Don’t you love it when a book, movie, or story catches you off guard?

“I see dead people…” Indeed you do, Haley Joel Osment.

James by Percival Everett isn’t a ghost story, but it has a similar effect, forcing you to see a well-known tale from a different perspective.

James revisits the story of Huckleberry Finn, this time through the eyes of Jim, the runaway slave. While both the original and this retelling address issues of racism and identity, Everett’s James delivers a sharper critique than Twain’s ironic portrayal.

Someone more qualified than me could delve into the dynamics of racism and slavery in the post-war South. I know enough to say that it was—and is—evil, wrong, and horrific. And many of the systemic issues faced in Twain’s time persist today.

For me, the value of a book like James is that it forces readers to view circumstances through another perspective. We all see the world through the lenses of our background, biases, and experiences. On some level, this cannot be helped. We are who we are, raised how we were raised.

However, as we mature and engage with people and populations whose experiences differ from ours, we have the opportunity to learn and grow. Simply being shaped by a particular context is not justification for remaining there, especially when it fosters harmful or dangerous worldviews.

Engaging with works like James provides readers a chance to see the world unfiltered, through the eyes of someone they might never otherwise understand.

Nothing in my life, background, or experiences allows me to relate directly to Jim, a runaway slave in post-war Mississippi. But through Everett’s narrative, I can glimpse his world—his constant fear, his humanity, and his struggle.

They say a true friend tells you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear. Books like James act as these true friends, offering an intimate view of life from a wholly different perspective.

For that reason alone, this book is worth spending several hours with.