Percival Everett's 'James' wins National Book Award for fiction
Percival Everett’s new novel, “James,” a retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the perspective of Huck’s enslaved companion, won the National Book Award for fiction on Wednesday.
Percival Everett’s new novel, “James,” a retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the perspective of Huck’s enslaved companion, won the National Book Award for fiction on Wednesday.
“James” flips the classic Mark Twain work on its head and explores how Huck’s companion, Jim, privately experienced the adventures, his thoughts about racism and the ways he behaved when white people weren’t around.
In his acceptance speech Wednesday, Everett spoke about the power of books and their ability to bring people together during challenging moments. “Two weeks ago, I was feeling pretty low, and to tell you the truth, I still feel pretty low,” alluding to the results of the presidential election. “As I look out at this, so much excitement about books, I have to say, I do feel some hope.”
Everett, whose literary work has largely focused on race in America, told the BBC earlier this year that the idea for “James” came to him one day as he was playing tennis. “I stopped and thought, ‘I wonder if anyone has written Huck Finn from Jim’s point of view?’” he recalled.
In the original story, Jim is on the run after learning he’s about to be sold to a new owner. The character doesn’t speak in Twain’s version, but Everett does give him a voice and casts him as a literate, thoughtful man who understands how racism shapes his life and how he must behave to survive. Critics have called Everett’s retelling “a slyly funny masterpiece.”
Rating: 5