JamesReview posted September 23, 2025.
Books on Tape, 2024. 7 hours, 49 minutes.
Review written September 2, 2025, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review
I put James on hold shortly after reading the graphic novel Big Jim and the White Boy, by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson. And then, when my hold was only a couple weeks away from coming in, I accidentally canceled the hold when I meant to cancel a different hold - and then had several more months to wait. Anyway, that gave me more time between the two books, which are essentially doing the same thing - retelling the story of Huckleberry Finn, this time from the perspective of Jim.
I honestly enjoyed Big Jim and the White Boy a little more. It was more light-hearted and cast Jim as essentially a superhero, telling something of a tall tale about his exploits. A lot of fun to read.
"Fun" isn't the word I'd use to describe James. Though it was certainly more realistic, and gave you some insights about what would happen if a slave ran away with a white boy and floated south down the Mississippi River.
In both books, James doesn't talk in the ridiculous way Mark Twain portrayed him talking. In this book, it's quite a theme that among themselves, slaves speak "proper" English, but deliberately sound ignorant and childlike if any white people are around. James knows how to read and has spent hours in Judge Thatcher's library reading philosophy. He dreams about people like Voltaire and has discussions with them about their defense of slavery. Throughout the book, it's just plain comical how disconcerted white folks are if they hear Jim speaking without using slave speech. There's a funny scene where the elders are teaching kids how to speak to white folks. The trick is to always play dumb and let the white folks figure things out for themselves.
Mostly the book is a series of adventures and tight spots, some with Huck and some without. James wants to be free and wants to purchase the freedom of his wife and daughter. And along the way, he acquires a pencil and also wants to write his story. There's plenty of insight and commentary on slavery in the days just before the Civil War began. A very powerful and moving story that does shine light on an evil time in our nation's history.