Percival Everett’s ‘James’ chosen as 2025-26 Go Big Read book

How many years does it take to complete a story? Sometimes, the answer is 140.

That’s at least how author Percival Everett sees it. His latest novel, “James,” reimagines Mark Twain’s 1884 classic, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” from the perspective of Huck’s companion Jim as the pair share adventure on the Mississippi River, not long after Jim has escaped slavery.

“James,” winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction, is the 2025 Go Big Read selection at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The book navigates the same broad contours of Twain’s classic American tale. Jim and Huck fish for their dinner, encounter familiar characters like the Duke and the Dauphin and manage, time and again, to survive by their wits and a healthy share of luck.

Everett’s characters, like Twain’s, speak in the regional dialect of 1850s Missouri—except Jim and his enslaved companions who, when speaking with one another, do so with the sophistication of 21st century intellectuals. This language, and the unflinching clarity of Jim’s narration, call readers to confront the horrors of slavery and their preconceived notions of what it means to sound believable.

“Everett’s extraordinary retelling of this American literary classic prompts us to reflect on how stories are told and whose voices are heard,” says UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “It turns a familiar American story upside down and shows us, with the power of dialogue and perspective, an entirely different way of viewing the same world.”

“James” debuted to wide acclaim in 2024, garnering rave reviews, a 42-week (and counting) run on the New York Times’ Best Sellers List for Hardcover Fiction, and a spot on the short list for the year’s Booker Prize.

Everett, a Guggenheim Fellow and two-time finalist for the Booker Prize, has penned 15 novels and is a distinguished professor of English at the University of Southern California, where he researches American studies and critical theory. He will be on campus in fall 2025 for the Go Big Read keynote event.

The Go Big Read program is an initiative of the Office of the Chancellor. It engages members of the campus community and beyond in a shared, academically focused reading experience.

Go Big Read events connected to the book will include a visit from the author. Planning is underway for students, faculty and staff to use the book in classrooms and for special events during the fall 2025 semester. All first-year students will receive the book at the Chancellor’s Convocation for New Students and students using the book in their classes will also receive copies. UW–Madison instructors or event planners interested in using the book can request a print or e-review copy.