Percival Everett - James (2025)

 Robin’s choices

THEME: Afrocentric

We met on Monday 21 June 2025 to discuss Robin’s Afrocentric themed choices

READ: Percival Everett - James (2025)

James is a re-imagining of Mark Twain's classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but which shifts the perspective to Jim the enslaved man and thereby Everett transforms the entire story. 

HBG had read and discussed The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 13 years ago. 

Percival Everrett’s reimagining is narrated in the first person by James. This is the single most important difference. We get to experience the events from the perspective of the enslaved man, a perspective that was largely absent from the original. This shift allows for a much deeper and more complex exploration of the realities of slavery.

Robin stated this was his perfect book. He was blown away by how Everett's James is a man of incredible intelligence, wit, and intellect who has secretly taught himself to read and write and has an extensive knowledge of philosophy and literature, debating with himself in his mind about thinkers like Voltaire and John Locke.

Roland loved it. The simple fable story belied the book’s serious points and themes. Each encounter provides a different perspective. Both simple and profound

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is probably Hamish’s favourite book. Hamish lauded Percival Everett who he regards as a truly wonderful writer. He delicately treads the tightrope of respecting Twain's novel whilst tackling its greatest flaw as viewed through 21st century eyes. In doing so, he creates a modern classic that truly succeeds in adding to Twain's masterpiece. 

Nigel loved this reclamation of a classic narrative, giving a voice and a reality to a character who was silenced by history. A powerful, perceptive, passionate, angry, witty and memorable retelling of a classic American text. Percival Everett has really pulled off something special with this novel which is resolutely its own book.

Tristan admired the unflinching analysis of the horrific mental as well as physical hardships of being enslaved, and the introduction of a host of other characters, both sympathetic and, largely, not. And the plot twist was a stroke of genius.

Keith felt there was a lot of rafting and hiding out and catching catfish and yet there was still enough extra content that he felt he was getting a fresh view e.g the life of the minstrel, or the conditions of working in a sawmill. Percival Everett makes his point and makes it well but it still felt pretty straightforward in terms of wrapping one’s head around the content.

Nick was impressed by this sharp, satirical, and laugh out loud funny retelling of Twain’s much maligned classic. Everett manages to create a Boy’s Own page turner and a stinging social critique without either being compromised. Nick, no stranger to hyperbole, declared this The Greatest Book Club Book By A Country Mile

Nick 10 / Tristan 7.5 / Nigel 9 / Keith 7 / Roland 9 / Robin 9 / Hamish 10

LISTEN: The Fatback Band - Night Fever (1976)

Robin really likes Fatback and is off to see them at Koko soon and acknowledged that Night Fever, whilst good, is not peak Fatback

Nigel is also a Fatback fanboy who felt this was Fatback-by-numbers and in the shadow of the more compelling Fatback funk (e.g. gems like Wicky Wacky, I Found Lovin, Yum Yum, Do The Bus Stop, and Spanish Hustle).  

He also wondered how on Fatback managed to so completely screw up their cover of December 1963 Oh What A Night.

Roland enjoyed it but felt it was Fatback trying to get on board with the then fashionable disco sound.

Hamish doesn't mind a bit of 70s funk and felt this was decent but not a long lost classic. 

Nick felt this lacked the power of the other two selections, but that he would have to be wearing concrete boots not to get up and shake his thang to these tunes.

Keith described it as tight, talented but in no way timeless

Tristan started thinking “booooring”, then moved to "ok yeah somewhat funky” and concluded by wanting to know who exactly it was that stole the boogie, and why they hadn't been brought to justice?

Nick - / Tristan - / Nigel 2 / Keith - / Robin - / Hamish 7

Watch: Do the Right Thing (1989) dir by Spike Lee

Robin felt this was dated but still stands up. 

Hamish did not review.

Nick thinks this film is still a gut punch: vibrant, funny, unsettling, and distressingly as relevant today as it was when it was made with no easy answers

A masterpiece according to Tristan, complete with a brilliantly convincing and varied cast of characters, and the ambivalent portrayal of all the different ethnic groups. The heart-breaking ending is sadly just as relevant nowadays as it was 36 years ago.

Keith felt it had not aged well and felt a bit too innocent

Nigel had mixed feelings back in 1989 and they were still there following this rewatch. He feels Spike went on to make far better films. The old fashioned orchestral score and sickly red colour palette distract. Nigel acknowledged that its themes of racial tension, inequality and police brutality are sadly still all too relevant 

Roland begged to differ. He was immersed in the pressure cooker narrative and dubbed Spike’s film an absolute classic. 

Nick 10 / Tristan 9 / Nigel 5 / Keith - / Roland 10 / Robin 7 

ENDORSE IT 

HBG endorse it: 13 June 2025 - 20th July 2025

TV

Dept Q (Netflix)

Shifty (BBC iPlayer)

The Bear (Season 3) (Disney+)

Mix Tape (BBC iPlayer)

FILM

28 Years Later (2025) dir by Danny Boyle

Vita and Virginia (Prime) dir by Chanya Button

MUSIC

Antony Szmierek - Service Station At The End Of The Universe (2025)

Young Fathers - 28 Years Later OST (2025)

PODCASTS

The Bureau of Lost Culture 

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain

Don - master of accents

The Hove Book Group met on Tuesday 16th October at The Poets Corner pub in Hove.  We discussed Don's choices, the first of which was "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain.

Don explained that he had chosen the book due to "The Twain Factor".  Lest we forget it was Mark Twain who said, "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter".  A quote dear to Don's heart.

Don admitted that he struggled with the accents.  Despite this he managed to uncannily evoke Jim, the slave character, as he read out one of Jim's early quotes.

Don described the book as tortuous however added that it improved as he progressed.

Ultimately he awarded the book 7/10 and stated he was glad to have read it.

Nick "came to resent the book"

Nick read the book on his iPhone.  For Nick, reading on an iPhone is sometimes a fluid and unconscious experience, on other occasions (e.g. whilst reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), he was tempted to skip chunks of the book's 1,200 pages.

Nick, as a self-confessed early 21st century English liberal, struggled with the repeated use of the word "nigger".

Just as Huckleberry Finn resented his father, so Nick came to resent this book.  Nick finally awarded it a reluctant and resentful 5/10.

Nigel was unsure how he'd managed to have lived on the planet for fifty years without reading anything by Mark Twain.  He thanked Don, before explaining that he didn't even know what it was about - all he knew was that it is regarded by many as an American classic.

Nigel - he's 50

It took Nigel a while to get into the vernacular style.  The writing style grated in parts and was especially hard to follow when Jim, the slave, was talking, that said Nigel also thought that the style made the book feel very contemporary - far more than any other 19th century novel he'd read.  Ultimately Huckleberry Finn's world was made wonderfully vivid through his seemingly authentic first person voice.

Nigel concluded that it's an enjoyable, if rather long, adventure with as many twists and turns as the Mississippi River that features so extensively.  The plot appeared to be a vehicle for Twain to highlight issues around freedom and slavery.  Huckleberry Finn is held captive by his abusive father and, quite understandably, wants to escape to freedom.  Jim the slave faces far more serious issues when he tries to escape.  Nigel doesn't fully understand its status as a classic. Perhaps, the long journey is part of the appeal, perhaps it has greater resonance for Americans who are closer to the Civil Rights struggles of their country? 6/10

Keith had low expectations.  He liked Tom's alternate take on reality.  Twain complicates Tom’s position on the border between childhood and adulthood by ridiculing and criticising the values and practices of the adult world toward which Tom is heading. Twain’s harshest satire exposes the hypocrisy - and often the essential childishness - of social institutions such as school, church, and the law, as well as public opinion. 

Keith discussed how the tale is told from the first person point of view of an only-partly-educated thirteen-year-old southern boy in the 1830s. As narrator, Huck describes the story in his natural, everyday voice, and he addresses his readers directly during his storytelling with a friendly, trusting attitude. Taking that into consideration – along with Huck’s age, education level, and social background – Twain’s choice of a colloquial style made sense to Keith.  Despite this, he felt the book was only worthy of 5/10. 

Robin - read a different book

Robin didn't finish the book as he was reading Kate Atkinson's Behind the Scenes at the Museum.  Consequently Robin was only halfway through "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".  Robin explained that it is hardly surprising that Ruby Lennox, the narrator of Kate Atkinson's Behind the Scenes at the Museum, should, aged 17, fantasise about her own funeral - the open coffin strewn with flowers, a church filled not just with friends and family but also "an admiring Leonard Cohen and a soulful Terence Stamp", and with Maria Callas singing. It is 1968. For the novel, which is her story of her family, has more deaths than even Dickens would have dared include. "As a family, we are genetically disposed towards having accidents"  stated Ruby the all-seeing narrator. 

Robin gave the book 7/10.

Hamish wondered how, given Don's penchant for classic adventure yarns, he hadn't chosen this book earlier. Hamish, reading it for the second time, described the book as a great action story that captures the excitement of childhood.  The language is great.  Huck is a brilliant character, who we see wrestling with his conscience.  The book is about complete freedom.  Despite a rushed ending, Hamish was unapologetic for his 9.5/10 rating.

Tristan confessed he was swayed by Hamish's articulate enthusiasm for the book and despite "quite liking it" he upped his score from 5 to 6/10.  Tristan also described how the book evoked a period of US history where steamboats, rafts, settlements, river transportation, slavery, lawlessness, and abuse were everyday occurrences.  That said, Tristan felt the racism and slavery marred the book - even though Twain was clearly a progressive thinker who helped abolish slavery.

Average rating of 6.5/10

And on that note, we moved on to Don's second choice, the film "Seven Samurai" directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Don - Gangnam style

Don described it as a classic, and a great film.  Don wondered if it was completely true to notions of Bushido -  literally "the way of the warrior" - a Japanese word for the way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. The Japanese understanding of the word is predicated on the samurai moral code stressing frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honour unto death. Born from Neo-Confucianism during times of peace in Tokugawa Japan and following Confucian texts, Bushido was also influenced by Shinto and Zen Buddhism, allowing the violent existence of the samurai to be tempered by wisdom and serenity. Despite these concerns Don still felt comfortable to lavish the film with a score of 7/10.

Hove Book Group ponder the merits of Seven Samurai

Nick praised the film and described how he was transfixed and shell-shocked by the way the finale's images had catapulted him into the rain-drenched violence.  He described the film as "remarkable" and awarded it with a 8/10.

Nigel stated that, as with the book, it was wonderful to finally watch a film that is often cited as one of the greatest films of all time.  Whilst it is a good film, Nigel didn't think the years had been that kind.  He could think of plenty of films from the same era, that he regards as better films, for example, from the same year, On The Waterfront is a better film, and other films from the same decade that he prefers include Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard, A Touch Of Evil, and The Wild One.  Nigel reflected on how some of the action sequences, which are the best part of the film, are now staples of mainstream action filmmaking and this probably accounts for the film's stellar reputation.  The Seven Samurai inspired The Magnificent Seven which ultimately led to the “spaghetti Westerns” of Sergio Leone and others - which Nigel adores. And whilst Seven Samurai is clearly a lot more than just an action film - Nigel found too much of it a bit slow moving.  The themes of sacrifice, friendship, and camaraderie were not enough.  Nigel concluded that he was glad to have seen it but it's more about the great films it's influenced.  Nigel acknowledged that perhaps the cinema is the place to watch it, before rating it 6/10.

Keith was surprised by how much he liked Seven Samurai - a blockbuster in every sense, and a period film conceived on an epic scale, pitting the wise, zen-like leader against the wildcat intensity of the son-of-a-farmer samurai. Along with the five other swords-for-hire what follows is pure cinematic dynamite. Keith had no hesitation in awarding it 7 out of 7.  Magnificent.

Robin stopped the Seven Samurai love-in right in its tracks.  "An abomination" he declared, and a film that "looked like it was made in 1910".  The Magnificent Seven is a much better film as far as Robin is concerned. 2/10.

Hamish said he agreed with Robin and "switched off after an hour".  3/10.

Tristan thought there was some good cinematography, a lot of over acting and some below par sword fighting.  5/10

Average rating of 5.5/10

And so, with Hove Book Group coming to some very disparate conclusions about Seven Samurai, we bade each other farewell and wandered into the cool night air.  

See you again next time.