In James, Percival Everett reinvents Huck Finn's enslaved companion Jim as an articulate, literate narrator who has to conceal his self-education from the white world. The early chapters adhere more or less to Mark Twain's plot, but then Everett imagines darker, more dangerous adventures for James when Huck is mostly off stage. James is a more complex character than the Jim of the earlier novel, not only capable of quoting philosophers but also of resorting to violence. Instead of Huckleberry Finn's frivolous ending, Everett concludes his story with an uncertain future for James and his family.
It's not necessary to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn beforehand, but it does enhance the experience of James.
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