James (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
By Percival Everett
- Release Date: 2024-03-19
- Genre: Historical Fiction
Description
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • #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 • In development as a feature film to be produced by Steven Spielberg
KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST • SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • 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.
Reviews
James is a fantastic read
5By choco-champThis is the type of book you read in college your freshmen year then re-read in your senior year only to find out you missed the point the first time you read it. A good book.Powerful Book!
5By BlueyeravenFrom the first page I couldn’t put the book down and didn’t want it to end. The compelling story of the runaway slave Jim and the boy Huck is a powerful book of survival and discovery of what strengths lie within us against all odds and hope. I highly recommend this book!James what? Just James
5By KbthemayorPhenomenal! Thought-provoking! Witty! Just! What a story, what a story-teller. What a writer, author, character, narrarator! All lines blurred…intentionally.Outstanding
5By RasdawnExcellent! I would read again! This author grabbed my attention from the very beginning and never lost it. The story was compelling. I felt every bit of James. So well done!This is a GREAT book
5By Trippy Bunny我不知道怎么评价这本书，我也不能评价这本书。我只知道James是一个有血有肉的人，他不能被定义也不能被评价。我爱这本书。Should be a Must Read....
5By vhyo9Fascinating viewpoint on slavery. So many perspectives with some trying to justify it.James
5By DonwanoneTerrible but important tale that needs to be required reading throughout this troubled landCompelling
4By the maestroA “true” story of humanity, family and survival. It inverts fables and fantasies to uncover the known world in all its complexity and glory.Powerful.
5By TrinityxLightFor the black, who have nothing, who can own nothing, who are nothing to society, this book raises its voice, grabs hold of the pencil and writes the story of James. It is so jarring to read through this first person POV, knowing that this is America’s history. That this fiction was an autobiography for others. A mind blowing story, an ultimate page turner.Great Book
5By criddelThis book helped me to reflect. I loved the strong conclusionJust the read we need…
5By JAMcSoarThis important novel reminds us the evil of slavery - especially in this day and age where there is a great attempt to rewrite this history in the US. It reads like Voltaire's Candide, a series of adventures and coincidentes, which is referenced by the protagonist. The book, James, touches on many of the common problems we see in our current society including the hypocritical morality of some pious religions and the problems with a society caused by blatant injustice.Disappointed
1By susiematiaSuperficial. predictable. Simple characters that were caricatures with no nuance. Give me Twain any time.Another view
5By drdinbfeJames is a different view of “Tom Sawyer” and Huckleberry Finn. Difficult to put down,heartbreaking human cruelty worse because you know even of fictional there is truth but at core a novel of family, survival and what you will do for those you loveOutstanding
5By FangsoutBest book i’ve read in years. Highly recommended.Brilliant
5By KHCondeOne of the most creative and revealing books I have ever read. The idea of flipping a classic such as Huck Finn on its spine and exposing the racism of American history through a misunderstood character that is compassionate, heroic and courageous through a heartbreaking journey. Brilliant and a must read for all Americans.Outstanding
5By HandakinaWhat a reading adventure to the other side of the legendary Jim. Brilliant writing and story telling.A Disturbing Twist on Huckleberry Finn
4By Scott's take on thingsWhat was hard for me about this book was how much James learned on his own. I couldn’t imagines anyone getting to that erudition without any help, in secret, and not getting caught. It helped Everett make manifest the horrors of slavery but he’s is a good enough writer to have done that without creating an almost God like protagonist. James’ erudition, and his imagined conversations with progressive thinkers and philosophers, enables Everett to expose the hypocrisy of “enlightened” thinking at that time. I am not sure how Everett would have been able to do this otherwise, but it seemed a somewhat forced novelistic device. I thought Everett’s depictions of the physical violence of slavery, especially its psychological dehumanization and brutality, was superb. The horror is conveyed but never gratuitously. This book, experienced in conjunction with Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, should be a requirement for any US citizen.Brilliant.
5By Title misfitCompelling, enthralling, magnificent.Loved!
5By Lolipop22222222220LOVED!!! It was Amazing! I will definitely tell others to read it.
