James
11 April 2024Synopsis
'Truly extraordinary books are rare, and this is one of them' – Roddy Doyle
Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize
Finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
A 'Book of the Year' in The Observer, The Times & Sunday Times, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Spectator, New Statesman, Independent, TLS, The Telegraph, Financial Times, i newspaper, The Economist, The Irish Times, Time and The New Yorker
James is a profound and ferociously funny reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from one of our greatest living writers, Percival Everett.
The Mississippi River, 1861. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he flees to nearby Jackson’s Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father who recently returned to town.
So begins a dangerous and transcendent journey along the Mississippi River, towards the elusive promise of the free states and beyond. As James and Huck navigate the treacherous waters, each bend in the river holds the promise of both salvation and demise. And together, the unlikely pair embark on the most life-changing odyssey of them all . . .
'Who should read this book? Every single person in the country' – Ann Patchett
'A towering achievement' – The 2024 Booker Prize judges
'My favourite novel this year' – Salman Rushdie
'Scorchingly funny' – The Sunday Times, 'Books of the Year'
'This may be Everett's best book yet' – Bonnie Garmus
'An essential rewrite of Huckleberry Finn' – The Guardian, 'Books of the Year'
Details
11 April 2024
9781035031276Reviews
A captivating response to Mark Twain’s classic that is both a bold exploration of a dark chapter in history and a testament to the resilience of the human spiritThe 2024 Booker Prize Judges
I’m demanding that you read Percival Everett’s novel James, in which Everett takes the camera from Twain’s Huck Finn and hands it to the slave, Jim. Truly extraordinary books are rare, and this is one of themRoddy Doyle, Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha
James is funny and horrifying, brilliant and riveting. In telling the story of Jim instead of Huckleberry Finn, Percival Everett delivers a powerful, necessary corrective to both literature and history. I found myself cheering both the writer and his hero. Who should read this book? Every single person in the countryAnn Patchett, bestselling author of Tom Lake
Pure brilliance. Funny, wise, gracious; this may be Everett's best book yetBonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
