Published by Oneworld Publications, 2015, softcover, 688 pages, condition: as new.
Jamaica, 1976: Seven men storm Bob Marley s house with machine guns blazing. The reggae superstar survives, but leaves Jamaica the following day, not to return for two years. Inspired by this near-mythic event, A Brief History of Seven Killings is an imagined oral biography, told by ghosts, witnesses, killers, members of parliament, drug dealers, common, beauty queens, FBI and CIA agents, reporters, journalists, and even Keith Richards' drug dealer. Marlon James s dazzling novel is a tour de force. It traverses strange landscapes and shady characters, as motivations are examined and questions asked in a masterpiece of imagination.
his is a book that I did not expect to enjoy. Having finished itand feeling, as I do now, that A Brief History of Seven Killings is one of the best books Ive read all yearI went back and identified the reasons why I did not expect to like it. Reason #1 The story is an oral history told in multiple voices: thats true, but James enormous talent makes the multiple voices work. Reading the novel is an immersive experiencethe characters are real, they are engaging, and James uses them to look at all sides of the story. Yes, the multiple points-of-view are difficult at first, but each voice quickly distinguishes itself as unique and important; the payoff is a novel of sweeping scope and emotion. Reason #2Many of the characters speak in Jamaican patois: like many readers, Im not a big fan of dialect on the page. Tell me what they say, not necessarily how they say it. But James pulls it off with remarkable ease. I expected the patois to start to grate once I got further into the book. It never did. The language only added to my understanding of the story and its characters. Reason #3Violence: this is not an easy book, particularly when it comes to violence. It starts early, and theres a lot of it (certainly more than seven killings). But its there for a reason. By showing the violence, the poverty, and the struggle to survive in 70s Jamaica, James illustrates how the ghetto can change a person. Over time, we see how every man and woman is changed. Reason #4 Its about Jamaica: I hesitate to admit that I wasnt initially interested in a book set in Jamaica. Am I just not interested in a world so different from mine? Whatever the underlying reason, I was wrong to think that way. I could take the easy route and say that this novel is about something more than Jamaica, but that seems obvious. All I can say is: these people were real to me. And like all great novels, James work drew me in, entertained me, and changed me in ways I could not have anticipated.
