Відео

Wonderful book!

Cool, keep going after The Booker..

I enjoyed it a lot actually ❤

I only read half the book, maybe I wasn't feeling strong enough to read such a sad story

I have just finished this and I agree, it was a good solid book. I have heard so many people rave about James, but I didnt like the trees, so I am hesitant to pick it up...

I loved it... Beautifully written.

I'm on part 3 now. Gonna read Eva's diary

Everybody will be shocked if James doesn’t win but it is such a different book from many on the shortlist and I wonder how it will stand up to multiple readings by the judges. One of the more reflective books like Orbital, Held or Stone Yard might come out on top.

MR ROBERT!!! WOOOO

In Percival Everett’s "James," the interplay of identity and history prompts us to question: Slave, or Slav? Is it slave language, or Yiddish? Jim, or Me? James, or I am? The satire and psychology are sophisticated, showcasing why Everett is regarded as both dark and masterful. In his "retelling" of Huckleberry Finn, Everett suggests that Huck serves as the alter ego of Samuel Clemens, who adopted the pen name Mark Twain-paralleling Jim’s transformation into James. Here, Huck emerges as the true "Slav," as his family’s lineage traces back to colonial immigration from England to America, arriving not as free men but as indentured servants, bound by "slave-like" conditions. Interestingly, Clemens’ mother, Jane de Lampton, may have Slavic (possibly Jewish) roots, further complicating our understanding of identity in the text. This nuanced exploration highlights Everett’s genius, inviting readers to reevaluate the intersections of race, history, and self. Percival's James is indeed Samuel Clemens himself, confessing.

I landed on the side that greatly enjoyed this book; i`m a sucker for beautiful writing.

Wow, you said "impressive" twice! I'm very curious now!

Thanks for this one - I still can’t decide whether it’s for me. I was wondering if you fancied doing the Goldsmith’s shortlist too?

Ive bought it 3 days ago. Looking forward to read it 😀

I loved this book so much! Made me think of my life, my past , the earth's future. And made me think of how small I am in comparison to the world's magnificence..... 10/10, must read. Thanks for your review!

It’s a book that doesn’t give it to you on a plate. In fact you may have to bring your own plate. It will however hold your hand. Feel the gaps. Breathe. Give it space. Be held. You will get out of it what it let’s you put in. Stunning book.

I couldn't disagree more. But to each their own I guess 🙂

Good points as always!

thanks rob. good review. i loved this book. i think paul is a wonderful talent

Kairos is not an easy read. If you aren't prepared to put work in, to attempt to understand, or at least accept, the metaphors, the allusions, to look up the cultural references, to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the writing then, yeah, you are going to have a tough time. The "love" story is not the point of the book. It's not even a realistic or believable affair, nor is it supposed to be. Why do you think we never see Ingrid or Ludwig's point of view or get to learn anything about them? Stop reading the book as though it were a romantic soap opera. It's not. The point is what the elements of the affair represent in terms of life in the GDR in the Cold War years (in terms of human qualities like trust, faith, submission, authority and so on), what unification meant to ordinary people; the novel is also a detailed examination of the inbalance of power between the East and the West, socialist and capitalist societies, men and women, the old and the young. If all you look at is "the story" then you'll definitely be dissatisfied. ---

Just finished and you're right - It's a warm character study.

Why can't people pronounce Lviv?

I only read Wandering Stars and I was disappointed in it. The first was powerful but I lost interest in the stories about drug addiction.

I just finished Held and I agree with you.

i love that you connected the short repetitive writing to announcers at a match!

5 star read for me. best of my Booker reading thus far. Also a big fan of Enlightenment and Stone Yard Devotional. Surprisingly (to myself), I also enjoyed James. DNFed This Strange Eventful History and Orbital. Currently reading The Safekeep.

After reading Held, I was confused. After reading it a second time (more slowly), it really grabbed me.

I'm in the minority on this book. I did not care for it. I like Everett's ideas (this is true for all 3 books of his I have read), but I never like the execution of these ideas. I don't like his writing style and it is a struggle to finish them. I am sure it will make the shortlist.

Agree. An OK book, but I had to make myself come back to it to finish it. It was a story I think I have read a hundred times before.

Pretty much what I thought too, it's fine but being included on the Booker? I'm baffled.

Ahh, so, by happenstance, I paired it with CHALLENGER . A layered experience. Highly recommend.

Mice flight was cool. (Hated the mice in Stone yard devotional ! ) This book gave me a lovely thoughtful reading experience, but is it a novel or just thoughts and musings ?

I agree completely - a very thought provoking read and the fragility of life in the space station reflected the fragility of life on earth well. I guess readers who like a plot are never going to warm to it though.

Totally agree!

Mmmm interesting.. I hope the Booker stretches itself this year. Looking forward to the next review

Hi, I love this book and I read Huck Finn before it. I got bored with Huck Finn and my memories of it were more from my childhood and maybe an abridged version and TV adaptations. I loved the use of language in James and at the end the absence of a word was so dramatic for me. (Trying not to give spoilers). Definitely a reread in the future. I have read The Trees and have a few more by Percival Everett to read. Take care and enjoy your reading.

Glad to see you back - and glad to hear that you liked Headshot!

Thank for you doing this review, adding this to my TBR

I couldn’t finish it.

Great review!! Glad you liked it, Crooked Plow is already considered a modern classic in Brazil. Quilombo is pronounced sorta like key-lom-bowl 🥰

I totally agree with you.

Tt is a geat book....anyway "

Great overview of one that is not among my favourites. From Europe i would suggest Lyacos' Poena Damni trilogy (Leaf by Leaf has a great video on it). Lyacos has also very interesting conversations on various subjects, his latest "Violence and its Other" in The Common is fascinating.

Recently read this book in Russian translation, really enjoyed it

Pynchon is like existentialism; it's something you've heard about but know one really knows what it means. It seems important though. But looking at videos about him I can see that his stuff is really "deep" or profound like let's say Dostoyevsky, but are really just shaggy dog stories that may are may not be meaningful.

Reading it out, love it, and really love your review

My native language is Spanish and literally I was forced to switch halfway through the book to the English version to understand what I was reading. Argentine terminology reaches its peak, to the point that it seemed like a completely different dialect to me. Annie McDermott's task of translating the text into English was titanic. Added to this was the way of delimiting dialogues, the shifts between past, present, and future, the timeless episodes, the overlapping of stories, the non-delimitation of chapters. A challenge that at the end of the book would leave me wondering what the hell did I just read?

Thr rats also sing a song with pointsman or who ever it was .. and dance .. finally some mentions the sex stuff .. perverse

just curious , how many pages do you read on average . I ENJOY YOU VIDEOS

I went in for the 1919 Ukrainian historical fiction vibes and was quite satisfied. Wasn't as satisfied with the mystery element, but it kept my interest. Having cosy bits in the midst of a bloody revolution was different and fun too. I could have done without the magic ear, though. Neither Samson nor the author seemed to know what to do with it. I'd have been spying on people left and right or at least trying to. Still, I'm looking forward to the next volume.