James
by Percival Everett
Summary
A reimagining of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told entirely from the perspective of Jim—here revealed as James, a literate, strategically self-concealing man who has long maintained a performance of ignorance for his enslavers' benefit. Everett follows the familiar river journey while transforming it into an inquiry into language, performance, and the psychic costs of survival under slavery, giving Jim an inner life that Twain's original denied him. The Pulitzer board called it an 'accomplished reconsideration' that 'illustrates the absurdity of racial supremacy.'
Historical Context & Significance
James swept the major American prizes, winning both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer; the Pulitzer board controversially overruled its own jury's recommendation to honour the novel.