James

by Percival Everett

No spoilers unless you haven’t read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. If you haven’t, I would recommend you do, but it’s not necessary.

Straight up front, be warned: this book is not ‘ferociously funny’ as described in the blurb. There is a nod to Twain’s satire, there is gallows humour, cynical wit and irony, but nowhere is it funny. The book deals with the horrors of slavery and the worst cruelty and greed of human beings, all set against the fear of impending recapture or of being sucked into the muddy waters of the Mississippi.

When I heard this book was due for publication it was like receiving a letter from a friend that I’d not heard from for nearly forty years. Which is how long it has been since I read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn back-to-back as a boy. Most of my memories of those books are dim, but some still stand out. Tom getting the fence painted, Injun Joe, etc. But the character that I never forgot and always missed was Jim. Back then, I was in awe of his courage – the courage to run away and the strength to go on. Although I couldn’t articulate it then, I didn’t realise that Jim would contribute to the person I would become, and that I would never forget him.

And now, after all these years I was going to find out what happened to Jim. Except, this is a retelling, rather than a sequel.

Instead, this is Jim’s Odyssey. The many-headed monsters are more terrifying, the muddy sea is more treacherous and the hospitality of strangers is in short supply. And the goal is greater: To be reunited with his family, yes, but also to have the freedom to become James. Although told in a different way from Twain, I am still in awe of James’ courage.