James | Litsy

pick

I listened to this one on my walks , and it was a lovely easy listen. A retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim‘s POV. It flowed along just the river. An engaging listen. ♥️

youneverarrived I loved this on audio. Definitely engaging 🤍 14h

Cathythoughts @youneverarrived Great storytelling 😁 14h

Tamra I can only imagine the queue for the audio at my library! 😳 😂 Everette is an engaging story teller, even if sometimes disturbing and even violent. He‘s a pretty down to earth & private guy based on the interviews I‘ve seen. 11h

38 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

A belated review for a fantastic #CampLitsy24 pick—it made for a great read & wonderful discussion!

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” —Scout Finch, in To Kill a Mockingbird

A retelling from a different character‘s perspective invites its readers to consider things from a new point of view—it was high time someone did this with Huck Finn.⤵️

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) In telling the story from Jim‘s perspective, Everett offers new layers to ponder—and there‘s plenty worth pondering, from the way Everett uses language & dialogue, to the plot changes at the end. James gives voice to a character worthy of deeper exploration, inviting readers to consider another point of view on an American classic. This is the first book I‘ve read by Everett, and now I need to seek out a few more. 1d

squirrelbrain Great review! 1d

Megabooks Fantastic review!! I recommend continuing with The Trees or Erasure. Two of my other favorites by him. 1d

See All 6 Comments

BarbaraBB Wonderful review 🤍 I agree with @Megabooks favorites and would like to add

Telephone

23h

BarbaraBB Oh and

So Much Blue: A Novel

23h

BarbaraJean @Megabooks @BarbaraBB Thank you both for the recommendations!! 18h

35 likes6 comments

Bookbuyingaddict

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

bailed

So sorry 😢 #camplitsy but just not for me , I have a TBR pile taller than me and I‘m 5ft 7” 😂so my golden rule for 2024 reads is if it doesn‘t grab me by 100pages I‘m out . Iv never read Twain never had an inclination to but I have enjoyed previous Everett‘s works , this one sadly just wasn‘t for me

Kitta It took me quite a while to get into this one. Idk if I would have persevered with it if not for #camplitsy. It was worth it in the end for me but if it‘s not grabbing you I support the bail! 6d

dabbe #hailthebail! 🤩🤩🤩 6d

32 likes2 comments

Susanita

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

When you collect everyone‘s suggestions for book club and come up one short, you suggest James.

I‘ve learned that it‘s not always a good idea to suggest a book I haven‘t read. 🥴

LiteraryinLawrence This looks like a great list! 7d

31 likes1 comment

BaBaBaBillyAndTheBooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

A slave like James—and the owners who control him—know that the most powerful weapon is the pencil, not the pistol. A command of language does just that: commands. To tell a story that remains, that places cruelty on the record for all to see, that announces its author by name as someone in complete control of their own narrative? That‘s its own mighty shot.

8 likes

Teresereading

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

#coverlove
🍊 🟧 #orange
Running late ......
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🧡🧡🧡 1w

Eggs Excellent 🧡🧡 1w

22 likes2 comments

Graciouswarriorprincess

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

I‘m just starting this and late to the game for #camplitsy. However, I‘m not late for the PBS books readers club session with the author later this month.

41 likes

Zuhkeeyah

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

I loved this retelling of Huck Finn. Everett pulls no punches throughout the story. He gives the slaves a voice, while highlighting there‘s no where safe to use it.

Thank you #camplitsy for the great discussions!

Megabooks Thanks for joining us! 1w

23 likes1 comment

Matilda

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

My best of 2024 so far (1 of 3)

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TheKidUpstairs

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

My hold came in too late to really participate in the #CampLitsy24 discussions, but I whipped through this book in a couple of days. I've never read Huck Finn, but I found it didn't matter. Everett has imbued James with a rich, engaging voice, and delivers a thoughtful character study, adventure tale, and story of the good and bad in humanity (with a healthy dose of the grey area in between).

63 likes3 stack adds

dabbe

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

#weeklyfavorites
@Read4Life

Read4life I loved this one, too. 1w

dabbe @Read4life 🩵💙🩵 1w

53 likes2 comments

dabbe

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

I am conflicted about this one. Overall, the writing of Everett is brilliantly satirical and horrific. “Jim“ from HUCK FINN ends up being a facade behind the true “James“ in this novel. Did I need that? Truthfully, no. I may be the only one, but I saw Jim's extreme depth, intelligence, compassion, and anger in the original Twain novel. I never saw Jim as a caricature; I saw the true essence of him behind Twain's lines. It is Jim's ⬇️

dabbe superior humaneness in the original that (to me) changes Huck's views so drastically that he has to go west into uncharted territory to be with the more “civilized“ humans than the whites he grew up with. However, I do understand Everett's need to show the absolute depravity of slavery not only during those times but to shed a light on how people on the so-called edges of society are still treated today. That alone makes this a necessary read. (edited) 2w

Cathythoughts Great review! I‘ve only just started this … I‘m interested to see how it goes. 2w

dabbe @Cathythoughts 🤩😀🤗 2w

See All 15 Comments

Roary47 Agreed. Great review! 2w

dabbe @Roary47 🤩😀🤗 2w

willaful Interesting pov! 2w

dabbe @willaful 👍 2w

TheBookHippie Should be a present by your door 2w

Aimeesue Interesting point. I‘m listening to HF before reading James, and I‘m really interested in how Twain depicted Jim. Everett said that he read HF FOURTEEN times in a row before writing James. I can‘t even imagine. (edited) 2w

peaKnit @Aimeesue 14 times?! Yikes. I mean to re-read since I just read it in Highschool with English class but if I can get through once more it‘ll be a miracle lol. That said, I did enjoy this one on audio, James cunning and intelligence was cleverly done here but I may have missed that angle as a teenager, which makes it so refreshing now. 2w

dabbe @TheBookHippie I just got it and posted about it! Thank you, m'dear!!! 🤩😀😘 1w

dabbe @Aimeesue Wowza! I can't even wrap my head around that. I've read it many times and have taught it for years, but never 14 times IN A ROW. 😳 The more I read it, the more I see the depth of Jim that Twain does not make overt. One definitely needs to read between the lines, which to me is what great literature is all about. (edited) 1w

dabbe @peaKnit It's easy to miss because Twain is so covert with Jim. And who knows? Perhaps I wanted to see more because I love the character of Jim so much. If you do reread, I'd be interested to read your take on it. BTW, as much as I love HUCK FINN, I absolutely hate the scenes with the king and the duke. In fact, I usually had the students skim that part and only deal with the scenes with Huck and Jim. 😱 1w

Aimeesue @peaKnit @dabbe Everett also said that he NEVER wants to read it again. I‘ll bet! 😂 1w

dabbe @Aimeesue Now that I can bet! 😂😂😂 1w

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Roary47

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

so-so

3✨ I enjoyed reading this reimagining of Huckleberry Finn in the POV of Jim. It was interesting to see his perspective during this timeframe. #CampLitsy24 @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @Megabooks

BarbaraBB Glad you liked it. On to All Fours? 2w

Roary47 @BarbaraBB Yes, already finished the first chapter! 🎉 I might try to do the discussions later. 😅 (edited) 2w

squirrelbrain 👍😄 2w

Megabooks Glad you‘ll be joining us for the next one, too! 2w

27 likes4 comments

Nathan_Opland-Dobs

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

Wow

5 likes

Floresj

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

This is really good. Creative storytelling of a novel that is well known. Excellent

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sarahbarnes

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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Another fantastic #CampLitsy selection! I will say that I didn‘t enjoy this one as much as the other Everett novels I‘ve read. But it was very good and his brilliance at subtle satire and storytelling comes through. I look forward to my next read of his!

squirrelbrain Interesting that it‘s your ‘least favourite‘ of Everett‘s - but that bodes well for me as I still have to read most of his back-list. 2w

AmyG @squirrelbrain Same here. This was a great introduction for me as I have read none of his other books. 2w

sarahbarnes @squirrelbrain @AmyG I feel like I‘m just getting started with his books! I really liked Telephone. 2w

46 likes3 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

What an incredible book. Thank you #CampLitsy24 for bumping this up on my TBR I was cautious about picking it up (there are lots of N-bombs and many uncomfortable scenes - the book is about slavery). I think Everett is a genius and this book shows it. The way he uses language - in the book and through the characters - is creative and effective. The pacing was perfect, this is a journey story and he keeps it moving there wasn't a boring bit. 👇

ChaoticMissAdventures Like others I did not enjoy the father/son relationship reveal but after the camp discussion I am more aware of the hinting of this in the original and understand better why Everett used it. Even though I think it is odd how he wants to show that family means so much to James and he is looking for his wife and daughter but is fine abandoning Huck in the end. It makes overall sense but is still an odd choice IMO. Besides this I enjoyed the ending 2w

squirrelbrain Great review! 2w

Megabooks Love this review! 2w

charl08 I must read more Everett! (Love this reading location btw) 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @charl08 I read Erasure last year before the movie and it was great but also one of those books that made me feel a bit dumb ... I liked James better. I hope you can get to some of his, I am going to pick up at least one more of his this year. 2w

36 likes5 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

I got curious about the word "bully" wondering if the word for mean people came from the horrid weapon that slavers would whip enslaved people with.
Turns out the word is very old: Oxford says - mid 16th century: probably from Middle Dutch boele ‘lover‘. Original use was as a term of endearment applied to either sex; it later became a familiar form of address to a male friend. The current sense dates from the late 17th century

31 likes

JamieArc

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

I have a hard time picking favorites, but Percival Everett is a no-brainer for me. I describe him as brilliant but readable. I love how he writes with such nuance, makes you think in ways you didn‘t expect, and turns the tables on things. He writes about incredibly difficult subject matter in a way that doesn‘t leave you feeling too heavy. James was no exception. Now, what should my next PE book be?
#camplitsy24

JamieArc @catiewithac I got a bit obsessed with this puzzle! It was a fun one, and the phrase is very apt for me right now. 2w

brittanyreads Wonderful review! I'll have to read some of his work. I don't mind a heavy topic but it affects me emotionally if it's not handled delicately enough. Thanks! Love the puzzle btw! 2w

squirrelbrain Great review! I‘ve only read The Trees and Dr No - and have Erasure and I Am Not Sidney Poitier on my Kindle. 2w

See All 11 Comments

Ruthiella I‘ve read So Much Blue, Erasure, Telephone and The Trees. I think The Trees is even better than James. I also think you can probably start anywhere with Everett. Of the five I‘ve read, they‘ve all been very different. 2w

sarahbarnes Agreed! I have many others of his I want to read. I really loved Telephone. 2w

JamieArc @brittanyreads I don‘t willingly love to read heavy books, but I find myself laughing a bit in Everett‘s, and there are some good wow moments too. 2w

JamieArc @squirrelbrain I love the film American Fiction so I may read Erasure next. 2w

JamieArc @Ruthiella I‘ve read The Trees too and agree that I liked it a little better, but for the same reasons I liked James. 2w

JamieArc @sarahbarnes I‘ll but Telephone towards the top, along with Erasure (since I loved the American Fiction film). 2w

catiewithac I‘m glad you liked the puzzle! The artist is one of my favorites 🤓 2w

youneverarrived The only other one I‘ve read and absolutely loved was

So Much Blue: A Novel

60 likes11 comments

DGRachel

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

I loved this. I hesitate to call it a retelling or reimagining of Twain‘s novel, because that almost seems to cheapen what Everett has done here. This is Jim‘s story, told with skill, care, and nuance. Everett‘s prose reads quickly, with short chapters, and expresses so much depth of experience. There‘s danger, drama, heartbreak, and hope all packaged in 300 nearly perfect pages. One of my favorite books this year & my first Everett. #camplitsy24

Texreader Lovely review 2w

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2w

squirrelbrain Great review! Are you going to try more Everett now? 2w

See All 6 Comments

DGRachel @squirrelbrain I definitely want to, even though I‘m not sure where to start. I just put in a hold at my library for The Trees.

The Trees: A Novel

squirrelbrain I think that‘s a good place to start, although I‘ve only read that one and Dr No. 2w

DGRachel @squirrelbrain I just read the synopsis for Dr. No. Onto the hold list I go…😂 2w

56 likes1 stack add6 comments

JamieArc

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

For those interested, PBS is holding a Facebook Live event about James. You can search the event on FB for more information. #CampLitsy24

36 likes

JamieArc

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

My spouse sent me this from a Facebook page. You can search for it for the full post.

“Huck and Jim in Their Final Years”

In 1903, on his last visit to his in-laws at Quarry Farm in Elmira, New York, Mark Twain posed for this photograph with his friend, John T. Lewis (1835-1906), who was born a free man in Maryland and who had migrated to upstate New York.

Lewis is said to be the inspiration for Jim/James.
#CampLitsy24

Megabooks

Tamra Fabulous pic! 2w

sarahbarnes Wow, what a cool photo. 2w

JamieArc @Tamra @sarahbarnes Isn‘t it? 2w

39 likes3 comments

Megabooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Our first-ever bonus question. We wanted to include one for those of us who have read the original Twain, but we know that's not everyone hence it being a bonus. But I'm really excited to hear the compare/contrast on this one! #CampLitsy24

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Addison_Reads @AmyG @BarbaraJean @batsy @bennettBookworm @Bkclubcare @Bklover @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @BookWrym @cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM @Catlass007 @CatMS @Cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures 2w

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf
2w

Megabooks @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 2w

See All 40 Comments

Megabooks @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 2w

Megabooks @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K
@kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry
2w

Megabooks
@Leniverse @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly
@Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella
2w

Megabooks @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks
2w

Megabooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable
2w

Hooked_on_books I read the original, but back in school and I chose not to revisit it. The focus on the life and inner world of a black man in Everett‘s version is such a great subversion of what is so often seen as classic literature. I love that he both paid homage and turned it on its ear. It‘s brilliant. 2w

kspenmoll Yes to @Hooked_on_books ! So well stated. Brilliant novel. I read Huck Finn way back when & have no desire to reread, so I do not remember enough detail to compare the two books. (edited) 2w

Read4life @Hooked_on_books said it so well! 2w

TheBookHippie This is more truth than the original I think. I‘ve always loathed Huck Finn and any Twain writing so 😅😬🤣😵‍💫not the one to say much. 2w

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie agree 💯 with you on Huck and Twain and I appreciated this perspective so much more for the reasons @Hooked_on_books points out. And @Megabooks I love that we have our first bonus question 💃 2w

Jess James was my first 5 star read this year. While I never really had an interest in reading Twain‘s book, I definitely plan on picking it up now. Especially after Everett‘s acknowledgment at the end “hell for my long awaited lunch with Mark Twain.” 2w

Leniverse I liked the start of Huck Finn, but I detested the last part with Tom Sawyer. Tom is such a little shit, and the way he plays with Jim's life and Huck goes along with it, and the reader is supposed to find it funny ? And then that twist at the end where Huck's moral dilemma is "resolved" by Jim being free all along. I was so mad! ? I'm glad Everett took a hard left and just changed the whole story. 2w

jenniferw88 Although it's been at least 16 years since I read Huck, I'm not 100% surprised that I enjoyed this one more—I didn't get on with many of the 19th/20th-century American lit books I read then, and POC authors mainly wrote the ones I did enjoy. 2w

Chelsea.Poole I read the original in high school with a great English teacher, so I really appreciated it then but I did not revisit it before reading James and I don‘t plan on it. I think Everett improved upon the original which is no small feat! 2w

Bookwormjillk I read them both this summer. To me Everett was saying “Oh you call that a classic. Here‘s what really happened.” and I absolutely loved it. 2w

Susanita This was a very good book. I feel like I “should” know the original story, and I‘m sure I read it, but I only remembered some of basic beats while reading. Fun fact! I attended 7th and 8th grade at Mark Twain intermediate school, but the name had no bearing on the curriculum. 2w

Daisey I also read the original too long ago to remember many details, but I enjoyed it. I didn‘t have time this summer to reread it before James, but I do want to revisit it. 2w

Ruthiella @Leniverse Totally agree about that sociopath Tom Sawyer! The end of Huckleberry Finn is a nightmare. I am really glad that I “re-read” it just before reading James, however, because I am pretty sure I read a sanitized and abridged version before. Reading it now, unexpurgated, is very eye opening. The level of racism that Twain is exposing is astounding and it‘s important to recognize that this was the norm for many, many people. 2w

Megabooks @Leniverse I hate Tom. He is a terrible foil to Huck and likely to grow up into an evil person. I didn't like his influence on Huck's actions in the original. I'm glad Everett didn't include those parts and changed the ending. 2w

Megabooks @Bookwormjillk Yes! Agree! 2w

Megabooks @Ruthiella I think I read an abridged version in middle school, too. I'm glad I read an unabridged one this summer, and I like that Everett didn't feel the need to hew so closely to the original. I liked the parts where Everett reflected our modern sense of current and past racism. It's just a different approach as a 21st c Black man versus a 19th c white man. 2w

Megabooks I'd like to add I appreciate the richness Everett provided by giving Jim a wife and daughter. I loved that motivation for his actions. 2w

squirrelbrain I agree @Leniverse @Ruthiella @Megabooks - I listened to HF just before reading James and *hated* Tom, although the long drawn-out ending of HF also didn‘t help! I read HF as a child but don‘t recall any of it (and it may have been an abridged version) and I‘m so glad I listened to it again, if only to demonstrate Everett‘s skill and wit. 2w

Meshell1313 @Leniverse yes! I totally agree! I‘m so glad Everett really left Tom Sawyer out of the whole thing. I found myself liking Huck a lot more in Everett‘s version. I also loved what Everett did to Jim‘s storyline in the pieces we don‘t get to see in Huck Finn. He could have had Jim go through anything but I thought it felt pretty accurate. 2w

youneverarrived I read it years ago but don‘t remember much about it 🤷‍♀️ I just remember thinking it dragged on.. 2w

Leniverse One thing I did like about the original is that we get a better idea of Huck's situation and the desperation that led him to flee. There are so many similarities between Huck and Jim, and the reader sees it even if Huck doesn't. The difference being that once Huck comes of age he'll be free, and have money (unless his father manages to get hold of it first). 2w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk I love that point of view! 2w

DGRachel I read the original more than 30 years ago, so I don‘t remember any detail. I loved that this focused on James and his perspective and experiences. Like @Hooked_on_books I loved how Everett took the core story/characters and built something so rich. 2w

willaful @Ruthiella I looked at HF several times while reading this, curious about similarities, and wow, it is excruciating to read even bits. It reminded me of an old episode of “Family Ties“ in which a stuffy Black family is complaining about the book being taught in school and all the good white people speak up for how wonderful it is, and win of course. Because God forbid a Black parent not want their child to have to go through that in school! 2w

AmyG I read Twains book in High School and remember pretty much nothing. 2w

BarbaraJean It's been over 20 years since I last read Huck Finn, and I don‘t remember the details well enough to determine what the different plot choices were! I don‘t remember the ending at all. I‘d like to revisit Twain to compare the two now. I do remember being fascinated by Huck's “conscience“ as he wrestled with what society told him was right (slavery) vs. his own experience of Jim and his internal sense of right & wrong. ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I liked how that was carried through here, but with a different emphasis. I appreciated how Everett built a continuity of character between his work and Twain‘s, but with the focus shifted to Jim—giving him voice in a way that Twain never would have considered. 2w

peaKnit I feel like I prefer to leave the original in the last, I read it in Highschool and struggled with the dialect, I was not engaged. So what a delight to be so taken in with this revisit. (edited) 2w

Larkken This was the first “classic” vs new pairing I read this year that actually seemed to have some affection for the original! It made me better appreciate how much Twains novel was satirical and anti-slavery. But this novel was so much more in that in making Jim a person and not just a foil, Everett seems to be making a clear statement that this story should be about the people affected and not be about conscience and philosophy. Brilliant. (edited) 2w

GatheringBooks I was a child when I read Twain & had zero understanding of all the slavery layers as a wide-eyed Filipino child simply expecting an adventure book. Everything was normalized for me at the time - it was simply the way of the world that is why it is in a book. I loved that everett wrested control and power back by rewriting a classic and thus restorying ultimately the future of people of color in total control of their wits and intelligence. 👇🏼 2w

GatheringBooks As @Larkken noted it was absolutely brilliant on so many levels 2w

DebinHawaii It‘s been so long since I read the original in junior High (I think) that I don‘t remember the details. I‘m conflicted on whether I want to go back & reread it now. 2w

50 likes1 stack add40 comments

Megabooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Last question for James except for our first-ever bonus question! I hope to see a lot of you back for the first half All Fours next Saturday. Helen, Barbara, and I are working on the questions this weekend, and I know the discussion will be just as good. We appreciate all our campers! #CampLitsy24

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf
2w

Megabooks @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 2w

See All 42 Comments

Megabooks @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 2w

Megabooks @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K
@kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry
2w

Megabooks @Leniverse @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly
@Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella
2w

Megabooks @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks
2w

Megabooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable
2w

Hooked_on_books I would like to think they did make it to Canada. I think he has the intelligence and know-how to make it happen and that those characteristics would also help them do well there. James depicted here has a Frederick Douglass level of intellect, which would serve him well in a more equal society. 2w

kspenmoll I also would like to think they made it into Canada. I love that he was able to find his wife & daughter & escape with them. James showed his ingenuity throughout & his ability to react with quick intelligence in crisis situations throughout the novel. 2w

TheBookHippie I would like to think yes. 2w

Leniverse They seemed resourceful enough that I would like to think so. James also strikes me as the kind of person who would get involved with the underground railroad and go back to save others. 2w

BarbaraBB I agree with the above. James proved himself to be clever and a survivor. I tend to think they made it to Canada. 2w

sarahbarnes I also want to believe they made it. We can see from history and the present that they‘ll continue to face the worst of the systems and society they live in. My hope is that they will continue to find strength in their relationships with each other and the people they meet along the way to fight against those systems. Even though they shouldn‘t have to. 2w

jenniferw88 I'd like to believe they did, but I'm not holding out hope with the “Duke“ and “King“ still lurking around somewhere. And if someone gets injured on the way there, then I can see them slowing everyone down and them being caught. 2w

Jess I also believe that they made it and are so resourceful they will stick together. I love that Everett ended the book with James speaking with a white sheriff in a direct manner and not using the survival version of English. 2w

Chelsea.Poole I hope! 2w

Kitta I hope they made it too. Although I thought Everett made James almost too well read? How did he learn to read? What philosophy books did his owner have in that library? James seems to have read about abolition of slavery but would a master/slave owner really keep those books? I had a lot of questions. I believe James is very intelligent. But I had trouble suspending disbelief when he was hallucinating and talking to the philosophers. 2w

DGRachel I would love to think so and will try to hold onto that hope, but the pessimist in me has doubts. Not because James isn‘t clever, but because the system is so stacked against them. 2w

Bookwormjillk I surely hope they made it, but in that world nothing was a given. (edited) 2w

Ruthiella I‘m think they made it, if not to Canada, then to a northern state. I agree with @Hooked_on_books that James has an intellect like that of Frederick Douglas, a voracious intelligence. 2w

CBee I want to believe they made it. Even if it wasn‘t Canada, it was hopefully somewhere safer. Jim is one of the best characters I‘ve read - what an amazing book ♥️♥️ 2w

Megabooks I liked this hopeful ending. (Certainly better than the original Twain as we discussed disliking earlier @ruthiella !) There are a lot of obstacles in their life to make it and thrive, but I'd like to believe they each possess the resourcefulness to do it. (edited) 2w

JamieArc I‘m not sure if they make it to Canada, only because I see James getting caught up in other endeavors, whether the Underground Railroad or the war efforts in the north. But his family is a powerful motivator, their safety, so perhaps that will get them there. 2w

squirrelbrain I too hope that they made it to Canada, but a great idea from those of you suggested that he may become involved in the Underground Railroad. @Leniverse @JamieArc 2w

squirrelbrain Interesting point @Kitta - I wonder if the slaves shared such books amongst themselves or taught ideas to each other, as James was teaching the children in the first half of the book? 2w

Leniverse @Kitta The philosophers were all part of the western canon, and the library belonged to a judge who clearly prided himself on having the books, but many of them were unread. I figure Huck's mother taught Jim to read. But there could also have been maids in charge of white children, their own children companions to them, absorbing forbidden knowledge (like in Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward). But yes, Jim seemed VERY well educated. 2w

Meshell1313 I am also wishing for the happy ending for James and his family even though as history tells us- it very well might not have been. I found this entire novel a heartbreaking reminder of the horrors of slavery. It was def a better ending than Huck Finn for sure. 2w

youneverarrived I like to think they did. He‘s certainly got the wits & intelligence to make it happen. 2w

MicheleinPhilly I‘m choosing hope so I say yes. Jim has already demonstrated his capability and I think the extra motivation of ensuring his wife and child are free will inspire him to succeed. 2w

willaful I suspect James' highly educated state was overdrawn deliberately and satirically, like the fact that virtually every other Black person he met could code switch into standard English. The dreams were probably my favorite part of the book.

I was so bothered by the fates of anyone who tried to help James, or he tried to help, that it makes it harder to see a happy ending for them. Perhaps for him, just being in a place he can speak freely is a... 2w

willaful happy ending; as he said about Sammy, at least she died free. Though Nelson immediately called bullshit, which I loved. Any thoughts on Sammy's end? Would she have been better off not running? What about Nelson? 2w

AmyG I‘d like to think they got to Canada. I felt hopeful. And oh boy….look forward to the All Fours questions. 🤪 (edited) 2w

BarbaraJean I was worried about how conspicuous his escape was, but given how he escaped so many times throughout the book, I think they‘ll make it there with James‘ intelligence & ingenuity. @Kitta I had questions about James‘ education, too. The extent of his self-taught knowledge, gleaned from stolen moments with Thatcher‘s books, felt a stretch. But his multiple escapes also stretch credulity. Like @willaful I accepted it as deliberate within this book. 2w

Hooked_on_books @willaful I completely agree with you that he is purposefully overdrawn to illustrate Everett‘s point. I think it really works. 2w

peaKnit I pray they got to Canada, James‘ resourcefulness, intelligence and cunning allows me to believe that with my whole heart. (edited) 2w

Kitta @Leniverse oh great point! I hadn‘t considered that. Thanks 😊 I didn‘t remember the books being unread in the library. Also It would make sense they‘d pass the knowledge down. If his mother knew how to read, I‘d guess he would too. I like your comparison to Let Us Descend, gathering forbidden knowledge. But I still think Everett made James almost unbelievably educated. 2w

Leniverse @Kitta Yes, he worked the contrasts with a heavy hand. 😂 Sometimes the characters felt more symbolic than real people. But it's not like the original feels more realistic. Huck is a lot more able there, definitely the hero of his own story. So it makes sense in that context that James would be the same. Maybe Everett is saying if we are willing to go with Huck's version of events, we should believe James too 🤔 2w

GatheringBooks Loved @MicheleinPhilly‘s hopeful note, and everyone else‘s optimistic views of how it ends. As they say though, be careful what you wish for. I would be down to reading a sequel showing what life in Canada would be like for James‘ family - whether it is everything indeed that they hoped for and dreamed of. 2w

GatheringBooks I think the brilliance of James is also executed in such a way that people could doubt it - much like when people of color shine so bright in schools, their teachers think they cheated or have been duplicitous in some way because they cannot possibly be this smart. 2w

mcctrish I‘d like to think James helped with the Underground Railroad - maybe he got to canada and then slipped back and forth over the border to organize and support or maybe he became a teacher @Meshell1313 the horrors of slavery is right. The pencil haunts me - that someone would scour for excuses to punish/kill 💔 2w

DebinHawaii I vote for hopeful that they made it somewhere they could live free as a family although life still would have been very rough. If anyone could get them there it would be Jim. 2w

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Megabooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Question Two! #CampLitsy24

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

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2w

Hooked_on_books I loved that Everett did this. It adds an additional layer of motivation for James‘ protective actions toward Huck. And it gives Huck freedom and distance from the abusive man he thought was his father. The Huck in this book is a good kid stuck in a shitty society and his reaction fits. 2w

kspenmoll This plot point took me totally by surprise! Huck‘s reaction was priceless- demonstrating his age/child/naive like reaction to want to embrace even Jim‘s skin. It did explain Jim‘s drive to keep him safe. 2w

Read4life I loved this. To me, this could be seen as a new complication to Huck‘s life but also frees Huck. He is not the son of a horrible, abusive man but rather someone Huck has loved for a long time. 2w

TheBookHippie Brilliant!!! I loved this surprise. So freeing for Huck. On so many levels. It puts James in a different light as well. Interesting plot twist. Will it anger some ?? I‘d love to know if readers get upset over this. 2w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books @kspenmoll @Read4life @TheBookHippie Unpopular opinion but I didn‘t like this twist much. First, I saw it coming a long way. Second, it felt a bit cheap and convenient to me. I had appreciated it more when both Jim and Huck behaved the way they did out of their personality, not because they were family. Third, it also felt a bit as if Everett came up with the idea halfway through the book since in the first half Jim doesn‘t ⬇️ (edited) 2w

Leniverse This was the one thing I didn't like. I loved the found family feel to it, the inter-racial cooperation. But then they are actual family? And James basically tells him he has to choose sides and deny one side of himself, and eventually James gathers up his wife and other kids and flees north, leaving Finn to do whatever (which would be fair if James wasn't Finn's father). It also gave me the sense that it's impossible to be a white ally. 2w

BarbaraBB …. Seem to care much about Huck or his wellbeing. 2w

BarbaraBB @Leniverse I agree with you and just commented something similar. 2w

sarahbarnes I honestly wasn‘t sure what to make of this turn of events. It seemed like Everett may have been using it as a way to illustrate how arbitrary race is - that you can walk in the world based on the way people perceive you (white or not). 2w

sarahbarnes I feel and agree with the tensions you point out @BarbaraBB @Leniverse . 2w

Chelsea.Poole Honestly, I was so shocked. A very interesting twist on a classic story. I see the points @BarbaraBB has made. But, I also feel like Everett had to do *something* to make this book work, and I was convinced, as a reader in James and Huck as father and son. (edited) 2w

Kitta @BarbaraBB I agree I think, although it does explain why James would save Huck instead of his friend after the boat sinks. I felt it coming a long way off and was wondering if it was in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or not. I‘m guessing no? 2w

DGRachel Similar to @BarbaraBB and @Leniverse this was the one discordant note in an otherwise perfect book. I didn‘t anticipate it, though, but I did keep asking myself if James was telling the truth because it came out of nowhere. I too loved the found family feel which gets destroyed by that revelation. 2w

Daisey There was a comment made earlier in the story by another character (possibly Norman?) along the lines of “Does he know? Are you going to tell him?” that I didn‘t quite get until I reached this reveal. So, I did feel it was foreshadowed, and I found it an interesting plot point. It did leave me with a lot more questions about Jim‘s relationship with Huck‘s mom. (edited) 2w

charl08 This is such a fascinating discussion. I was surprised by the revelation of fatherhood plot too. I do think the way it flags the porousness of racial boundaries and "passing" is (as always with Everett) clever. 2w

Bookwormjillk I was shocked but didn‘t love it. It seemed kind of tacked on at the end. And like @DGRachel I wasn‘t sure if he was actually his father or just thought of him as a son because he was so close to Huck‘s mother growing up. 2w

Ruthiella I agree with @DGRachel @Leniverse @BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk It weakened the story for me. It was a motivation that I felt was unnecessary. 2w

CBee I didn‘t feel shock and didn‘t mind the plot twist. They were already family, so why not add another layer? Plus, it did add some interesting context in how Huck reacted, and showed just why Jim cared so much. @Daisey you‘re spot on, that was totally foreshadowing and I didn‘t realize until the “reveal.” 2w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB I saw it coming too with a lot of foreshadowing in my reading of it. And I didn't like it either. I see the point others have made about it being an extra layer between them, but it just didn't make sense to me as an addition to the original story. It didn't feel genuine to me. It felt cheaper than I'm used to Everett writing. 2w

Megabooks @Leniverse I agree. He basically ran and said, “Huck, continue pretending to be white. I've got to take my real family and bolt.“ It didn't feel like what Jim would do to a son, even if he was white passing. It was just really weird to me. 2w

JamieArc I read this part at Silent Book Club, while we were all reading silently, and I was having a hard time keeping quiet 😂 I don‘t like it or not like it, but it was interesting to me to see Huck work through his thoughts on it, his identity, etc. 2w

squirrelbrain I didn‘t much like it either - it felt a step too far to me. And I agree with others who said that James wouldn‘t have upped and left Huck, although maybe he knew that he would be ok as he ‘passed as white‘. I think that‘s the reason why I didn‘t like it - that it soured my impression of James slightly. 2w

Meshell1313 Interesting. In grad school I remember writing a paper about Huck and Jim‘s relationship and how all the research writes about how it is very much like a father/son relationship. I feel like Everett just played out this idea that has been out there about the original and just took it one step further. Of course there is another layer about perceptions, skin color and presentation. 2w

youneverarrived I‘m with those who didn‘t love it. I liked their friendship/companionship without that added element - I don‘t think it was necessary for the story. It felt like it came out of nowhere but I must have missed that foreshadowing @Daisey 2w

BarbaraBB @Daisey That comment gave it away for me indeed. That Huck must be Black too and probably because of a relationship between James and his mother. 2w

Megabooks I remember that comment as well @Daisey ! Thanks for bringing it up. 2w

Megabooks @Meshell1313 I agree it was a very paternalistic relationship both in James and the original, but I didn't feel Everett needed to formalize it. (edited) 2w

BarbaraBB @Megabooks Exactly that. It felt a bit cheap and Everett absolutely doesn‘t need that. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB I agree, I didn't really like the plot point. I also saaw it coming, and kept wondering what the point was. I don't think Jim needed any more motivation in saving Huck beyond he was a boy he had seen growing up, and who he had agreed to go on this journey with. The parental addition just seemed to muddle things for me. It felt like too much of a reach for a reason that wasn't very plausable. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Meshell1313 that is really interesting that you studied this relationship in this way, I don't remember reading Huck, so I am sure if I had studied this it would have landed differently with me. I do think it is an interesting second way to bring in passing - while one character knew he was passing and nervous, to have a second character not even know and just living life as a White boy. 2w

Deblovestoread This part of the story didn‘t line up for me. It felt like an afterthought. 2w

willaful There was definitely foreshadowing of Huck having Black ancestry; it came up at least twice. But I also didn't like the reveal; it seems really implausible as well as unnecessary. Perhaps I only think that because I'm a white person, in very different circumstances, though. It also made it much more odd that Huck then disappears from the story. 2w

AmyG I was surprised (ha, I never see anything coming) but I am not sure what it added to the story. I agree with others that it could have been freeing for Huck….he is not and will not become the man he thought was his father. 2w

BarbaraJean I'm still not sure how I feel about this twist. It was a surprise! I started thinking through Huck Finn for “evidence“ to support it…then got frustrated at myself for privileging the older text! I'm not sure it adds a lot. It freed Huck from an abusive father, but revealing his father's death could have the same effect. It made Huck wrestle with the idea of what makes a person white or black, and (again) brought up the idea of passing, but the ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) ...reader doesn't see the implications of these ideas for Huck (b/c he isn't the focus). I agree with @BarbaraBB & @Leniverse—I prefer the idea that Jim & Huck's connection arose out of their personalities & circumstances rather than due to a blood tie. @DGRachel I also wondered whether James was telling the truth. Especially when he flees at the end & leaves Huck behind. This revelation wasn't woven in or fleshed out as much as I wanted. 2w

BarbaraBB Great thoughts @BarbaraJean about finding the evidence in Huck Finn. And I do think @DGRachel brings up an interesting thought as well, whether James is telling the truth. 2w

peaKnit I feel like James understood the implications of Huck being his son, but after their adventure felt Huck had earned the right to know? It was a surprise, and I am glad it was at the end, no further explanation needed. 2w

Larkken This was hugely shocking to me having just reread Huck Finn, but I agree that Everett hinted at it earlier. I think in some ways it takes away the only redemptive White character left in the retelling, for good or bad. Was Huck only beginning to feel bad about slavery because he felt a familial connection to Jim? Hucks coming of age and dev of a conscience is such a huge character arc for the original that I just really didn‘t see it coming. 2w

Larkken Oh man, I didn‘t even think about how weird it was that Jim left him after all that. That does make it feel like a strange narrative choice. 2w

Larkken @Leniverse “impossible to be a white ally” yes! You put it better than I. 2w

GatheringBooks I have just seen American Fiction - although I have yet to read Everett‘s Erasure. The plot twist seems in keeping with the American Fiction narrative - the exploration of where “going too far” takes the reader and the writer, and just toying with the edges along with the intent to shock and seeing people‘s reactions to it - which is everything the paternity device felt like to me. It‘s also everett‘s ultimate middle finger to twain maybe 👇🏼 2w

GatheringBooks (Cont) without caring too much whether it made sense or the fact that it now paints all characters in wildly different - even distorted ways, but I was entertained by it, and simply willing to go where everett takes me on this one. 2w

Zuhkeeyah I saw this twist coming, but didn‘t mind it. Huck could never make it as a slave after years of white privilege which is why James leaves him behind. He listed all the people who will love and raise Huck before doing so. Throughout the book we see how practical James has been about survival. He knew it was dangerous to continue to travel with Huck and would make it harder for other slaves to trust him. 2w

mcctrish @Zuhkeeyah I had thought this was coming too and wondered was PE showing all the sides of ‘passing‘ like he did with being a slave? @GatheringBooks raises the American Fiction plot too far point and this could be that. I feel for Huck suffering for all his fathers‘ sins but James has to make hard choices. All of this just made me love this book more 2w

DebinHawaii I am on the fence about it, more so after reading all the excellent points in this discussion. I was not surprised due to the foreshadowing including the comment by Norman & didn‘t hate the reveal but I don‘t feel it was needed in the book to show the paternal relationship Jim & Huck had & questioned that Jim needed to reveal it to Huck. I felt that telling him Pap was dead was enough. Still, it didn‘t make me like the book any less.🤷🏻‍♀️ 2w

dabbe I did not like this plot twist at all. One of the biggest traits a hero has in literature is that what the hero seeks is no more than a symbol of what he really finds. Huck's original quest was to get away from his abusive dad. Finding Jim just added to the complexity of the hero having to face adversity on his quest. What Huck REALLY finds, though, is that while on the journey, he learns to accept ⬇️ (edited) 2w

dabbe Jim completely as a human being while KNOWING he is white and knowing he is going against the mores of his society--another process the hero must go through--the hero must stand apart from his community. Knowing at the end that he is so disgusted by the whites in Hannibal and has to leave for the “civilized“ world of the wild west is the richness and depth of HUCK FINN. Having him now be half black ruins that effect for me. 2w

Christine This was such a rich conversation that I was sorry to have not been able to participate in live! So much food for thought within all of the comments here. I didn‘t mind the reveal, and I guess I perceived it as Everett giving the reader another opportunity to examine their own assumptions and biases. But again, I‘m thinking more about it based on this convo, for sure! 2w

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Megabooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Welcome back to camp! I hope you like this week's questions about James. Last week's discussion was fantastic, and I appreciate everyone who participates and enriches our reading experience. #CampLitsy24

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

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2w

Hooked_on_books I think it‘s important to show both types. And I think the reasons people had for collaborating or resisting likely varied widely. The same thing happened in WWII. Self-preservation is a powerful motivator for many and quite understandable when pain, violence, and death are potential outcomes. Showing a variety of different responses to an abhorrent situation makes the story richer and more real. 2w

kspenmoll I had similar thoughts to @Hooked_on_books regarding the authors reasons to include differing individuals responses to being slaves. It made the story authentic & certainly richer. I do like your comparison to WWII- That had not crossed my mind. I have often thought of what choices I might have made - not sure I would be courageous enough to resist endure violence against myself & others. (edited) 2w

Read4life I agree, @Hooked_on_books . It‘s real that there will be different reactions to situations whether it‘s because the circumstances vary or simply because people are different. The way one person sees or feels things will not necessarily be how another sees or feels them. This portrayal supplied a genuine perspective in my opinion. 2w

TheBookHippie Proximity to power is an illusion some people use to delude themselves as well as self preservation. You even see this today with women who chose to align with men in power who are horrific for all women. It happened in WWII and it‘s happening now. What ppl tend to forget is self preservation or not you‘re still owned and you‘re still lorded over. For some this is better than death. Others refuse. It‘s shown brilliantly in this story. Necessary. 2w

BarbaraBB I felt the comparison to WWII as well and that makes it understandable in some ways. People want to survive no matter what. (edited) 2w

sarahbarnes @hooked_on_books said it well. I agree that it‘s complicated in a way that I am not able to fully understand, but can only imagine what people might do to survive. 2w

Chelsea.Poole Wow, @Hooked_on_books said it so well and I agree. These stories always make me wonder how I would respond in dire circumstances. Of course, I‘d like to think I would resist the “bad men” but I also have a very intense desire to survive and *not* be hurt/punished. Thought provoking. 2w

Susanita It further heightened the pressure James felt to be constantly on his guard. 2w

TrishB We‘d all like to think we‘d act in the ‘good‘ way but societies are gambled on power and people cleaving to the power/bad guys. Sadly ofc. 2w

Kitta Agreed with @TheBookHippie that people take power when they can get it if they believe it‘ll help self preserve. I liked your analogy to women aligning themselves to men who want to take away women‘s rights. Same thing for some trans and gay people I‘ve seen aligning with gender criticals. I don‘t understand it, how you can align against your own community, but also I kind of get it? Self preservation is strong. 2w

Bookwormjillk I don‘t think I can add to everything @Hooked_on_books and @TheBookHippie said. This is an interesting discussion. 2w

Ruthiella I agree with all of the discussion above. Everett is reflecting a spectrum of human behavior, both then and now. (edited) 2w

Daisey I absolutely think it enhanced the story and can‘t express it any better than many of the comments above. 2w

CBee Absolutely necessary to show both sides. Some people have the strength and bravery to resist, some are just trying to survive. I didn‘t judge Luke for his actions - his fear of being punished made him act that way. I don‘t know that I wouldn‘t do the same - I‘d like to think I‘d resist, but what if my family were being threatened? You just never know (and I hope I never do). (edited) 2w

Megabooks @TheBookHippie I think pointing out that it is an illusion is important. Proximity to that kind of power can feel like protection, but realistically, you are just as vulnerable as everyone else in your same situation whether you collaborate or not. 2w

Megabooks @Hooked_on_books I think fear of a worse personal outcome is an important consideration and a motivating factor in a lot of collaboration with oppressors. If I look at myself honestly, I don't know what decision I'd make until I'm faced with it. Of course, we'd all like to believe we'd resist, but fear is a huge motivating factor. Young George's death gutted me! 2w

JamieArc I think this is part of what makes Everett a brilliant writer. He does not write just one side. He is gifted at writing nuance. 2w

squirrelbrain I agree @Bookwormjillk - @Hooked_on_books and @TheBookHippie have made such incisive, insightful comments, along with everyone else that there isn‘t much else to add! 2w

squirrelbrain @JamieArc - I agree. Everett‘s writing is all the more powerful because it shows that nuance and makes us think. 2w

Meshell1313 @Chelsea.Poole yes!! Exactly my thoughts! I would like to think I would be brave and fight and stand up for what is right but my survival instincts might kick in and be lead by fear of the consequences! I cannot even imagine these situations and honestly hate that we let these things occur and that there is still so much injustice in the world. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures I agree with everyone above! (This is what happens on West cost time LOL), it is absolutly necessary, not showing a range of people and how they handled their enslavement would have been disingenuous. Throughout history this has always been the case, and in a stroy trying to understand the time you cannot go without these people who embrassed their situation, and oftem made things worse for others like them. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures Like @TheBookHippie says proximity to power. You not only see it in women, the LGBTQAI community, and also often today in the Black and Latin communities - how they will latch on and go hard for politicians that are blatantly racist and say outright that they want to take away their rights, they feel so above the situation, they think it will never actually effect them if they are “good“ enough. Everett knew he needed this dynamic for realism. 2w

DGRachel I don‘t have anything to add to the insights above. I do think it was important to the story to show the range of reactions. It spotlighted why James has to be so careful in all of his interactions with people he meets. I hate that it‘s a reality still, how fear erodes trust and community, when strong community is how we survive and thrive. 2w

Deblovestoread I don‘t have anything to add. Agree with all the comments as I enjoy my first cup of coffee. ☕️ 2w

willaful Luke isn't that hard to understand, especially in historical context, but I'm still trying to figure out what was going on psychologically with Brock. I think James was mystified as well, which is why he basically made him a ghost. 2w

AmyG What everyone has stated. Showing the reactions of all slaves to their predicaments is history, the behavior of all. Yes, similar to WW II how people behave in order to survive. I, too, thought it was necessary for the story to contrast different human viewpoints, reactions, survival skills. People are fascinating. 2w

Hooked_on_books @Megabooks I don‘t think any of us truly knows what we would do. I think my younger self wouldn‘t have collaborated, but would have put my head down and tried to keep moving forward, which is in itself a form of collaboration rather than resistance. I have a lot more “fuck this shit!” attitude now, so maybe I‘d be more inclined toward active resistance, but I don‘t truly know. When your life is on the line, everything changes. 2w

peaKnit I thought seeing all sorts of reactions just made sense, you have people that go along to get along, and those that step out of line, it takes all kinds of people to make the world go around. (edited) 2w

Larkken I think he includes it also bc this isn‘t just a book about slavery, it is about what came after and all the ways reconstruction was unable to really succeed. If you are part of a society dependent on others‘ pain and failure than I feel it is easy to see how some might crave being the cause of pain and failure since that would indicate to them that they are more of a success than those that are suffering. 2w

GatheringBooks Agree with @Hooked_on_books statements echoed by everyone else here. What i especially liked about Everett‘s writing is how nuanced it is: the characters are neither just good nor bad, but fully developed and complex in all their ambiguities. 2w

mcctrish I‘m late to the party but want to say I thought it was brilliant how PE included the different responses to slavery and the breadth of humilities and trauma that slavery could entail. The exhaustion of not knowing how any situation would play out, imagine someone always looking for an excuse to punish 2w

DebinHawaii Even later to the party & I agree with what‘s been said & with @Hooked_on_books & @TheBookHippie on the parallels to WWII & today. I found it realistic to see the spectrum of character perspectives. (edited) 2w

dabbe @mcctrish Totally late to the party, but this is what hit me, too. From an artistic standpoint, the creation of absolutely terrifying uncertainty as to what lay literally around the corner was beyond brilliant on Everett's part. I felt my heart race just like Jim's/James's--I was running through the woods with him. That is difficult to achieve with just words on a page. 2w

mcctrish @dabbe it made me just inhale this book! PE has some serious skills 2w

47 likes42 comments

Daisey

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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I finished listening to James this week while visiting southeast Missouri, including a couple towns right along the Mississippi River, which made it hit just a bit harder. I enjoyed this book, and I also want to read it again after revisiting Huck Finn. I especially appreciated the emphasis on language.

*I received this audiobook through the Libro.fm Educator ALC program.

#CampLitsy24 #audiobook #Librofm #ALC

squirrelbrain Amazing that you were actually *there* while reading it! 2w

BarbaraBB Yes! What a place to read this book. Intense I think. 2w

Daisey @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB It really was a great coincidence, and added some intensity to the scenes on the river (although it is a very different river than it was at that time). 2w

Tamra Memorable experience! 2w

youneverarrived Ah wow! 🩵 2w

53 likes5 comments

MicheleinPhilly

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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Wow. Just…WOW.

#CampLitsy24

Bookwormjillk Can‘t wait to talk about this tomorrow! 2w

vivastory Looking forward to this! I was listening to a podcast today & apparently when Everett was in conversation w/ Ann Patchett, Patchett was praising Everett's partner's forthcoming novel

Colored Television

BarbaraBB Looking forward to our discussion too 🤍 2w

BarbaraBB @vivastory That one sounds good too! 2w

54 likes4 comments

youneverarrived

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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This is the epitome of brilliant storytelling - I think the audio added to this as the narrator was AMAZING (if anyone ever asks for audio recommendations this will be my go to). I think Jim/James was a great protagonist in the journey he goes through and the courage and wisdom he has. I loved it as a story but I think reading it with #camplitsy in mind added more depth to the way I listened to it, making me think more deeply about it. #tbrtarot

CBee

BarbaraBB I feel the same thanks to #CampLitsy24. I didn‘t love the book but now I kind of do 😃 2w

youneverarrived @BarbaraBB that‘s fab you like it more 😁 2w

Centique Thank you for the idea of reading it on audio. I need a new listen! 2w

53 likes3 comments

TheKidUpstairs

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

My hold FINALLY came in yesterday, so I'm reading while my kids play ping pong at the park. I doubt I'll finish it before tomorrow's #CampLitsy24 discussion, but I'll read as much as I can!

JamieArc You may just get to a point where you don‘t want to stop! 2w

TheKidUpstairs @JamieArc I was happily engrossed in my reading, and then a darn bug had to sting one of my kids! So much for relaxing outdoor reading! 2w

JamieArc @TheKidUpstairs Life happens, but the book will always be there 😊 Hope your kid is okay/unphased! 2w

See All 6 Comments

squirrelbrain Glad it finally came in! Hope the kiddo is OK. 2w

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain @JamieArc Thanks, he bounced back pretty quickly, but took the opportunity to blame everything on it for the rest of the day (“my elbow feels weird, it must be because I got stung on my ankle!“ “I'm tired, but it's just because I got stung, not because it's past my bed time“) 😂 Unfortunately, I didn't get much more reading time in, but I'm loving what I've read so far! 2w

60 likes1 stack add6 comments

CBee

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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WOW. I‘m overcome with emotion after finishing this. Everett did it again. Cannot WAIT for the #camplitsy24 discussion! #bookhangover @Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB

CBee #TBRtarot @AmyG thanks again for sending this to me!! 2w

Megabooks So glad you loved it!!! 2w

AmyG I loved this, too. So glad you liked it! 2w

78 likes3 comments

jenniferw88

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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I picked up the book on Monday, & finished it on Wednesday! 😂

This is my second Percival Everett (after Dr. No), & I'm searching out the backlist (luckily, I have a few on Kindle already). Considering I don't like Huckleberry Finn, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this retelling! It's not quite 5 stars, as there were a couple of bits that were hard to read.

#camplitsy #52bookclub #abruptending #waterpolo #pop24 #recommendedbylibrarian

jenniferw88 #aty24 #bipocmc 2w

TheKidUpstairs I'm glad it's a quick read! My hold finally came in today, I'm going to try to get through as much as I can before #CampLitsy24 discussions this weekend. Since you're getting into his backlist, this one from a couple years ago was fantastic:

The Trees: A Novel

62 likes2 comments

Texreader

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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Jim, from Huckleberry Finn fame, tells his story about slavery and his trek down the Mississippi River with Huck. A frustrating read because Jim often finds himself in extremely frustrating circumstances. This is an excellent book to describe the realities of slavery from the heart of a good man. It is also a satisfying read but I won‘t even hint because of spoilers. A fine choice for #camplitsy24 @Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB

JamieArc Great review! 2w

Texreader @JamieArc Thanks! 🤗 2w

BarbaraBB Thanks @Texreader glad you‘re enjoying Camp! 2w

Megabooks Great review and glad you enjoyed it! 2w

squirrelbrain Great review! Looking forward to your thoughts at the weekend. 2w

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mcctrish

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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OMG this was such a fast read for me! I inhaled it! #camplitsy picked a winner ❤️❤️❤️ I might need to revisit Huckleberry Finn now

AmyG Agree! 2w

BarbaraBB Glad you loved it! 2w

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Soubhiville

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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I did read Huck Finn when I was a kid, but it‘s been so long I don‘t remember much about it, except that I thought Tom Sawyer was better.

I‘m not going to say too much because I‘m saving it for the #CampLitsy discussion on Saturday, but I thought this was a satirical retelling at its best.
(Look up Content Warnings if you need to before reading.)

Sietje‘s morning face… she knows it‘s about time to leave for work.

AmyG So sweet. 2w

Leftcoastzen Aww!🥰 2w

squirrelbrain Aw Sietje! 2w

dabbe #sweetestsietje 🖤🐾🖤 2w

Suet624 💕💕💕 2w

90 likes5 comments

kspenmoll

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Afternoon cake and coffee. Add some James & it‘s a delightful repast. ☕️🍰📙

I just finished- what a book! Now I want to replay the interview/ discussion with the author I attended at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT. My guess is the interview/discussion will be so much more meaningful now that I have read the book. ❤️ #Camplitsy24

https://www.youtube.com/live/ppcamx588NE?si=DDd1FbetZ17OkUE_
This is an hour long discussion with the author.

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB How wonderful you met him. Thanks for the link! 3w

squirrelbrain I saw him speak at an event too, just as the book was published in the UK, although I‘d read it as an ARC. I‘ll watch the recording anyway - thanks for posting! 3w

kspenmoll @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I hope you enjoy it. The synergy between journalist Michael Harriot & Everett adds so much to their conversation! 2w

Megabooks Thanks for sharing this! What a great experience meeting him. I wanted to see him at Parnassus but I couldn‘t make it to Nashville that day. 2w

peaKnit Thank you for this link, I‘ll be checking it out. I loved this book on audio. 2w

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kspenmoll

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

What book to read this morning? Enjoying the porch while I can; heat wave starts at noon. Got up at 6:15 to walk while it was still cool so I feel quite accomplished.📚☕️🚶🏻‍♀️‍➡️☀️🥵 #porchlife

Cuilin I loved Possession. What a lovely cover. 3w

Cupcake12 Just a pretty photo 🥰 3w

Ruthiella A nice conundrums to have three good books to choose from. 😊 3w

See All 6 Comments

sarahbarnes Great stack! Are you doing the Possession buddy read with @Graywacke? You should join us if not! 3w

dabbe #yourzenismyzen 💚💙💚 3w

BarbaraBB It all sounds so good! 3w

59 likes6 comments

Deblovestoread

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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#WeeklyFavorites

Was glad to have #CampLitsy discussion yesterday so I could finish James. I only had broad stroke memory of Huck Finn which I don‘t think mattered. Looking forward to next Saturday‘s discussion so won‘t say more than Percival Everett has become a favorite author. 4.5 🌟

@Read4life

Suet624 He‘s a favorite author of mine,for sure. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures I have started to wonder if I read Huck at all and if I was thinking of Tom S. Either way I think you don't need to have read. 3w

Read4life I loved this one, too! I listened to the audiobook and thought it was fantastic! 3w

55 likes3 comments

BossLady305

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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Mid-19th century Missouri, Jim is a slave. You‘ll recall some familiar characters: Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn. When Jim hears a rumour that he is to be sold, separated from his wife & daughter, he decides to flee. He encounters many terrible characters on his journey. You‘ll find yourself flipping pages just to find out how it ends.

Very well written. Some witty, some very harsh describing the realities of what has happened in our country.

8 likes

TEArificbooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

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Quicker read than I was expecting, short chapters and mostly dialogue. Read it in one sitting yesterday. Read for #camplitsy. Don‘t have anything to add to the discussions. @Megabooks

Megabooks The discussion has been really great today. Glad you enjoyed the book! 3w

49 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

“How strange a world, how strange an existence, that one‘s equal must argue for one‘s equality, that one‘s equal must hold a station that allows airing of that argument, that one cannot make that argument for oneself, that premises of said argument must be vetted by those equals who do not agree.”

#CampLitsy24

BarbaraBB Gorgeous quote 🤍 3w

43 likes1 comment

Megabooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Everyone meet back for campfire s'mores tonight and online next Saturday morning as we discuss the second half. Have a great weekend! #CampLitsy24

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf
3w

Megabooks @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 3w

See All 54 Comments

Megabooks @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 3w

Megabooks @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG @julieclair @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K
@kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry
3w

Megabooks @Leniverse @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly
@Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella
3w

Megabooks @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks
3w

Megabooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable
3w

Leniverse This is one of the things that really got to me in the original. Huck has a good heart and good instincts, but his upbringing and indoctrination makes it impossible for him to see Jim as a real person. Everett built on this in a great way. I was so pleased to see that he kept Huck's kindheartedness but also made him question more. Everett's Huck is less resourceful but in some ways shrewder. 3w

Jess At the half way point (and never having read the original), Huck seems like a conflicted character to me. He was brought up to believe in the system of slavery but seems to question it and feel uncomfortable with the realities quite often. With that said, I am not a fan and have yelled at Huck so many times throughout these first 150 pages to just go home! 3w

Meshell1313 @Leniverse yes!! Couldn‘t agree more. It‘s like he knows it is wrong but he‘s a kid and adults in his society are saying the opposite. You can see his internal struggle. I always like to think Huck grows up to be an abolitionist! 3w

CogsOfEncouragement I just reread Huck Finn so it is fresh in my mind. Huck knows Jim needs hiding, etc. He protects him by lying and anything else he can think of for most of the story. In ch. 20 when he sidled up to Jim, Jim sees Huck going to him for protection which Jim wants to give but can‘t. ⬇️ 3w

CogsOfEncouragement I think Huck sidled up wanting to give protection that a kid just isn‘t able to give. This relationship set in this time - a white person trying to protect a slave but can‘t due to age and an adult trying to protect a child but can‘t because of racism. 3w

Leniverse @Jess The original explains why Huck can't go home. That's missing from James. Basically Huck's father is a violent alcoholic who kidnapped Huck away from his guardian and is keeping him isolated and imprisoned in the woods. There's a custody battle but he'll kill Huck rather than let him go. 3w

AmyG @Leniverse I agree with you, too. Huck has been taught that slavery is the way of the south. Yet Huck struggles with this. He seems to be torn between Jim as slave, Jim as friend and I also think Jim as a bit of a father figure….and Jim as a human being. I have to always remember that Huck is a kid…learning and forming his own opinions, morals. (edited) 3w

AmyG Thank you @Megabooks. I am really enjoying this but it‘s breaking my heart. 3w

Soubhiville @CogsOfEncouragement well said! It seems Huck grasps the wrongness of slavery/ racism and is growing to question the ideas he‘s been taught his whole life so far. I hope we see him continue to grow in that direction. 3w

Kitta Thanks for the context @Leniverse is it worth reading Huck‘s POV as well? I don‘t think Huck thought of himself as stealing Jim imo, he thought of him more as a friend? Although he‘s definitely conflicted about it, he knows Jim is a slave and Huck seems to have abolitionist views when it comes to Jim. 3w

Leniverse @Kitta I think the first half or so of Huckleberry Finn is really good, but I hate the last third or so. Absolutely detest it 😂 What I love about James is that Everett fixes everything that bothers me in the original, and keeps the good. There's only one change I disagree with (but that's for next week's discussion). 3w

sarahbarnes I only vaguely remember the dynamic between Huck and Jim in Twain‘s novel. I do think Everett makes it more explicit in his version that Huck struggles to a degree with the racist system he lives in. Through Jim‘s perspective here, I think we also see more clearly Huck‘s naïveté about how his whiteness protects him in ways he doesn‘t grasp, and how his presence with Jim can be doing more harm than good. 3w

Megabooks @Leniverse agree for sure that Huck is shrewder in this than the original. I'm glad to see Everett kept the camaraderie between them. 3w

Megabooks @CogsOfEncouragement good point about their protection of each other and the limitations and circumstances that made it difficult. 3w

Megabooks @AmyG It is heartbreaking, but I found the original, which I reread before this discussion, more so. I think there's a string of hope through Everett's version that I didn't feel in the original. And you're welcome! (edited) 3w

Megabooks @Kitta I remember this scene, and I hope this is not a spoiler, where Huck sees Jim as free, but when Jim talks about freeing Sadie, Huck sees it as a theft of property. I remember thinking that juxtaposition between Jim, who Huck knew well, and Sadie, whom he presumably didn't, as far as seeing the inherent humanity/need to be free. I think that was a big crux of the book and Huck's part right there. 3w

GatheringBooks @Jess the term “conflicted” is exactly what I had in mind too. Agree too with @Leniverse‘s depiction of kindheartedness. I think it is also a commentary on how you can be friendly, kind-hearted, compassionate- yet still think of humans as properties. And that the sensitivity is there, but the obliviousness and self-preservation and self-interest win out more. That being said, I appreciated the complexity of the characters making them fully human. 3w

Megabooks @Leniverse @kitta I may have a bonus question next week for those of us who have read both! 3w

Megabooks @GatheringBooks That is an excellent point that I think goes to racism in our current system -- that good, “well meaning“ people can still do incredibly racist things. So many books I've read about being a post-Jim Crow ally say, even if you mean well, you're going to do something racist. Own up and apologize. 3w

Kitta @Megabooks yeah because I‘ve finished it I‘m having a hard time remembering what‘s happened at halfway! I don‘t want to give away anything but my views are definitely shaped by the events towards the end of 3w

TheBookHippie @Leniverse @AmyG I agree with you both. I also loathed the book however I think they should be read together in high school now. At least it‘s my opinion so far. 3w

TheBookHippie I think racism is so ingrained that most people do not realise, it‘s the I love you -but I think you‘re less than. I do enjoy the complex characters shown. The depth is very good and gives you pause. I also think that‘s why people don‘t understand acts of violence on any race, they don‘t understand that if you don‘t see someone as human and equal, it‘s very easy to hate, treat differently and even kill/enslave. 3w

BarbaraBB I think this says much about Huck himself. Huck‘s journey is as much about his own moral development as it is about physical escape. 3w

DGRachel I thought I‘d read Huck Finn a long time ago, but I think I must have only read Tom Sawyer. I am actually glad I didn‘t get around to reading Huck Finn, so I don‘t have that version in my head. I‘m enjoying the writing and the story so much that I haven‘t given it much critical thought. I‘m just along for the ride. I do agree with @CogsOfEncouragement re: the mutual desire to protect, and the limits placed on their ability to do so. 3w

Bookwormjillk @TheBookHippie @Leniverse @AmyG Huck Finn is on my son‘s summer reading list this year. If he picks it I want him to read James too. 3w

DGRachel @BarbaraBB Yes. I am enjoying Huck‘s character development. @TheBookHippie I agree with this, too. So much of the book parallels current society 3w

JamieArc Huck‘s character actually makes me want to read the original now. I see him as one whose foundation is in what he has been taught, but is a young person trying to figure it out on his own. It reminds me that relationship is everything. Would he be trying to learn/grow if he didn‘t have such a personal relationship with Jim? Not sure. I also think they are both trying to figure out a complex relationship. 3w

squirrelbrain I agree @leniverse - I read HF right before James and I did feel for Huck as he tried to understand the world around him. I too am glad that Everett didn‘t change Huck‘s personality or outlook too much. 3w

DebinHawaii I only vaguely remember reading Huck Finn in school & I have mixed emotions about whether I want to go back & read it again after finishing James. Huck has these sparks of realization that James is a person but his upbringing & indoctrination of slavery are tough for him to overcome completely. I too hope he & his understanding continue to grow. 3w

CBee I don‘t remember much about Huck Finn - read it in high school, I think? BUT I do remember the relationship with Jim and glad to see it wasn‘t changed too much. I just love Percival Everett 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3w

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement Yes, definitely—I was struck by this as well: their mutual desire to protect each other is thwarted by society‘s imposed roles and rules. Their shared vulnerability is fascinating: when it‘s just Jim and Huck, the balance begins to shift toward a measure of equality, then when the “Duke” and “Dauphin” join them, it exposes how vulnerable they both are. Of course, this vulnerability is to far different degrees! 3w

BarbaraJean In the original, I found Huck‘s moral conflict over slavery so compelling. I feel similarly about his character & his views on Jim here. He‘s a kid whose conscience & reason are struggling against his inherited views of slavery & racism—he‘s trying to figure those things out, and spending time with Jim makes him question what he‘s been told. @JamieArc Definitely, relationship is everything. His relationship with Jim is shaping his moral growth. 3w

peaKnit I felt Huck‘s feelings about slavery and Jim as a person rather than property really evolved through the story. I imagine a young uneducated teenager would struggle to parse out what slavery truly means until he sees Jim as a person. 3w

Maggie4483 I definitely got the impression Huck was uncomfortable with referring to Jim as his slave, although I think he got over it quickly. I wonder, though, if it wasn‘t somewhat common for the children of slave owners to see the slaves as friends. The same way kids in homes with black housekeepers, who were so often left in charge of child rearing, saw them as a part of the family and truly loved them. It‘s really a good reminder that hate is taught. 3w

Megabooks @Bookwormjillk great idea! I think he‘d definitely benefit from both! 3w

Megabooks @BarbaraJean I think the parts with the Duke and Dauphin vs Huck and Jim were handled particularly well by Everett. He really leaned in to showing the power older white males had over everyone and the problems that created. Everett is really good at using small relationships to make larger points! 3w

Zuhkeeyah Can‘t remember who said it (there are a lot of fantastic insights in the comments!), but I agree with the Huck being conflicted. These moments seem to crop up not long after a lapse in code switching by Jim. It‘s almost as if hearing Jim speak like an equal is starting to make Huck consider him an equal instead of just a friend. 3w

mcctrish I didn‘t get the impression that Huck considers Jim to be property that he stole but that people could think that and I also thought he could use that idea to save Jim. Jim didn‘t run, Huck took him. Maybe I‘m naive 3w

Texreader @mcctrish I agree. Maybe at first Huck thought Jim was stolen property, but I don‘t think if that were the case that it lasted very long. Kids‘ brains, I believe I‘ve heard, are more malleable. Huck took the standard line about Jim being property from how he was raised, but then having spent time with Jim gave Heck a subconscious understanding that Jim is a man, a friend, and not property. But I haven‘t finished the book so we will see. 3w

Texreader @BarbaraJean @megabooks You‘re both right on point about both Huck and Jim being vulnerable. I wanted to quit reading because I despised the King and the Duke so much. 3w

mcctrish @Texreader I had to take a break from the dolphin and Mr Bilgewater. 3w

Hooked_on_books Hatred is taught. And kids get to a point where they see something in the world that doesn‘t match what they were taught (be it hatred or something else) and start questioning. And I think Huck is right at that place. The more time he spends with Jim, the more questions he has about what really is. And I love that. 3w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books Well said, about Huck being right at that place. And I hated the King and the Duke too @Texreader such foolish men thinking the world of themselves. 3w

Larkken I like what Everett is bringing to Huck‘s maturity arc just as much as I‘m enjoying the internal life of Jim. TBH, Twains Huck was almost a foil- like, even a child can see slavery is wrong - whereas in James everyone is a real person and Huck figuring out how f*d he is from his pa through the lens of Everett‘s sarcasm is really working for me 3w

willaful I'm really happy that Everett didn't choose to write this as an adversarial relationship on James' part. He understands the problems with being Huck's “friend“ in ways Huck is too young to fully realize, but cares about him and feels somewhat paternal. I liked that he found ways to be real with Huck even when playing the Jim character. I'm looking forward to seeing how their friendship develops now that Huck is more aware of the code-switching. 3w

Megabooks @willaful same. I was glad he kept the camaraderie and Huck‘s child innocence. 3w

58 likes1 stack add54 comments

Megabooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

I hope everyone is enjoying the unlimited reading time at camp! (Definitely not available at any camp I went to as a kid. 😂) The audiobook/crafting activities cabin is now open, too. #CampLitsy24

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf
3w

Megabooks @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG @julieclair @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K 3w

See All 39 Comments

Megabooks @Leniverse @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly
@Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella 3w

Megabooks @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable
3w

Megabooks @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 3w

Megabooks @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 3w

Leniverse Good question! I see it as a vehicle for Everett to point out that the debate about slavery and about PoCs were held between white, privileged people, without giving the people it concerned a voice. Still happens a lot today. "Own voices" are important. 3w

Jess As a person in Jim‘s position (being able to read and write but having those skills suppressed), the thirst for knowledge and interaction must have been unreal. Since he couldn‘t discuss these thoughts with anyone else, he had them with himself and the hallucinated philosophers. Those scenes with Locke were funny and genius. 3w

Meshell1313 I loved the way Everett did this. The only people who could debate slavery are white, privileged non slaves. It was a way to shows Jim‘s ideas, knowledge and voice in a way that would have been allowed- a conversation not out loud but in his own mind. 3w

AmyG I agree with everyone. This was the author‘s way to present Jims views on slavery (the authors views) and also his intelligence. 3w

Kitta I assumed he‘d read some of those philosophers in the library of his masters house and that‘s how he even knew their names. And agree with @jess (again!) he can‘t discuss these thoughts with anyone else so he has the conversation with himself. 3w

GatheringBooks I agree with everyone that this is indeed a masterful strategy to (1) demonstrate how much of a scholar Jim is, (2) show that these dead white men who are thinkers but are also perpetuating inequities - do deserve to be questioned re their ideologies that are inherently flawed, (3) that these philosophers are Jim‘s peers - and in some respect, even beneath him, notwithstanding their years of privileged education and unquestioned freedom 3w

TheBookHippie At camp we had 90 min after lunch for reading and letter writing in our bunks. 🙃 3w

TheBookHippie It‘s a very smart way to present slavery. 3w

Megabooks @Leniverse Very much agree that this is why own voices narratives are so important. As @meshell1313 pointed out the only voices in wide circulation are white people debates on Black people's personhood. Even when freedom is suggested equality is not. 3w

Megabooks @GatheringBooks yes, he is their peer in intellect, but not their peer in reception. Even when these philosophers called for an end to slavery they weren't agitating for equality or giving voice to Black people like Jim. 3w

Megabooks @TheBookHippie I've been to camps where you're not allowed back in your rooms until after dinner. All day out at various activities! 3w

DGRachel @GatheringBooks I love the way you‘ve bullet pointed this. It is a great strategy on Everett‘s part for all of these reasons and I found myself thinking how clueless the philosophers were and how blind to reality. 3w

BarbaraBB Very well stated @GatheringBooks. I also like what you say @jess about he has no one to discuss this with. I hadn‘t thought of that. 3w

Sapphire Agree with the own voices and showing how deep Jim‘s self education went harkening back to Judge Thatchers library. From an artistic point of view, I loved the tool of the fever dream as so realistic. I have had nights on NyQuil where some of my deepest but less concerns without the daily pragmatic aspects of them come through in what feel like more vivid but odd presentations to help me process underlying issues. Jim is trying to stay alive 3w

Sapphire ..Jim is trying to stay alive while every person around him has theories about why he is gone, who he is, what he has done, and even ones that would be “favorable” to him will still end in his death and or harm to his family. 3w

BarbaraBB I also think the hallucination shows Jim‘s internal struggle regarding his identity. Discussion with philosophers symbolizes his desire to understand his place in the world and his intrinsic worth as a human being, beyond the societal label of being an enslaved man. 3w

CBee Did anyone else have to look up the philosophers though? I‘ve never been good at reading and “understanding” philosophy for some reason 😂😅 3w

TheBookHippie @Megabooks 😅 3w

JamieArc I love how Everett writes about Black identity not being one thing, or what white people expect it to be. This part reminded me of the main character in his book Erasure(though I haven‘t read it but am speaking about the main character in American fiction). He writes in such a nuanced way that is brilliant to me. 3w

squirrelbrain @CBee -yes, me! 🙋🏻‍♀️ But don‘t you think that this is a great way to start to understand some of these concepts, through Everett‘s fabulous, satirical writing?! 3w

squirrelbrain @TheBookHippie - at #camplitsy we can have 12 hours a day for reading in our bunks, if we so wish! 😜 3w

squirrelbrain @AmyG - yes, such a great way to present both Jim‘s and Everett‘s views that didn‘t actually feel ‘shoe-horned‘ in. 3w

TheBookHippie @squirrelbrain 🙃🙂♥️♥️♥️ 3w

TheBookHippie @CBee 😅😂🙃 3w

DebinHawaii I agree! It‘s such a brilliant way for Jim to be able to have these “conversations” & voice his/Everett‘s views in a world where he cannot. This is my first Everett book & now I want to go back & read more of his writing. 3w

CBee @squirrelbrain oh good 😅 And yes! It‘s taking me out of my comfort zone a little for sure. Read a bit more about John Locke earlier actually. I‘m still confused 😂😂😂 3w

BarbaraJean @Meshell1313 I was struck by that irony as well—that James was shut out from any debate over his own freedom, so Everett has to insert it as a dream/imagined conversation. I loved that he does this though—giving voice to somoene who‘s been excluded from the conversation. @GatheringBooks Yes—all of this!! 3w

youneverarrived @BarbaraBB yes, great way of seeing it! I was going to say the same as @AmyG and @DebinHawaii it felt like it was a way for the author to voice his own thoughts but done in such a brilliant way. 3w

mcctrish I love the hallucinations, they help put the debate right in our faces - make no mistake about what is going on here 3w

Texreader I loved reading the comments on this question. I agree with all. It was so interesting to read about these intellectuals and Everett taking them to task—especially ones that I‘ve always admired for their stand on liberty. Such a subtle excellent way to make us think twice. And I appreciate that. But in their defense to a degree, these “great thinkers” were still far ahead of their time compared to much of the rest of the white world at the time. 3w

Hooked_on_books Lots of great comments here. I was also thinking that while we are shown this intellect in James we are also seeing at the same time the brutality of his “owner” and Huck‘s father. This is Everett, so that‘s not by mistake. Who is the lesser man? Everett makes that answer so clear. 3w

BarbaraBB @DebinHawaii He is an incredible author with lots of satire, sometimes explicit sometimes less so. You are in for a treat, reading more of his books! 3w

55 likes1 stack add39 comments

Megabooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

Welcome to another week of #CampLitsy24! I've been pleased to see a lot of you have been enjoying James as much as I have. Looking forward to another lively discussion this week. Thanks for being a part of camp!

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf 3w

Megabooks @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 @JenReadsAlot 3w

See All 64 Comments

Megabooks @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG @julieclair @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K
@kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry 3w

Megabooks @Leniverse @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly
@Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life 3w

Megabooks @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks 3w

Megabooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable
3w

Leniverse In the adventures of Huckleberry Finn black people are shown to be gullible and uneducated (but so is Finn and a lot of the other white people). I think the scene was important because it makes it more plausible that Jim is literate. 3w

Leniverse The highlighting of code switching shows how much the slaves had to suppress themselves in order to stay safe. It's also perhaps a parallel to present day where a lot of people call AAVE ungrammatical and seem to think that its speakers are stupid and/or uneducated. 3w

Jess Jim was providing another tool for survival and said that code switching was necessary for the comfort of white people. It was evident in Everett‘s scenes where Huck questioned and felt awkward about Jim‘s language (talking in his sleep). 3w

RebelReader It made me think of present day and how people of color must have “the talk “ with their kids about how they must act if pulled over by the police. I think Everett is saying that not much has changed. 3w

Susanita It shows Jim has powerful observation skills, especially about language but also concerning general demeanor. This scene was fascinating…and sad. 3w

CogsOfEncouragement To me, this compares to “The Talk” Black people still must have with their children in America to make it home safe. Then it contrasts in that the code switching today to make white people more comfortable is to sound more like white culture. 3w

Meshell1313 I definitely agree with what everyone is saying. It‘s not only a way to appease whites but also a self protection thing. Heartbreaking for sure. 3w

youneverarrived They‘re supposed to play the part of how white people see them - as unintelligent, inferior etc. to be seen as they are, like others have said, wouldn‘t have been safe - which is heartbreaking. I think @Jess is spot on in saying the ability gives them a tool for survival. Also agree with @RebelReader and @CogsOfEncouragement about the scene highlighting the parallels between then and now. 3w

AmyG I saw this as pure survival for slaves. James is a smart, smart man…passing on his survival skills. Beyond sad. 3w

Soubhiville I agree with @RebelReader and @CogsOfEncouragement . I also was struck by the fact that although vernaculars have evolved, the need to code switch has not. 3w

Laughterhp Oh no! I haven‘t started reading this one yet. I just got it from the library. 3w

JenReadsAlot I agree with the survival comments and sad it still is happening today. 3w

Kitta Agreed with @jess that it‘s about survival and protection. Also agree with @Leniverse about the plausibility of James being literate. 3w

sarahbarnes I think this scene is a good example of Everett using the satirical skills he‘s gifted with as a writer. He uses the concept of code switching here to present a different perspective on the reason for different ways of speaking between black and white people at the time. He turns the tables on it, putting some of the power of that decision back into the slaves‘ hands as something they recognize as necessary for their survival. Brilliant. 3w

Megabooks @Leniverse I agree with you and add that scene being in a schoolroom setting made it more believable that Jim was literate. He's an educator in addition to a parent. 3w

Megabooks @Jess @rebelreader @cogsofencouragement @youneverarrived @amyg @soubhiville @jenreadsalot @kitta @meshell1313 agree with all of you that there is an element harking to modern day conversations that Black parents have with their children and that Black people use to survive in the workplace/at school and other environments less friendly to AAVE. 3w

Megabooks @sarahbarnes ooo...I like this explanation that the ability makes them more powerful. Everett is so gifted at satire. I love his perspective! 3w

GatheringBooks Love @sarahbarnes take on the code-switching. As a woman of color in the academe, I often get asked how I spoke such “good English” and without an accent - and even held up by a panelist when I was a keynote speaker in Brazil as one to emulate. Of course now we know that these are micro aggressions and what Everett is showing here is how people of color cope so that they don‘t get questioned about how come they are not as illiterate as expected. 3w

TheBookHippie @Leniverse Yes! I also thought of Gullah. A language that is theirs and still trying to be preserved. 3w

Sapphire Thinking about the ways that Demon Copperhead also took issues such as Londons Street urchins and modernized it into the failures of our foster care system, I had to go back and see how Jim was presented in terms of hiding a level of education in Huck Finn. One reviewer stated that HF portrays Jim as so gullible as to be foolish but a careful reading of the island scene reveals Jim‘s deep understanding of nature as ways of alternate knowing. 3w

TheBookHippie @sarahbarnes I love the power switch as you say. I mentor teen moms and have taught them how to send their child to school, how to talk with teachers, and before that how to be articulate with doctors and nurses. For their survival. This reminded me of that. So survival too. And power. 3w

Sapphire This is similar to how society still has trouble with indigenous ways and not being able to acknowledge it as intelligence because conclusions are different than western education and so calls it alternative knowing 3w

sarahbarnes @GatheringBooks I can only say I‘m sorry that you‘ve had to have such questions asked of you. 3w

Sapphire Similar to and building on how families must teach young black males specific behavior in order to not get shot when innocently walking down the street or driving in a car, I think of two other examples in art recently about code switching. One was an episode of the good doctor. Two black female residents have a conversation about the behavior needed to be successful and how being loud bs quiet in speech labels and brings up barriers to success 3w

DGRachel I have nothing to add to what others have said, beyond “I agree”. 🤓 It hurt to see him outwardly make himself small in front of white people, and that he couldn‘t drop his guard even around Huck. 3w

Sapphire Regardless of skill or intelligence. That was a profound scene to me. But coming Back to James, I also loved the description of reading and the ability to read being so subversive (and really why it is controlled by all types of oppression) because you can‘t control what happens in the mind. It‘s not just James intelligence, his ability and need to code switch that Everett is highlighting, but his humanity and beauty. And the way that the slave 3w

Sapphire Slave holding society pretended issues were about theft but we very aware of what keeping education and language away from people does to support control and oppression. Otherwise why would Ms. Watson be so worried about books out of place in Judge Thatchers office or would pen and paper been such a treasure to Jim never having been close enough. 3w

TrishB Brilliant comments, agree and v sad it‘s still going on. That people have to modify their selves to fit a standard cultural norm or to survive or to maintain the power structure. 3w

Sapphire Systemic racism and institutional racism are highlighted in the focus on access to books, writing supplies, and education that we also fight today. My personal bandwagon connection: this is why public libraries are so important 3w

BarbaraBB I agree with what @RebelReader says but like @sarahbarnes I also like to think it is a tool the enslaved people used to unite and empower them because this way they could outsmart the white people who seem ignorant thanks to Everett! (edited) 3w

Bookwormjillk @Leniverse yes I loved comparing this scene to how Jim was treated in HF. I thought it was so funny how Everett kind of said joke‘s on you Huck. 3w

Bookwormjillk The comments here are brilliant and I can‘t wait to read part 2! 3w

CBee I agree with everyone 😊 Love this so far! 3w

JamieArc I have nothing more to add, but I think this table-turning is what makes Everett so brilliant. Also, my spouse‘s MA is in linguistics, primarily of black dialect. He doesn‘t read fiction a lot, but I think he will really like this one for all the things mentioned here. 3w

squirrelbrain I‘m sorry that this still happens in this day and age, and that it has happened to you @GatheringBooks 😞 3w

peaKnit I really enjoyed the insight of Jim and how he was the keeper of so much heart and intelligence. Sadly he had to conform to what people expect to survive. I will continue to think about this book. 3w

squirrelbrain @RebelReader @CogsOfEncouragement - thank you for highlighting this comparison between ‘then‘ and ‘now‘. I really appreciate how much depth these discussions add to our reading of the books. 3w

Maggie4483 I also have nothing to add that hasn‘t already been said, but like @sarahbarnes I was struck by Jim code switching in the opposite direction of what‘s done in modern society. Thanks for articulating my thoughts much better than I could! 3w

Deblovestoread I agree and appreciate everyone‘s insights. 3w

DebinHawaii I don‘t think I can add anything here as it‘s all been said (& really well too!). 😉 I will say that I couldn‘t get my library copy in time & had a bunch of Audible credits so I am listening to this one & it‘s brilliant-both the writing & the narration by Dominic Hoffman! It was hard to stop listening when I got to chapter 25. 3w

BarbaraJean I agree with what others have said: it was necessary for survival. And the parallels/contrasts to present day code switching are so striking. @DGRachel I agree, it's hard to see Jim having to diminish himself in front of others. I see the lapses in front of Huck as a glimpse of a growing trust and understanding between them. There‘s a bit more more self-revelation from Jim in response to greater respect and understanding from Huck. 3w

BarbaraJean @Sapphire I loved that description of reading as well! Education, books, and writing are all so subversive (then and now!) and James knows it. 3w

youneverarrived Well put @sarahbarnes 👌 3w

youneverarrived I‘m with you @DebinHawaii my library hold didn‘t come in time but I‘m sort of glad because of how good the audio is! The narrator is amazing. (edited) 3w

Megabooks @Sapphire I like the comparison to DC. BK and PE each did an excellent job at bringing modern sensibilities to classic stories and each used it to point out larger structural problems that continue to exist. 3w

Megabooks @JamieArc how cool! All sorts of things about linguistics fascinate me. I hope he reads and enjoys James. 3w

Zuhkeeyah I really like how @sarahbarnes put it. A full on power move that protects two-fold. Code switching offers the slaves safety by fulfilling an expected role of idiocy while giving them the chance to guard what education they‘re able to obtain. 3w

Chelsea.Poole Imagine having to live your life “dumbed down” for the benefit of others. Heaven forbid black people show their intelligence in the event a white person could feel threatened. I loved the way the author created this dynamic in the book. Very affecting. 3w

mcctrish @Chelsea.Poole I thought it quite telling later on when Jim says it is exhausting him. Huck is almost angry when he catches him out a few times ( accuses him of not trusting him) and then it all clicks and he sees how it is a safety mechanism 3w

Texreader Great question! It made me think a lot whether this may have happened with some slaves. And did slaves really talk like they have been portrayed in movies, books etc? It‘s the first time I‘ve thought that the portrayal of inarticulate slaves is inaccurate. As for the book, to some degree it feels like Jim and the slaves are engaging in a sort of resistance—like learning to read & write even though it was forbidden. 3w

Texreader @RebelReader Very interesting point about the “talk” in present day. I think that is quite likely one of the reasons Everett did this 3w

Texreader @JamieArc Your husband may like the book I‘m reading for #authoramonth about translations

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

Texreader @BarbaraJean @Sapphire In law school I worked for two years for a professor who had me read countless legal opinions pre-Civil War to see if anyone had ever been punished in the judicial system for teaching slaves reading or writing. None. So while it was illegal, it doesn‘t appear to have been prosecuted through the various states with those laws on the books, or it didn‘t happen, or they weren‘t caught. 3w

Hooked_on_books @Texreader I‘m pretty sure the people who were punished for enslaved people learning to read were the enslaved themselves. Sometimes with their lives, which is why it was so important for them to hide their abilities. 3w

Hooked_on_books I‘ve had a busy work day, so this is my first chance to get to the questions. I feel like Everett here is showing the stupidity of white supremacy, then and now, requiring human beings to contort into something different than who they actually are to meet the societal expectation. It‘s a pretty brilliant way of showing his exasperation at such a ridiculous way of living. 3w

Texreader @Hooked_on_books Agreed. And they were certainly not prosecuted through the judicial system. Instead punished by their owners 😡 3w

willaful @Bookwormjillk “yes I loved comparing this scene to how Jim was treated in HF. I thought it was so funny how Everett kind of said joke‘s on you Huck.“ Well said! 3w

55 likes64 comments

Megabooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

We are just about 36 hours out from our first week discussing James for #CampLitsy24. I loved this just as much the second time I read it. I hope you love the questions we have for Saturday!

squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

AmyG I am really liking this one. 3w

DGRachel I just finished the first half and I do not want to stop. It‘s so good! 3w

Deblovestoread Looking forward to Saturday. Really enjoying this one. 3w

See All 14 Comments

kspenmoll Looking forward to starting this tomorrow! I hope to catch up. (edited) 3w

BarbaraJean It was difficult to stop at the halfway mark! Looking forward to Saturday‘s discussion. 3w

TheKidUpstairs My library's copy is overdue! I'm eagerly awaiting its return. I'll probably have to play catch up for week two :) 3w

Graciouswarriorprincess I am starting it tomorrow along with a reread of Huckleberry Finn. 3w

Ruthiella Looking forward to it. It‘s such a smooth read. The pages turn easily. 3w

Megabooks @AmyG @DGRachel @Deblovestoread @BarbaraJean @Ruthiella glad y‘all will be joining us and so happy you enjoyed/are enjoying it, too!! 3w

Megabooks @kspenmoll @TheKidUpstairs @Graciouswarriorprincess it is such a fast read I‘m sure you‘ll be able to join us for week 2! (I‘d love comments on week 1, too!) 3w

BarbaraBB Looking forward to our discussion which I am sure will add a lot again to the reading experience 🤍 3w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB I hope you like it more after the discussion! 💜💜 3w

BarbaraBB I know I will! I always do! 3w

sarahbarnes Loving this so far!! 3w

85 likes2 stack adds14 comments

jlhammar

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

What a great read! Tore through it. #CampLitsy24

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Megabooks Glad you loved it! Can‘t wait to discuss Saturday! 3w

CBee @Megabooks I am LOVING it too 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3w

BarbaraBB Glad you loved it, especially after your disappointment about Butter. 3w

squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! ❤️ 3w

tpixie I read it earlier this year. Decided to re- read Huck first in order to see the parallels. It was fun reading James‘ story. 3w

82 likes5 comments

JenReadsAlot

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

So good! #camplitsy24 @Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

Megabooks Glad you liked it!! 3w

BarbaraBB That‘s good!! 3w

squirrelbrain Looking forward to starting our discussions! 3w

36 likes3 comments

Kitta

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really sped through this. I intended to read half and stop but checked my progress on my kindle and I was at 65%, so I just continued.

A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain through the eyes of a slave, Jim/James. Without having read Twain‘s novel, I feel like I‘m missing some things about the story and couldn‘t believe some aspects. Maybe I should have read it first? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Still a great read. #camplitsy24

Jess I‘m feeling the same way. First, I should have read Twain‘s story before starting James and second, I don‘t know whether I‘ll be able to stop half way for #camplitsy! I‘m really liking this one and it‘s flying by. 3w

Megabooks Glad you enjoyed it! 3w

Kitta @Megabooks some of the language made me uncomfortable (but I think it‘s supposed to!) and it was hard reading the language the slaves used with the masters, but I always struggle with dialects in books. Trainspotting for instance was rough for me and I used to live in Scotland! 😂 3w

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GatheringBooks

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

#CoverLove Day 2: #Black with a touch of orange. Finished reading our #CampLitsy24 book club pick for July while in the plane from Dubai-Doha enroute to Jakarta a few days ago. Cannot wait to discuss this!

Megabooks, Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Megabooks So glad to have you in the discussion! Also happy you had a safe trip! 3w

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 🖤 3w

Eggs Love the monochromatic effect of food and book! 🖤🧡🖤 3w

44 likes3 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

#bookspin
#doublespin

Already started James for #CampListy24 glad I am reding it for a group read because I am not sure I would be able to get through it on my own.

Middlemarch is this months classic being a spin will encourage me to jump in!

23 likes

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