Welcome to Litsy!

5 Stars • "James" by Percival Everett is a novel that reimagines Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved character. It has received widespread acclaim, winning the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction and being shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. The novel explores themes of identity, freedom, and the harsh realities of slavery with both humor and profound seriousness.

Over half a century has passed since I read, watched, imagined, and loved the adventures of Tom and Huck. I hope it was just the young girl in me… wanting to Nancy Drew Becky Thatcher up and get more of her perspective of life on
the Mississippi, because I don‘t recall wondering about Jim‘s perspective… I‘m humbled.

It‘s hard to imagine any book living up to the incredible hype this book has sustained. While I wasn‘t quite as blown away as most folks, I definitely got onboard Jim‘s adventure. I do love to see story elements we all know through a completely different lens. Subversive and compelling.

I had so many 5 star reads in November that I filled out both my bonus slots in addition to my Nov pick! James, Hell Folows With Us, and Lucy Undying all made their way to the bracket.

#BookBracket2024 @CSeydel

This book definitely deserved book of the year from Barnes and noble - hopefully more places think similarity. This story had my attention from page 1. The story felt familiar, yet so different. Read like a short book, yet the story felt fleshed out. I loved this story, with Jim‘s varying views on the world around him as a slave. He was a very compelling character. My only complaint is that the ending like 10 pages closed things down too fast imo

James just won the National Book Award for its brilliant retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's perspective.

If you haven't read this book yet, what are you doing? It's on every best-of list this year for a reason. Jim from The Adventures of Huck Finn, who actually prefers James, finally gets to tell his own story. It's subversive and brilliant. Read it.

"I had never seen a white man filled with fear. The remarkable truth, however, was that it was not the pistol, but my language, the fact that I didn't conform to his expectations, that I could read, that had so disturbed and frightened him."

I‘m apparently not the audience for the “best” books of the year. I‘ve read a whopping three off the NYT list and five off the NPR list.

There‘s some overlap between the lists and some interesting divergence. Camp Litsy is well represented! (Actual picks and some of the “bridesmaids.”)

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/26/books/notable-books.html?rsrc=flt...

https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=list&year=2024

I liked this novel but I didn‘t love it and I felt that it is perhaps a bit overhyped. That being said, the writing is lovely and interesting viewpoint of the classic Huck Finn.

I admired this novel greatly but didn‘t love it. Excellent writing, it‘s a re-telling of Huck Finn from James‘ so a boys own adventure, not my usual thing, but Everett makes it compelling. Layered with meaning & humour, he‘s drawing our attention to issues of race, slavery & who owns history, with a simple story. Episodic so lacked some narrative tension for me, but faultless writing & dialogue.

It‘s been more than 30 years since I read Huck Finn in high school and I remember almost none of it. I loved this retelling from Jim‘s perspective though. I read it for #sharonsaysso book club and can‘t wait for the author meeting 😁

Also, now I feel like I need to read Huck Finn again lol

Perfection is a cozy evening of reading in front of a fire!!

Congratulations to Percival Everett for winning the 2024 National Book Award! 🏆✨ To say we‘re excited for the film adaptation is an understatement 🎬🍿

#aardvarkbookclub #james #percivaleverett #nationalbookaward

Congrats to Percival Everett!

https://www.writingafrica.com/w-paul-coates-percival-everett-feted-at-us-nationa...

Heavy sigh. Everett has left me with more questions than answers, but that‘s a good thing. I suppose a sequel and/or a prequel is too much to hope for.

I have two fox themed morning mugs to cheer me up during next four years of sound bites.

I was nervous this would be one of those “I don‘t get all the hype” books for me (it‘s happened several times). It wasn‘t! I loved it! Yay! 😀👍👏
Also, the audio was fantastic.

I'm wanting to read James, but I haven't read Huckleberry Finn (not sure how, but I've never read any Twain). Should I read that first?

Yay a win of a read! This was excellent. A retelling of Huckleberry Finn, with a mix of adventure, heartbreak, fear and joy. I really enjoyed it, a quick read too! 5⭐️

My first #bookspinbingo!

Finally one I've actually read...

#BooksoftheYear

Seconds later…..this is a good reminder not to let others live in my head. I think I should rewatch the Inside Out movies too. 😔

Breakfast with James. 💛 Hooked right from the beginning.

Absolutely loved it !!!

Almost didn‘t make it through this one. The first half was so slow and too closely followed Huck. Felt like the author was more interested in being clever than writing something interesting. But once Huck was out of the picture and even when he came back, I saw what so many critics and others became enamored with.

i was on a streak of books i haven‘t loved…but damn this one is turning things around. subversive in that the main story is not what you think it is…it is instead a lens by which we can understand the terror of slavery. you can feel it and if we feel it even in small part we can begin to try to deal with the aftershocks that shape our world today.

After hearing so many good things about this book, I had high hopes—and was NOT disappointed!! So many surprises and outstanding food for serious thought. Highly recommended for all who have read Huckleberry Finn. (The references are plentiful.)

I had trouble with the way the author played with the timeline, but that does not detract from the power of this novel. A plot that begins as a retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim‘s viewpoint, but evolves into a compelling commentary on injustice and a narrative of self-actualization. A work worthy of its many accolades. A 4+/5⭐️pick.

Omg!!! I was sick yesterday so sorry I missed opening day, but I am ELATED!!! @Pogue this is such a sweet box I am spoiled!!! Two of my most anticipated books, my favorite chocolate covered sunflowers seeds and toffee candy, my absolute favorite coffee, delicious smelling pumpkin candle, bookmarks, lovely mug, yummy jelly beans and a card!! You are amazing!!! #FFFS #FallingForFallSwap

Yay! James by P. Everett was one of the winners in the National Book Award Fiction category! #camplitsy24

I‘ve read all but one. Now off to find Aguda‘s book. #nationalbookaward

It is difficult to believe that Jim would have time to launch Huck in the canoe and then walk to the cave. Once there he first practiced writing and then completed an essay before returning to the bank of the river to see Huck arrive on the other side. How wide was the river? Impactful read, but I am finding some of the continuity issues distracting.

I found this so bold. And he pulled it off. It‘s a terrific book. Critical of Twain‘s classic, while deeply honoring it. And provoking the reader. Making us uncomfortable. Confront us with this alternate world take. It‘s a brilliant book.

#booker #booker2024 #longlist #shortlist

Who else could have done such a brilliant job with this? Who else could have reimagined this story? I believe only Percival Everett could have written this book. Not to be overly dramatic but this really does deserve all the awards.

An absolute masterpiece. I have read Huckleberry Finn countless times. I was a little worried about anyone taking this on. But it‘s absolutely brilliant. The stories mesh like pieces of a puzzle that have always belonged together, but took awhile to find each other. I think Mark Twain would approve. It‘s beautifully done.

I'm not American so I imagine this landed a little differently for me than for most of you, but it's a damn good story and I flew through it. I enjoyed the humour, flinched at the brutality (he must have been seething when he wrote some of those sentences!) and even had an unflattering self awareness epiphany.*
I'm delighted it made the #bookerprizeshortlist . I'm happy to discover a new-to-me author.

My next from the #booker #booker2024 #longlist

I didn‘t mean to get large print, but I might have been a little click happy on amazon, selecting the slightly cheaper option. ☺️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everett wrote this book with such honesty, respect, and agency. Taking a story so fully engrained in American Literature and flipping it to be something with a deeper understanding of every character must have been a massive undertaking, and there are so many impactful moments in this book. The audio is powerfully read, and I‘ll be buying my own copy and annotating all the moments that stilled my body & pushed into my heart.
A gift.

Such an engaging read..half way through and loving James by Percival Everett. A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told by Jim an escaped slave. Lovely writing, funny and compassionate!
#americanliterature #historicalfiction #literature

“Those little bastards were hiding out there in the tall grass.”

#firstlinefridays
#currentlyreading
@ShyBookOwl

“Those little bastards were hiding out there in the tall grass.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Huck was off thinking he was having an adventure with his buddy, Jim. But what was this whole scenario like from Jim's perspective? The consequences for him could be deadly because Black people and white people lived in two separate worlds. The book was amazing. There was never a dull moment. I thought it was brilliant. History is still tied into the now of things.

August Reads
5 🌟
James: Percival Everett 📖
Galatea: Madeline Miller 🎧
4.5 🌟
The Safekeep: Yael Van Der Woden 🎧
Enlightenment: Sarah Perry 🎧
4 🌟
Chain-Gang All Stars: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 🎧
Brotherless Nights: V. V. Ganeshananthan 📖
3.5 🌟
Whale Fall: Elizabeth O;Connor 📖
3 🌟
This Strange Eventful History: Claire Messud 🎧
Orbital: Samantha Harvey 🎧 📖
2 🌟
Held: Anne Michaels 📖

#AboutABook

I got a little confused & was trying to decide on my favorite book of August before reading the that prompt is #FavoriteOfJuly 😆 July was a great reading month but I have to go with these two (can‘t pick just one!)

Thank you to @Eggs & @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for a great month of prompts! 🤗

Turns out I neglected to post a review of James here after reading it the week it came out (months ago at this point). I realized I couldn‘t find my review of this after it was the winner of #camplitsy24. Kinda makes me wonder how many other books I‘ve missed over the years. Anyhoo, as many have already mentioned here, it‘s a great read, and I‘m glad to see Everett being more widely read.

As all readers of American literature know, it all begins with a raft down the Mississipi River towards the unreliable promise of the free states and beyond.

This is James's version of his adventure with Huckleberry Finn.

I love how the author has really tied this into the Twain novel and that it gives another side to Huckleberry's story by giving James a voice without tearing it down. It's a fantastic companion novel.

We do have our #CampLitsy24 winner and it‘s a good one. James received by far the most votes, followed by Clear.

Meg, Helen and I have so enjoyed camp with all of you and we are very happy with all your thoughts and insights during the discussions, which have add so much to the books and the reading experience.

We thank you all and hope to see you next year again, or maybe during #LitsyToB25 😀🤍

Action-packed and insightful. I especially liked the duality of the language James and the other slaves used.

I was mildly concerned this wouldn‘t live up to the hype, but happily I had no reason to worry. This was just excellent in every way. Everett is such an amazing writer and I‘m so glad he‘s finally getting his due.

Loved this one (read it before the longlist was announced). I generally enjoy Everett‘s writing and this was a brilliant reworking of Huckleberry Finn. I did reread Huckleberry Finn prior to reading this one. Our Booker panel reviewed that here https://thereadersroom.org/2024/08/14/2024-booker-longlist-james-by-percival-eve...
#bookerlonglist2024