Finished: James by Percival Everett

Pulitzer Prize winning novel, James, is an excellent piece of literature! It's been awhile since I've read such significant prose in this story of heartbreak, hopefulness, and the absolute travesty of slavery; the aberration and audacity that some people believed it was their right to own another human being. The book is the re-telling of the story of Huck Finn and the slave, Jim from the viewpoint of Jim or James, as he thinks of himself. James can read and write and speak in complete, coherent and intelligent sentences! But, he doesn't ever in front of white people. He would be beaten and/or hanged for less. Any outward dialogue in the book by James is the cowering, obedient language of "yessa masta" and "I'se goes, suh", etc. However, all of James' inner thoughts, of which we blessedly hear alot, are deeply thoughtful and meaningful soliloquies and introspections, as he tries desperately to formulate a plan to get back to his wife and child, and escape to freedom. And, he remains loyal to and protective of Huck along the way, setting a prime example of the decency with which to treat a fellow human. There is a shocking surprise toward the end that is such a perspective-changer. And, the ending was intentionally left part hopeful and a bigger part trepidatious, forcing any reader to truly examine the horror of slavery in the real world, and not the fictional one, if they hadn't already in the previous pages.