"Reimagining 'Huckleberry Finn': Percival Everett's 'James' Breaks Through to Mainstream American Fiction"
Originally Published 1 year ago — by NPR
Percival Everett's novel "James" reimagines "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by placing Huck's enslaved companion Jim at the center as the narrator, offering a new classic in its own right. Set in antebellum Missouri, the story follows James and Huck on a delirious odyssey, navigating a treacherous river on a raft. Everett provides Jim's deep interior life, exploring themes of language, identity, and the complexities of race. The novel is a multilayered, virtuosic mashup of literary forms, blending absurdly comical humor with devastating moments, ultimately addressing America's original sin and contradictions.