Book Summary: James A Novel by Percival Everett

James A Novel by Percival Everett, set to release on March 19, 2024, is a highly anticipated novel by renowned author Percival Everett. Already an instant New York Times bestseller and longlisted for the National Book Award, the book has garnered widespread acclaim. It has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and is a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.

James A Novel by Percival Everett Overview

The novel begins with Jim learning that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, which would forever separate him from his family. In a desperate attempt to escape this fate, Jim hides on Jackson Island. Meanwhile, Huck Finn, escaping his troubles, has faked his death. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey down the Mississippi River, encountering floods, storms, death, treasure, and infamous con artists like the Duke and Dauphin.

Everett masterfully portrays Jim’s intelligence, agency, and compassion, placing him at the center of the narrative in ways never seen before. The novel retains much of the original story’s iconic elements, but Jim’s journey is illuminated with humor and sharp social observations, hallmarks of Everett’s celebrated style.

With this reimagining, Everett redefines one of America’s literary classics while also crafting a monumental work of his own.

James is already in development as a feature film produced by Steven Spielberg, further cementing its status as a landmark in modern American literature. It has been hailed as a “masterpiece” by the Chicago Tribune, a “genius” work by The Atlantic, and a “provocative, enlightening literary work of art” by The Boston Globe. With 320 pages of gripping storytelling, James promises to be a defining novel of 2024 and beyond.

James A Novel by Percival Everett Quotes

1. I wrote to extend my thought, I wrote to catch up with my own story, wondering all the while if that was even possible.

2. gun at me. I pointed my pistol at him. “I am the angel of death, come to offer sweet justice in the night,” I said. “I am a sign. I am your future. I am James.” I pulled back the hammer on my pistol.

3. Way I sees it is dis. If’n ya gots to hab a rule to tells ya wha’s good, if’n ya gots to hab good ’splained to ya, den ya cain’t be good. If’n ya need sum kinda God to tells ya right from wrong, den you won’t never know.” “But the law says…” “Good ain’t got nuttin’ to do wif da law. Law says I’m a slave

4. Way I sees it is dis. If’n ya gots to hab a rule to tells ya wha’s good, if’n ya gots to hab good ’splained to ya, den ya cain’t be good. If’n ya need sum kinda God to tells ya right from wrong, den you won’t never know.

5. But in this notebook I would reconstruct the story I had begun, the story I kept beginning, until I had a story.

6. I felt tired of the failures of men. They were always failing in the most basic ways, like looking down or away at the moment when they should be gutsy enough to meet your eye.

7. They wanted a constitution that would justify their behavior. If I hadn’t written it for them, someone else would have. What in the world would be different if that had happened?

8. You want me to lie?’ Huck asked.’Yes, I want you to lie. You can’t very well tell her I’m dead and have it be true. Yes, I want you to lie. Lie hard. Now go.

9. Was she pretty?” he asked. “I dunno. I reckon. It’s a scary thing for a slave to think such things.” “Why is that?” “Jest the way the world is.” “You think this here river is pretty?” Huck asked. “I reckon I do,” I said. “Then why you cain’t say if my mama was pretty?” “River ain’t a white woman.

10. How strange a world, how strange an existence, that one’s equal must argue for one’s equality, that one’s equal must hold a station that allows airing of that argument, that one cannot make that argument for oneself, that premises of said argument must be vetted by those equals who do not agree.

James A Novel by Percival Everett Book Details

James A Novel by Percival Everett Table Of Contents

• Cover
• Also by Percival Everett
• Dedication

The Notebook of Daniel Decatur Emmett

Part One

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Chapter 16
• Chapter 17
• Chapter 18
• Chapter 19
• Chapter 20
• Chapter 21
• Chapter 22
• Chapter 23
• Chapter 24
• Chapter 25
• Chapter 26
• Chapter 27
• Chapter 28
• Chapter 29
• Chapter 30
• Chapter 31

Part Two

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9

Part Three

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author

James A Novel by Percival Everett Book Summary

Taking place in the mid-1800s, the book depicts Jim finding out that he is going to be sold to a man in New Orleans, leading to him being permanently separated from his wife and daughter. In reaction, Jim seeks sanctuary on Jackson Island, aiming to come up with a strategy to avoid his depressing destiny.

Simultaneously, Huck Finn, attempting to escape from his violent father, has staged his demise and is also concealed on the island. The two unusual friends embarked on a dangerous trip along the Mississippi River, aiming to reach freedom in the Free States up north. During the journey, they come across various individuals and circumstances such as dangerous storms and flooding, as well as dishonest con artists like the Duke and the Dauphin.

In the story, Jim is depicted with a sense of agency, intelligence, and compassion, elevating him to the role of the main character instead of Huckleberry Finn. The novel delves into Jim’s thoughts, emotions, and resilience, highlighting his humanity and portraying him as more than a minor character.

James is filled with Everett’s distinct humor and incisive social critique, updating the traditional story into a contemporary examination of race, authority, and liberation. The book’s blend of action, emotion, and intellectual complexity transforms a traditional American tale into a profound narrative.

By presenting the story through Jim’s point of view, Everett prompts readers to view the world through a new and emotionally impactful perspective, providing a unique interpretation of a classic American literary work. James is not just a retelling; it is also a standalone literary success that enhances the original with fresh significance and importance.

About the Author: Percival Everett

Percival Everett is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California (USC). Among his notable works are Dr. No (a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and winner of the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award), The Trees (a finalist for both the Booker Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award), and Telephone (a Pulitzer Prize finalist).

His other acclaimed books include So Much Blue, Erasure, and I Am Not Sidney Poitier. Everett has been honored with the NBCC Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award and Yale University’s Windham-Campbell Prize. In 2023, his novel Erasure was adapted into the feature film American Fiction, which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, author Danzy Senna, and their children.

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