett’s writing. The Trees is a terrific read! I hope to read more of his works.

I'm so excited to read this book! Thanks so much for your thorough review and I'm glad you included some of the recordings that you got!

So excited to get to this novel!

What a great review! James is on my TBR for June, but I may have to move it up.

I loved The Trees and look forward to reading James. Will it contain as much humour?

I have read it 🥳 Had a feeling when your thumbnail said new classic this was it - clicked straightaway 😂 Brilliant discussion. I love the interview spliced in! And all the other reference points 🤩

Just got my copy of James yesterday so I have no comment about the book. I do want to say that I love how you present the books you feature. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.

I found an audio version of 'Huckleberry Finn' remarkably cheaply, so my plan is to listen to that and then read this new interpretation.

I agree. This novel was wonderful. I hope this leads people to read his other novels.

This book grabbed me and I finished it in one sitting. Like many others, I was introduced to Huckleberry Finn as required reading throughout my academic years; revisiting it once or twice since then. Although I appreciated its literary importance, I always found the story interesting but somewhat tedious and difficult to relate with. Percival Everett turns the story on its head, and focuses Twain’s adventure story on the effects of slavery and racial identity on James. It’s a horrifyingly beautiful journey, and Mr. Everett’s writing brings it to life in his usual effortless and poignant style. This book is an instant classic.

Reading it now, and enjoying it

In Percival Everett’s "James," the interplay of identity and history prompts us to question: Slave, or Slav? Is it slave language, or Yiddish? Jim, or Me? James, or I am? The satire and psychology are sophisticated, showcasing why Everett is regarded as both dark and masterful. In his "retelling" of Huckleberry Finn, Everett suggests that Huck serves as the alter ego of Samuel Clemens, who adopted the pen name Mark Twain-paralleling Jim’s transformation into James. Here, Huck emerges as the true "Slav," as his family’s lineage traces back to colonial immigration from England to America, arriving not as free men but as indentured servants, bound by "slave-like" conditions. Interestingly, Clemens’ mother, Jane de Lampton, may have Slavic (possibly Jewish) roots, further complicating our understanding of identity in the text. This nuanced exploration highlights Everett’s genius, inviting readers to reevaluate the intersections of race, history, and self.

What a great review. You might just have swayed me to read this.

Agree with you re-reading Huckleberry Finn before James , it really added to my enjoyment. James obviously packs a bigger punch but their relationship in Huckleberry Finn was tender too. I had forgotten the passage from The sellout, so thanks for reminding me. Finger crossed for many prizes .

Wow this sounds amazing

A wonderful review. I just finished James about two weeks ago. I loved it. Your review reminded me of its depth and how brilliantly Everett deals with so many difficult issues. I did re-read Huck Finn in advance. And was again angry and disturbed by the last third when Tom Sawyer is reintroduced to the story. Tom Sawyer is a jerk; turning the rescue of Jim, a real person, into a plot-line of the fantastical life Tom is inventing for himself is so cruel that it overwhelms the shared humanity that Huck feels towards Jim. Huck's failure to stand up to Tom and stop his cruel antics is really disappointing. In a Percival Everett interview he told an even more pointed version about Tom's re-entry than you told. He said that Twain had abandoned Huck Finn thinking that it wouldn't sell. Sometime later he found himself in financial trouble and came up with the idea of finishing the novel by bringing Tom back into the story as a way to make the book financially viable. That made so much sense to me. What Everett does is absolutely brilliant. I'd love to see Huck Finn republished with the last third dropped in favor of someone writing from Huck's point of view how he metabolizes the new information we get about his relationship with James and his view and understanding of what James does and what that means for his own future. After I read James I read Trees and absolutely hated it. For one, it is incredibly boring. Really boring. I understand it is a kind of commentary on the horrible stereotyping of black characters in literature, movies etc. I hate those works too. It's a revenge fantasy. There may be some catharsis in that. But it wasn't interesting. Jame's self-aware struggle about his decisions that lead him toward violence are compelling and powerful. The story is not told from Mama Z's perspective, so we can't fully understand her; she mostly hides her thought process from our protagonists. Maybe Everett saw the some of the same problems that I see when he crafted James because he does not make the same choices in James. Again, kudos to your excellent review.

James was great. I gave it a five.

👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Hi I am from India Tamilnadu in particular. I want start read English novel, can you suggest me small and easily readable novel for me. Thank you.

I hated this book. Nonsense coincidences bring the plot along, and the characters stumble over one another impossibly and often. Every female character is there to be violated only; not even his wife or daughter gets a personality. No descriptions, just talking.

Oh God, I'm so burned out on woke tropes.