The Mississippi River, 1861. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson's Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father who recently returned to town. Thus begins a dangerous and transcendent journey by raft along the Mississippi River, toward the elusive promise of free states and beyond. As James and Huck begin …

Paperback, 302 pages

Published Feb. 27, 2025 by Picador.

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ISBN:
978-1-0350-3126-9
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Subjects
  • American literature

Reviews

reviewed James by Percival L. Everett

Not just another version of Huckleberry Finn...

...though it follows its storyline. It's told from runaway slave Jim's point of view - with some little alterations in the first half, but drifting more and more off into its own story. We learn that Jim - or James as he calls himself - isn't as simpleminded as he seemed to be, or as Huck thought he was. This is funny at times on one hand, but on the other hand it tells us some bitter truths about racism. I didn't like the end that much - to me it seemed too hasty, as if the author was a bit in a hurry, and I found it very unexpected how the story developed. Nevertheless very worth reading.

#usa #slavery #racism

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