James

A Novel

De: Percival Everett

Narrado por: Dominic Hoffman

Duración: 7 h y 49 m

Resumen del Editor

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

"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 the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

While many narrative set pieces of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river’s banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin…), Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.

Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a “literary icon” (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.

©2024 Percival Everett (P)2024 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY TIME, NPR, THE SEATTLE TIMES, ELLE, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, AND OPRAH DAILY

“The cult favorite author’s electric new work. . . James completely reimagines one-half of Finn’s famous duo, elevating him from unwitting sidekick to reluctant hero. . . Everett brings that laser-sharp wit to James, creating a radical new American adventure.”—W Magazine

“James offers page-turning excitement but also off-kilter philosophical picaresque. . . Gripping, painful, funny, horrifying, this is multi-level entertainment, a consummate performance to the last."—The Guardian

“Blasted clean of Twain’s characterization, Jim emerges here as a man of great dignity, altruism, and intelligence. . . Clever, soulful, and full of righteous rage, [Jim’s] long-silenced voice resounds through this remarkable novel. Subversive and thrilling, James is destined to become a modern classic.”—Esquire

A New Classic for the Western Canon

"James" is outstanding.

I was concerned, for the risk is real in mid-2020's publishing, that this tale of Huck Finn's adventure on the Mississippi through the eyes of the slave, Jim, would be reduced and distracted by mid-2020's social politics.

It isn't. This is a narrative that can stand the test of time. The themes of courage, adversity, choice, and human dignity are timeless.

I described the story above as Huck Finn through Jim's eyes. That, too, is reductive and inaccurate. This is the tale of James, a complex and morally rich character who undergoes a gut-wrenching ordeal. The ordeal is a lot of fun for us readers, but for James it is a harrowing experience that pushes him to overcome limitations and discover his true capabilities.

Along the way, James sometimes looks after a runaway boy named Huck.

"James" is derivative only in that it shares Mark Twain's universe, and that sometimes loosely.

It also shares Mark Twain's subversive compassion and humanity. I can't help but wonder if Samual Clemens would have written this book if his times had allowed for it. If he had, it could be no better than "James" as written by Professor Percival Everett.

Sometimes, rarely, one comes across a book that elevates the English language, in which every word is not just "right," but somehow "just right." C.S. Lewis wrote at that level. F. Scott Fitzgerald did it, sometimes. It's a beautiful thing when it happens.

It happens with "James."

The audio version is narrated by Dominic Hoffman, and I must admire the courage of a man who endeavors to do justice to such a book. He does, in a performance that matches perfectly the tone, rhythm, and ethos of Everett's prose.

"James" is wholly worthy of Mark Twain's canon. It should be, I hope and expect it will be, bundled with Huck Finn in school reading assignments from now on.

Prof. Everett already was a well known and well regarded contemporary literary figure. "James" may catapult Prof. Everett from fame to immortality.

Superbly done!

I was spellbound throughout this entire story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys intelligent fiction.

Brilliant and devastating

This book should be mandatory reading by all white Americans. A captivating telling of this country’s brutal history by an all too human character. It is moving and important.

I cried with joy!

A masterpiece! I can't wait to see the movie and expose this chapter of what America has not been willing to face about the "Land of the free ..."!

WOW!!!!

This is the best book I’ve read in a very long time! So sad that it’s over.

Outstanding

I'm a big fan of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and this feels like a necessary sequel that somehow seems to elevate the source material. It's funny, sobering, and intensely sad. The narrator was great too. These two books should be read together as both are required for the fuller picture. An instant classic!

Brilliant

For those who yearn for the picaresque, an imaginative and empathy-stirring take on Twain’s master work.

Comprehension

The story was told in vivid detail. The narrator was superb. By the end I understood clearly, nakedly, how horrific the business of slavery infects each individual and society as a whole.

The hilarity of reversal of roles in our perception is why people. The language

I liked everything in the story. What I wasn’t comfortable with was how I felt when I read about the cruelty that these white people put upon the blacks. Also, i’m not used to the N-word being so freely used; however, it is a fact of life that it was.

New incite on a classic storyline!

I loved the duality of the main character Jim/James and the simplicity of which he could make the listener understand his plight. I only disliked the abrupt ending.