I hope you came here for unpopular opinions, because I’m about to throw one at you. I’m not a big Mark Twain fan. I know, I know, but hear me out… It’s not his ideas. I love the concept of his books. He was ahead of his time, and I think satire is a very effective tool as a force for change. Humor has healing properties, and writers like Mark Twain were positively revolutionary in the world of literature. I value his books and his ideas very much. I just don’t care for his writing style and didn’t exactly enjoy reading his work. I’m sorry, Mark. Please don’t haunt me. Hannibal really isn’t that far from here.

With all that being said, I think that’s what I love so much about this particular novel. Let’s face it. We all know Jim, the escaped slave who accompanies Huck on his journey, is truly the more compelling character. Mark Twain couldn’t really write THAT particular book at the time as it wouldn’t have been as well received by the target audience, but he still presented the character of the honorable and intelligent black man who could actually forge a deep connection with a white boy in such a way that made people question their own preconceived notions and prejudices. And the original really is about Huck’s coming of age to realize the prejudices of his ancestors don’t have to define his own truth or the truth of future generations. Friendship is friendship regardless of race, age, or class. A trusted friend is a treasure, and there’s nothing wrong with doing something your elders tell you is wrong if it’s for the right purpose, especially if it’s to protect someone who needs protection. Wisdom is knowing that the old people who tell you what to do can be stupid, too. That’s a valuable narrative, and I in no way mean to de-value it by showing a preference for this new adaptation. In fact, were I to teach an American Literature course, I’d be teaching these two in tandem because the two different perspectives help the story come full circle.

Percival Everett, in his rewrite of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, presents the side of the story Twain didn’t put to paper. It’s the intimate account from Jim’s point of view, including all those times in which Jim is separated from Huck and we don’t get his experiences in the original text. What Everett gives us is a sometimes humorous, always harrowing, and often tragic view into the innermost soul of James. In his novel, James is a highly intelligent self-educated man who strategically wields his ability to play the part of the “dumb slave” for the mere purpose of survival. While covertly teaching the younger generation to read, write, and think critically, he also teaches them how to fly under the radar and tow the line so as to best protect themselves from harm as they navigate the dangerous world of the “peculiar institution” that is slavery. In this way, Jim and James almost become two different people. As the novel progresses, we see James more forcefully embracing his true identity while leaving Jim as a remembrance of a past to which he will not return. In that respect, this story is as much his coming of age as it is Huck’s.

Everett’s writing is stunning, and the moments he crafts are poignant and profound. During one particular confrontation between James and his prior abuser, I found it so damn satisfying and perfect I wanted to engage in a full-blown fist-pumping couch-jumping session of gleeful abandon. I refrained and settled for quiet glee, but it was difficult to control myself.

Like any great novel involving such an ugly time in history, much of this is difficult to stomach. It will make you angry, make you cry, and make you want to rage at the casual callousness and cruelty that infects the entirety of human history, including the history currently being written. The current cancer of human intellect is deflection and denial, a willful ignorance of the past that doesn’t allow for the prospect of remorse. How could history not repeat itself if half of us choose to deny the mere existence of the past? It makes things so much more difficult for those of us who actually want to believe in the capacity for human growth and enlightenment. Pardon me while I take a break to go scream into the void.

Ok, that’s better.

Truly, however, this novel is a marvel. It’s no surprise that it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Not having yet read the actual winner, I won’t make the claim that James should have won, but I would say it’s definitely worthy of any and all accolades. I also highly recommend the audio as narrated by Dominic Hoffman. Looking through his catalog of other narrations, I see he also narrated Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, which is one of the most stunningly beautiful books I’ve ever read. I’m sure he did it justice though I didn’t originally read in that format. Along all fronts, this one is a five-star read.

Published March 19, 2024 by Random House Audio. ISBN 0385550367. Runtime 7 hrs 49 mins. Narrated by Dominic Hoffman.