Marlon James

Book Review: A Brief History of Seven Killings

I like to think that genre-defining classic ‘Black King’ started the phenomenon of reggae-flavoured fiction, but this is a seriously heavy novel, in a league of its own. Don’t be misled by the title, as at 686 pages it is not at all brief, and a whole heap more than seven people get killed. It does not claim to be a true history of the background and aftermath of the attempt on Bob Marley’s life in 1976, but as in the foreword, ‘if it no go so, it go near so’. Flowing through the rivers of consciousness of a myriad cast of characters, many closely resembling notorious figures in this bloody chapter of Jamaican history, (but not the bloodiest by a long way) you are sent spinning through the gullies of the ghettoes of Kingston in the seventies, and spilling over into the crack dens of New York in the eighties. If you’re not familiar with the events this may leave you bewildered but reggae lovers schooled by countless cryptic references in lyrics and having seen films like Better Mus Come (and having recently read ‘Stir it Up’, which covers similar ground), will be able to find their way. Amongst all the shootings, stabbings and beatings, there is some great wordage here, of a particular place and time; ‘hataclaps’ being one of my personal favourites, and pretty much summing up the whole situation. Definitely not approved by the Jamaican Tourist Board, the island seen through the eyes of the people caught up in this hair-trigger booby-trapped world is unremittingly bleak, but the narrative digs deeper than the media stereotypes, getting under the skin of gangsters, innocent bystanders, CIA operatives, journalists and ghosts. It also does not shy away from breaking taboos and de-glamorising the ‘Yardie’ image, including the revelation, as a cross between Quentin Crisp and Ali G might say, that a lot of the worst rudeboys is well batty. Is it all just reality, or is it some form of ghetto-porn? How the hell would I know, but I know it is a totally compelling read. Get it now, don't wait for the paperback, life's too short, and you can always use it to whack someone over the head with - in self-defence, of course. One love.