James

James is an adventure novel about Jim, a slave who is teased by Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Jim is no ordinary slave, as he can read and even write. He distorts his speech and behaviour to meet the expectations of his white owners. One day, he and Huck run away to find free lands for slaves and get money to purchase Jim’s family. Under the name James, Jim becomes a symbol of the path to freedom. Dialogues with slave language and songs enliven the dense plot. Although James could be said to represent a rebirth of the adventure novel, its greatest strength is its complexity. Philosophical conversations through books and dreams, self-questioning, doubts, and symbolically powerful actions reveal the greatness of this work. The novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. (EZ)