James
Description:
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER - ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE - KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER - A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view In development as a feature film to be produced by Steven Spielberg - A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times Book Review, LA Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, TIME, and more. "Genius"--The Atlantic - "A masterpiece that will help redefine one of the classics of American literature, while also being a major achievement on its own."--Chicago Tribune - "A provocative, enlightening literary work of art."--The Boston Globe - "Everett's most thrilling novel, but also his most soulful."--The New York Times When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. While many narrative set pieces of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river's banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin...), Jim's agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light. Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a "literary icon" (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.
Reviews:
(11 hours ago) |
02 Nov, 2025
What a difference a change of perspective makes!
“With my pencil, I wrote myself into being.”
At the start, James stays fairly close to Huckleberry Finn, but by half way it has become a different story. This is James’ story, and it is mature, angry and clear sighted.
Huckleberry Finn is a great novel, but its age and blindspots have dulled its teeth. James is ferociously sharp. It confronts the hateful realities ignored in Huckleberry Finn and exposes the hidden underbelly. But it also maintains the wit and adventure of the original.
James is a rewarding read and it makes Huckleberry Finn richer. It fills gaps and silences in the original text, makes you see it anew, and offers a reading that is more profound, complex and interesting.
Others reviewers have noted that this isn’t even one of Percival Everett's best works. I’ll certainly read more by him.
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(8 months ago)
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09 Feb, 2025
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06 Apr, 2025
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25 Aug, 2025
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28 Sep, 2025
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Challenge:
Read Around North America Challenge
Country:
United States of America
United States of America
Language:
EN
Genre:
Historical fiction
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