James by Percival EverettMy rating: ★★★★★
This book retells the story of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Huck's slave friend Jim. It's an easy read with difficult content, worthy of your time and the attention and awards it's been receiving. It's been quite a while since I read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Now I have to go read it again with Percival Everett's James parked inside my head. I didn't know quite what to expect from this book. But it probably wasn't what it delivered.
It's fast-paced, but unhurried. The author doesn't waste time with extraneous descriptions and narrative. The unimportant stuff is omitted. Words are invested in action, dialog and introspection, instead. Even here, the reader is spared from unnecessary repetition, rehash and brooding. This doesn't mean the narrative is spare. It's just full of the important stuff about relationships and what happens next.
Surprises abound. That's why I need to revisit Mark Twain's original story. I need to see how the puzzle pieces introduced in James and his view of the world fit into the larger picture that includes the pieces from Huckleberry Finn.
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