In common usage, the word hypothetical is an adjective. However, in the legal context, it acquires new meaning as a noun. These “what if’s” can shed light on legal questions by posing thought experiments that force advocates to examine issues from new perspectives (e.g., "Could a president who ordered SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival [and] who was not impeached, would he be subject to criminal prosecution?"). The truly sorry answer given to this hypothetical was a waffling “no.”

In his novel, JAMES, Everett adopts just such an approach to examine many of the cruelest aspects of slavery. What if Jim, a character in Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn,” were a well read, highly intelligent and resourceful man. Would he have fared any differently than his peers under the institution of slavery? Everett’s answer to this hypothetical is a resounding “NO.”

Everett uses this device to plunk his reader right down in the midst a bizarre culture where pejoratives like the “n word” and “boy” are common. Where harsh beatings are administered for the pettiest of offenses—even for no particular offense. Just for the hell of it. Where slaves must fain ignorance in their language and mannerisms while deferring to Whites at all times. Where rape is treated as incidental. Where family separation is just another business transaction. And where resisting or running away is treated as a capital offense. Under such conditions, why would any reasonable White person not fear revolt?

All of this is wrapped up in a crackling good yarn filled with action, suspense, and lots of truly interesting characters. James, as he prefers to be called presumably because he views Jim as demeaning, is the protagonist this time. Huck plays only a secondary role in this story. He disappears about halfway through and only returns in the end when Everett provides him with a truly astonishing plot twist.

Although containing a touch of humor—mostly at the expense of the White overlords, reading this novel as anything but a horror story would be a mistake. This truly grim portrayal of America’s greatest shame has much more in common with Shelly’s “Frankenstein” than it does with the Twain classic. Not unlike Everett, Shelly endowed her protagonist with human qualities that forced the reader to identify with the injustice he faces. Though quite effective, the narrative might just give you nightmares. ( )

It did take me awhile to become vested in this book. I knew it would be a great book but I had to get over my dislike of "dialect" writing. Once I sat down and just kept reading, the narrative caught my full attention and I finished the book. One of the things that Ann Patchett said about the author, Percival Everett, was that he "is the best-known writer you might not know". I was shocked to read that he has published over twenty novels, as well as short stories, poetry, and a children's book! Look him up, you will recognize some of his books. Anyway, it's a book you don't want to miss! ( )

A retelling of Huckleberry Finn with Jim, the enslaved 'friend' of Huck as the focus and told from his point of view.

James, no longer Jim, is a reader who has to hide his large vocabulary from White people and who pretends to get big words wrong, putting them through what he calls his 'slave filter'. Towards the beginning of the book, we find James teaching children to use their own 'slave filter',

The children said together, "And the better they feel, the safer we are."

"February, translate that."

"Da mo' betta dey feels, da mo' safer we be."

"Nice."
No page numbers, audiobook

This is what James calls a 'situational translation' and it is survival. There are shades of Erasure here where an author had to dumb down his writing and speak 'ghetto' in his book to write an 'authentic' story that 'spoke' to White people but was not necessarily the Black author's experience. It was just what White folk expect Black stories to be.

Having never read Huckleberry Finn it is nearly impossible for me to write about how closely, or not this book follows the story - pretty close in parts, I think. But Everett has also added in his own sections seamlessly such as James becoming part of a singing group that uses boot polish to 'Black up'. James has to use the polish plus some white make-up to make it seem as if he is a White man masquerading as a Black man. There is also a lot of hair touching going on in this section - is it a wig or is it his real hair?

This really is a remarkable novel, one that can be read separately to Huckleberry Finn. Everett is never afraid to take that most of American icons, this time Mark Twain's Huck, and rewrite to balance what it means to be American from a Black point of view.

It's on my list of best books in 2024. ( )

Brilliant storytelling. A riveting reimagination of characters from an iconic volume in American literature. A tale that skillfully blends humor, humanity and unexpected twists to explore issues that remain as timely today as they did in the Civil War era. What isn’t there not to admire in Percival Everett’s latest work? Given the fact that I was utterly delighted a year or so ago when I read Barbara Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead,” I wasn’t entirely surprised that I devoured “James” in only a few days. This is one book that is deserving of all the “hype” in literary circles. ( )

Percival Everett seems to be a very angry man. The story was good. I liked Trees better. ( )