James is a novel by author Percival Everett published by Doubleday. The novel is a re-imagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but told from the perspective of Huckleberry's friend on his travels, James, who is an escaped slave.
Reception
Writing for the New York Times, Dwight Garner stated:『What sets “James” above Everett’s previous novels, as casually and caustically funny as many are, is that here the humanity is turned up — way up. This is Everett’s most thrilling novel, but also his most soulful.』Garner further states that re-imaginings of famous novels can be trite and un-inspired, however he stated "Everett's “James” is the rarest of exceptions. It should come bundled with Twain’s novel. It is a tangled and subversive homage, a labor of rough love."[2] Writing for The Guardian, Anthony Cummins stated: "James offers page-turning excitement but also off-kilter philosophical picaresque" and while concluding that the novel is "Gripping, painful, funny, horrifying, this is multi-level entertainment, a consummate performance to the last."[3]
