2024 the best classic novels review

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AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND THE BOOKER PRIZE KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

In development as a feature film to be produced by Steven Spielberg A Best Book of the Year of the Year so Far for 2024: The New York Times Book Review, Esquire, W Magazine, Bustle, LitHub

"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/listeners 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.

Reviewer: AccidentalDiva
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: History Reimagined: The Story We Never Heard from Jim
Review: I promised myself I wouldn’t dive into any more space horror stories, but “Julia,” Sandra Newman’s retelling of Orwell’s 1984 from Julia’s point of view, completely swept me up. Naturally, when I saw James hit the shelves—a reimagining of Huck Finn through Jim’s eyes—I couldn’t resist. I was curious, but also wary, because I knew this story would be as psychologically traumatic as I feared. And I wasn’t wrong.Reading James is a deeply personal experience, especially as a Black woman, knowing that the only thing separating me from that nightmare of slavery is the year I was born. The narrative forced me to confront the reality that my great-grandparents and countless others who share my skin color endured this hellscape. It's more than just history—it's a stark reminder that they were treated as "it," less than animals, mere property. This is the kind of story that takes a physical toll on me every time I bear witness to it, but at the same time, it's necessary.One of the things I found most powerful was how James fills in the emotional and psychological blanks left by Huckleberry Finn. In Everett’s hands, Jim is more than just a loyal protector or a man enslaved. The inner thoughts and eventual confession he shares go beyond the brutality of slavery, offering an explanation for why he’s so devoted to Huck. This complexity and depth made the retelling masterful—it's still settling with me, but I can already say it was absolutely worth the read.Another aspect that haunted me was the subtle but consistent pattern Everett weaved through the story—everyone who helped Jim, except Huck, met a tragic end. It’s hard to tell if it was a coincidence or a chilling reflection of how dangerous it was to aid a Black person back then, but either way, it made clear just how easily Black lives were discarded. That’s a stark, painful truth to digest.Percival Everett’s writing is as sharp and introspective as ever, breathing new life into a character who has long been a symbol but rarely fully understood. His retelling connects a lot of plot points and unspoken questions from Huckleberry Finn in ways that are satisfying, thought-provoking, and deeply unsettling. It's one of those stories that will stay with you long after you've closed the book.

Reviewer: Frank Mathews Jr.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A wonderful, well told story! I couldn't put it down.
Review: The characters Come alive On the page! Such incredible courage and Human spirit to be free. Hard to read at times but so well written.

Reviewer: Jewelry buff
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Perfect reconfiguration
Review: Jim/James and Huck Finn. What a great story this turned out to be. I saw the twist but dang. The minstrels and Norman. Felt bad for him. The catfish was amazing. The duality of speech makes sense. Fast read, good story.

Reviewer: JAZZGirl
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Pulitzer Prize
Review: Everett has produced a masterpiece. I could not put it down. I carried it around with me so I could read it in any spare moment. The author is an incredible craftsman and has told the story of a real James. This book is so honest and well written and so necessary that it expertly captures the cruelty of enslaved Black people in America and the horrors and terrorism they faced. This MAN stood toe to toe with it. This is not Jim, as imagined by Twain. This is James.

Reviewer: CH N'TCHOUGAN-SONOU
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Just James
Review: Great perspective.Complex character who has just had enough of injustice. Human drama simply told - very satisfying denouement. Excellent

Reviewer: Michelle Baer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: James: A Novel
Review: What an exquisitely written book. The book is narrated by Mark Twain’s Jim from the book Huckleberry Finn. We hear more about the slave experience from a slave, not the perception of slavery from a person outside of that horrible life. Jim is intelligent, articulate and is able to read and write. All things he must keep hidden. This book is an amazing, heart pounding adventure, and I was not able to set it down once I started. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Joe Terrell
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Masterful Retelling of Huckleberry Finn That Exceeds the Hype and Redefines a Classic
Review: Percival Everett's James is a rarity: A buzzy literary novel that absolutely lives up to (and possibly exceeds) the hype. I wouldn't be surprised if James came away with both the 2024 Man Booker and the Pulitzer Prize for Literature.The setup for James almost sounds like a gimmick — it's a retelling of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written from the perspective of Jim, the escaped slave who accompanies Huck on his journey down the Mississippi River. But Jim is so much more than a mere runaway, and author Percival Everett employs a fascinating usage of dialect that challenges the classic "slave vernacular" questionably used by writers like Twain in the 19th century.Written in a clear and accessible prose and propelled by an episodic narrative structure, James often reads like a thriller and avoids the pretentious literary stylings so common in the genre. Percival Everett also does a masterful job blending tone — despite the intensity of the subject matter, there were multiple times when I laughed out loud.But James doesn't shy away from the horrors of chattel slavery, and while the violence is never gratuitous, the resigned matter-of-fact depictions of the institution's inherent psychological and physical cruelty hits just as hard as any graphic blow-by-blow account. Additionally, throughout Jim's travels, he encounters various personalities who provide the opportunity for rich discussions on the southern mindset toward slavery at the time.Funny and bleak, adventurous and timely, James is a brilliant reimagining of an American classic that ranks as one of the very best books of the year. It's both a respectful homage and instructive critique of the source material, while also daring to tell its own unique story.Note: Do you have to have read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to enjoy James? I don't think so. Though I haven't read Huck Finn, I do have a passing familiarity with the story from watching the 1993 live-action Disney adaptation starring a young Elijah Wood. But James is designed to stand on its own (and, besides, its not a true 1:1 companion piece). However, I think James is so good — and offers such a canon-busting take on a beloved classic — that I'd love to see it incorporated in high school curriculum alongside Huck Finn

Reviewer: STEFFI
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This was one of the most satisfying reads I’ve had in a long while. I have not read Huckleberry Finn, so was not sure what to expect, but Mr Everett’s story telling was sometimes funny, sometimes sad, tragic and ultimately uplifting. Also, it ended with me wishing there was more. Well done!

Reviewer: ChF
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A great book. The completely different perspective on the familiar story keeps you hooked, and when the book sheds light on the dark sides of slavery up close, it sends chills down your spine.

Reviewer: Irene Mansfield
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A gripping yet beautiful re-telling of the Huckleberry Finn story, but this time a description of the hardships and tragedies of a slave close to Huck. The author is masterly in his use of the contrast between the language used for his own protection by the slave and his genuine use of educated language learned from his stolen pleasure in books owned but never read by slave-owners. Altogether a delight to add to Percival Everett's distinguished books.

Reviewer: Cliente Kindle ragionevoli
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Una rivisitazione dell’Hukleberryfinn di Mark Twain, narrata dallo schiavo Jim, che lungo il percorso della storia progressivamente diventa James, uomo libero.

Reviewer: James
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Book club