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James: A Novel

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1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 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 NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER • A LOS ANGELES TIMES BEST FICTION BOOK OF THE LAST 30 YEARS 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 Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday; First Edition (March 19, 2024)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385550367


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 69


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.86 x 1.22 x 8.63 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Fiction Satire #5 in Historical Fiction (Books) #9 in Literary Fiction (Books)


#1 in Fiction Satire:


#5 in Historical Fiction (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • A Bold and Brilliant Reimagining of American Literature
James is one of the most inventive and emotionally resonant books I’ve read in a long time. Percival Everett takes the familiar world of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and flips it entirely by telling the story through the eyes of Jim—now James—a character who finally gets the depth, voice, and power he always deserved. The writing is sharp, layered, and often darkly funny. Everett doesn’t just retell Twain’s classic—he uses it as a springboard to explore race, language, survival, and freedom in ways that feel modern but still rooted in the brutality of the 19th century. There’s also a surprising amount of suspense and grit in the narrative. James is clever and self-aware, and his inner life is painted with a richness that makes the story feel both epic and intimate. This isn’t just a retelling—it’s a reframing. Whether or not you’ve read Twain’s original, James stands on its own as a powerful work of historical fiction and literary commentary. Highly recommended for readers who want to be challenged, moved, and blown away by great storytelling. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2025 by Sean Bozarth

  • The book that Percival Everett was born to write
Percival Everett reimagines—no, inverts-- the classic saga of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that resides in every American’s consciousness. Huck Finn and enslaved Jim’s adventures have been in print for 140 years. If you didn’t read it in American schools, you’ve likely still been affected by its content. Everett reappropriates that story, turns it upside down and inside out, and leans formidably forward by making this a story and POV of Jim, with Huck at his side. I am in awe and in thorough admiration of Percival Everett’s skills and fierce talent. My personal favorites, The Trees (shortlisted for Booker in 2022), and Telephone (a finalist for the Pulitzer in 2021) combine laconic protagonists, subversive wit, and tragic events. In James, he has made Twain’s classic his own historical fiction, and I applaud it as the contemporary bookend of Twain’s classic. He improves upon it by giving Jim agency. I predict that they will be teaching both books side by side in the coming years. “White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them…The only ones who suffer when they are made to feel inferior is us.” This is Jim, teaching his daughter and other enslaved children a lesson in coded speech. Although they speak eloquently amongst themselves, they communicate submissively to the white folks, which enhances their survival in a world where they are nothing but chattel. It also illuminates their intelligence as they hide (linguistically) in broad daylight from their ignorant “massas.” Additionally, the enslaved people pretend that God and Jesus are primary in their lives, when in actuality, as Jim states, regarding white folks, “religion is just a controlling tool they employ and adhere to when convenient.” If there really was a God and a Jesus, why would they allow white people to enslave Black people? Is this the kind of world that any God intended? As in Twain’s original, Jim and Huck run off together from Hannibal, Missouri and ride the Mississippi River, beginning in a raft. The main plotline of the original text is captured, but comically and dramatically turned on its head. Jim leads a double life—one that he owns, and one that meets white people’s expectations. In fact, there are those that are more threatened by a Black man with eloquence than they are by a Black man with a pistol. Intelligence is Jim’s stunning subterfuge. He has a rich interior life, and in dreams, he debates slavery and philosophy with the likes of Voltaire, Rousseau, and John Locke. As an autodidact who enriched himself in Judge Thatcher’s library, Jim spends stealth nights in there poring over the judge’s books. His quick wit, thoughtful compassion, and deep humanity also become his ammunition in a hostile world. As the plot progresses, Jim and Huck grow closer, and more revelations are gradually disclosed. The major twist is foreshadowed early on, so it doesn’t come out of nowhere, and it changes the complexion of the story. As others have already noted, this is the novel that Everett was born to write. In his hands, his heart. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2024 by switterbug/Betsey Van Horn

  • An enjoyable story from an interesting perspective
Although a work of fiction, this story’s perspective highlights the brutality of being a slave. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading this story and recommend it to anyone that wants to understand one of the most troubling aspects of our history.
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2025 by Arthur N

  • Twain's Huck Finn story—from Jim's point of view
This National Book Award Winning novel is richer if you know the story of Twain's Huck Finn, but the story can stand alone. It is a story of the toughness, determination, compassion, intelligence and luck a black man needs to retain his dignity, humanity and life in a racially prejudice society when all the cards are stacked against him. Percival Everett is a gifted, powerful writer whose 2001 novel, Erasure, turns racial and other stereotyping upside down. It was recently adapted for the American film, American Fiction. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2025 by Carol

  • A Picture of Slavery from a Slave’s Point of View
A slave’s story and a picture of what slavery was like from his point of view. A man that was resilient and clever enough to survive in his world. His relationship with Huck highlights Huck’s confusion between living in a white or slave world. Huck learns a lot from his time with Jim and Jim shows his compassionate nature with him. There are encounters with others along the way that offer instructive insights and humor. Well written and informative while also engaging. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2025 by April Bayne

  • Brilliant and Thought Provoking
I have always been drawn to any twist on a classic tale. I think it’s fun to explore things from different perspectives. Growing up in the South with the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as a staple, it was enlightening to step into that timeframe from Jim’s perspective. When Jim overhears the plan to sell him off to another owner far away from his wife and daughter, he runs away. The penalty for a runaway slave is unthinkable, but when Huck fakes his own death and decides to follow him, Jim realizes he is very likely also a suspect for murder. While Jim and Huck struggle to live off the land and stay out of sight, they find themselves caught up in some harrowing situations. James is a visceral portrait of the daily life of southern slaves. Everett’s descriptions made me laugh out loud, then choke on my sorrow. It is beautifully written and one of those rare books I know I will read again and again. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2025 by AJ

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