A Brief History of Seven Killings: Difference between revisions

A Brief History of Seven Killings
	Cover of the 2014 hardcover edition
Author	Marlon James
Cover artist	Gregg Kulick
Language	English
Publisher	Riverhead Books
Publication date	2 October 2014 (hardback), (electronic book)
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print
Pages	688
Awards	2015 Booker Prize
ISBN	978-1-78074-635-7

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A Brief History of Seven Killings is the third novel by Jamaican author Marlon James.^[1] It was published in 2014 by Riverhead Books.^[2] The novel spans several decades and explores the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1976 and its aftermath, through the crack wars in New York City in the 1980s and a changed Jamaica in the 1990s.^[3]

Synopsis

The novel has five sections, each named after a musical track and covering the events of a single day:

“Original Rockers: December 2, 1976”
“Ambush in the Night: December 3, 1976”
“Shadow Dancin’: February 15, 1979”
“White Lines/Kids in America: August 14, 1985”
“Sound Boy Killing: March 22, 1991”

The first part of the novel is set in Kingston, Jamaica, in the build-up to the Smile Jamaica Concert held on 5 December 1976, and describes politically motivated violence between gangs associated with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People's National Party (PNP), especially in the West Kingston neighbourhoods of Tivoli Gardens and Mathews Lane (renamed in the novel as Copenhagen City and Eight Lanes),^[4] including involvement of the CIA in the Jamaican politics of the time. As well as Marley (who is referred to as "the Singer" throughout), other real-life characters depicted or fictionalized in the book include Kingston gangsters Winston "Burry Boy" Blake and George "Feathermop" Spence, Claude Massop and Lester Lloyd Coke (Jim Brown) of the JLP and Aston Thomson (Buckie Marshall) of the PNP.^[5]

Characters

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Greater Kingston from 1959

Sir Arthur Jennings, former politician, deceased
The Singer, reggae superstar of the world
Peter Nasser, politician, strategist
Nina Burgess, former receptionist, presently unemployed
Kim-Marie Burgess, her sister
Ras Trent, Kim-Marie’s lover
Doctor Love / Luis Hernán Rodrigo de las Casas, CIA consultant
Barry Diflorio, CIA station chief, Jamaica
Claire Diflorio, his wife
William Adler, former field officer, CIA, now rogue
Alex Pierce, journalist, Rolling Stone
Mark Lansing, filmmaker, son of Richard Lansing, former CIA director
Louis Johnson, field officer, CIA
Mr. Clark, field officer, CIA
Bill Bilson, journalist, the Jamaica Gleaner
Sally Q, fixer, informant
Tony McFerson, politician
Officer Watson, police
Officer Nevis, police
Officer Grant, police

Copenhagen City

Papa-Lo / Raymond Clarke, don of Copenhagen City, 1960–1979
Josey Wales, head enforcer, don of Copenhagen City, 1979–1991, leader of the Storm Posse
Weeper, gang enforcer, Storm Posse head enforcer, Manhattan/Brooklyn
Demus, gang member
Heckle, gang member
Bam-Bam, gang member
Funky Chicken, gang member
Renton, gang member
Leggo Beast, gang member
Tony Pavarotti, enforcer, sniper
Priest, messenger, informer
Junior Soul, informer/rumored Eight Lanes spy
The Wang Gang, gang based in Wang Sang Lands, affiliated with Copenhagen City
Copper, gang enforcer
Chinaman, gang leader near Copenhagen City
Treetop, gang member
Bullman, enforcer

The Eight Lanes

Shotta Sherrif / Roland Palmer, don of the Eight Lanes, 1975–1980
Funnyboy, gang enforcer and second-in-command
Buntin-Banton, coleader and don of the Eight Lanes, 1972–1975
Dishrag, coleader and don of the Eight Lanes, 1972–1975

Outside Jamaica, 1976–1979

Donald Casserley, drug trafficker, president, Jamaica Freedom League
Richard Lansing, CIA director, 1973–1976
Lindon Wolfsbricker, American ambassador to Yugoslavia
Admiral Warren Tunney, CIA director, 1977–1981
Roger Theroux, field officer, CIA
Miles Copeland, CIA station chief, Cairo
Edgar Anatolyevich Cheporov, reporter, Novosti News Agency
Freddy Lugo, operative, Alpha 66, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
Hernán Ricardo Lozano, operative, Alpha 66, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
Orlando Bosch, operative Omega 7, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
Gael and Freddy, operatives, Omega 7, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
Sal Resnick, journalist, New York Times

Montego Bay, 1979

Kim Clarke, unemployed
Charles/Chuck, engineer, Alcorp Bauxite

Miami and New York, 1985–1991

Storm Posse, Jamaican drug syndicate
Ranking Dons, rival Jamaican drug syndicate
Eubie, head enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
A-Plus, associate of Tristan Phillips
Pig Tails, enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
Ren-Dog, enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
Omar, enforcer, Storm Posse, Manhattan/Brooklyn
Romeo, drug dealer, Storm Posse, Brooklyn
Tristan Phillips, inmate, Rikers, member of Ranking Dons
John-John K, hit man, carjacker
Paco, carjacker
Griselda Blanco, drug lord, Medellín cartel Miami operations
Baxter, enforcer for Griselda Blanco
The Hawaiian Shirts, enforcers for Griselda Blanco
Kenneth Colthirst, New York resident, 5th Avenue
Gaston Colthirst, his son
Gail Colthirst, his daughter-in-law
Dorcas Palmer, caregiver
Millicent Segree, student nurse
Miss Betsy, manager, God Bless Employment Agency
Monifah Thibodeaux, drug addict

Reception

James' novel was widely praised for its mastery of voice and genre, encompassing historical epic, spy novel, gang thriller and mythical saga all at once. Writing in Literary Review, Kevin Power praises Marlon James' energy and imagination in his characters' voices: "his command of a range of tones and voices approaches the virtuoso."^[6] However, Power notes the novel's lack of narrative momentum necessary to propel it through nearly 700 pages.

Awards

The book was awarded the 2015 Booker Prize. This was the first time that a Jamaican-born author had won the prize.^[7] According to the BBC: "[Booker chair of judges Michael] Wood said the judges came to a unanimous decision in less than two hours. He praised the book's 'many voices'—it contains more than 75 characters—which 'went from Jamaican slang to Biblical heights'".

2014 – National Book Critics Circle Award finalist^[8]
2015 – Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction^[9]
2015 – Minnesota Book Award for Novel & Short Story^[10]
2015 – Fiction category of the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature^[11]
2015 – Booker Prize^[12]

Television

HBO has optioned the novel and is planning a television series, although no debut date has been announced.^[13]

References

^ Miller, Kei (10 December 2014). "A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James review—bloody conflicts in 1970s Jamaica". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
^ Lazar, Zachary (23 October 2014). "Sunday Book Review: 'A Brief History of Seven Killings,' by Marlon James". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
^ "A Brief History of Seven Killings". Good Reads. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
^ Escoffery, Sherman (22 October 2014). "LargeUp Interview: Marlon James on "A Brief History of Seven Killings"". LargeUp. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
^ Harvey, Chris (13 October 2015). "Marlon James interview: 'I didn't want to fall into a pornography of violence'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
^ Power, Kevin (28 September 2015). "A Shot in the Arm". Literary Review. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
^ Masters, Tim (13 October 2015). "Man Booker Prize 2015: Marlon James wins for A Brief History of Seven Killings". BBC News. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
^ "National Book Critics Circle Announces Finalists for Publishing Year 2014". Critical Mass. National Book Critics Circle. 19 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
^ The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. "Winners by Year".
^ "Winners of the 27th Annual Minnesota Book Awards". Minnesota Book Awards. Archived from the original on 18 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
^ "Top three books named for 2015 OCM Bocas Prize" Archived 5 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine, NGC Bocas Lit Fest website, 31 March 2015.
^ "The Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2015 shortlist is revealed" Archived 25 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, The Man Booker Prize website, 15 September 2015. The 680-page epic was "full of surprises" as well as being "very violent" and "full of swearing". Set across three decades, the novel uses the true story of the attempt on the life of reggae star Marley to explore the turbulent world of Jamaican gangs and politics. Wood said the judges had come to a unanimous decision in less than two hours. He praised the book's "many voices" – it contains more than 75 characters – which "went from Jamaican slang to Biblical heights".
^ "Marlon James' Novel A Brief History of Seven Killings to Become HBO TV Series – News About Penguin Books USA". www.penguin.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.

[1] Miller, Kei (10 December 2014). "A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James review—bloody conflicts in 1970s Jamaica". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2015.

[2] Lazar, Zachary (23 October 2014). "Sunday Book Review: 'A Brief History of Seven Killings,' by Marlon James". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2015.

[3] "A Brief History of Seven Killings". Good Reads. Retrieved 7 March 2015.

[4] Escoffery, Sherman (22 October 2014). "LargeUp Interview: Marlon James on "A Brief History of Seven Killings"". LargeUp. Retrieved 22 November 2015.

[5] Harvey, Chris (13 October 2015). "Marlon James interview: 'I didn't want to fall into a pornography of violence'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 November 2015.

[6] Power, Kevin (28 September 2015). "A Shot in the Arm". Literary Review. Retrieved 28 February 2023.

[winner-7] Masters, Tim (13 October 2015). "Man Booker Prize 2015: Marlon James wins for A Brief History of Seven Killings". BBC News. Retrieved 13 October 2015.

[nbcc2014-8] "National Book Critics Circle Announces Finalists for Publishing Year 2014". Critical Mass. National Book Critics Circle. 19 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.

[9] The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. "Winners by Year".

[10] "Winners of the 27th Annual Minnesota Book Awards". Minnesota Book Awards. Archived from the original on 18 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.

[11] "Top three books named for 2015 OCM Bocas Prize" Archived 5 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine, NGC Bocas Lit Fest website, 31 March 2015.

[12] "The Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2015 shortlist is revealed" Archived 25 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, The Man Booker Prize website, 15 September 2015. The 680-page epic was "full of surprises" as well as being "very violent" and "full of swearing". Set across three decades, the novel uses the true story of the attempt on the life of reggae star Marley to explore the turbulent world of Jamaican gangs and politics. Wood said the judges had come to a unanimous decision in less than two hours. He praised the book's "many voices" – it contains more than 75 characters – which "went from Jamaican slang to Biblical heights".

[13] "Marlon James' Novel A Brief History of Seven Killings to Become HBO TV Series – News About Penguin Books USA". www.penguin.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.

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@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 '''Greater Kingston from 1959'''
-Sir Arthur Jennings, former politician, deceased
+* Sir Arthur Jennings, former politician, deceased
-The Singer, reggae superstar of the world
+* The Singer, reggae superstar of the world
-Peter Nasser, politician, strategist
+* Peter Nasser, politician, strategist
-Nina Burgess, former receptionist, presently unemployed
+* Nina Burgess, former receptionist, presently unemployed
-Kim-Marie Burgess, her sister
+* Kim-Marie Burgess, her sister
-Ras Trent, Kim-Marie’s lover
+* Ras Trent, Kim-Marie’s lover
-Doctor Love / Luis Hernán Rodrigo de las Casas, CIA consultant
+* Doctor Love / Luis Hernán Rodrigo de las Casas, CIA consultant
-Barry Diflorio, CIA station chief, Jamaica
+* Barry Diflorio, CIA station chief, Jamaica
-Claire Diflorio, his wife
+* Claire Diflorio, his wife
-William Adler, former field officer, CIA, now rogue
+* William Adler, former field officer, CIA, now rogue
-Alex Pierce, journalist, Rolling Stone
+* Alex Pierce, journalist, Rolling Stone
-Mark Lansing, filmmaker, son of Richard Lansing, former CIA director
+* Mark Lansing, filmmaker, son of Richard Lansing, former CIA director
-Louis Johnson, field officer, CIA
+* Louis Johnson, field officer, CIA
-Mr. Clark, field officer, CIA
+* Mr. Clark, field officer, CIA
-Bill Bilson, journalist, the Jamaica Gleaner
+* Bill Bilson, journalist, the Jamaica Gleaner
-Sally Q, fixer, informant
+* Sally Q, fixer, informant
-Tony McFerson, politician
+* Tony McFerson, politician
-Officer Watson, police
+* Officer Watson, police
-Officer Nevis, police
+* Officer Nevis, police
-Officer Grant, police
+* Officer Grant, police
 '''Copenhagen City'''
-Papa-Lo / Raymond Clarke, don of Copenhagen City, 1960–1979
+* Papa-Lo / Raymond Clarke, don of Copenhagen City, 1960–1979
-Josey Wales, head enforcer, don of Copenhagen City, 1979–1991, leader of the Storm Posse
+* Josey Wales, head enforcer, don of Copenhagen City, 1979–1991, leader of the Storm Posse
-Weeper, gang enforcer, Storm Posse head enforcer, Manhattan/Brooklyn
+* Weeper, gang enforcer, Storm Posse head enforcer, Manhattan/Brooklyn
-Demus, gang member
+* Demus, gang member
-Heckle, gang member
+* Heckle, gang member
-Bam-Bam, gang member
+* Bam-Bam, gang member
-Funky Chicken, gang member
+* Funky Chicken, gang member
-Renton, gang member
+* Renton, gang member
-Leggo Beast, gang member
+* Leggo Beast, gang member
-Tony Pavarotti, enforcer, sniper
+* Tony Pavarotti, enforcer, sniper
-Priest, messenger, informer
+* Priest, messenger, informer
-Junior Soul, informer/rumored Eight Lanes spy
+* Junior Soul, informer/rumored Eight Lanes spy
-The Wang Gang, gang based in Wang Sang Lands, affiliated with Copenhagen City
+* The Wang Gang, gang based in Wang Sang Lands, affiliated with Copenhagen City
-Copper, gang enforcer
+* Copper, gang enforcer
-Chinaman, gang leader near Copenhagen City
+* Chinaman, gang leader near Copenhagen City
-Treetop, gang member
+* Treetop, gang member
-Bullman, enforcer
+* Bullman, enforcer
 '''The Eight Lanes'''
-Shotta Sherrif / Roland Palmer, don of the Eight Lanes, 1975–1980
+* Shotta Sherrif / Roland Palmer, don of the Eight Lanes, 1975–1980
-Funnyboy, gang enforcer and second-in-command
+* Funnyboy, gang enforcer and second-in-command
-Buntin-Banton, coleader and don of the Eight Lanes, 1972–1975
+* Buntin-Banton, coleader and don of the Eight Lanes, 1972–1975
-Dishrag, coleader and don of the Eight Lanes, 1972–1975
+* Dishrag, coleader and don of the Eight Lanes, 1972–1975
 '''Outside Jamaica, 1976–1979'''
-Donald Casserley, drug trafficker, president, Jamaica Freedom League
+* Donald Casserley, drug trafficker, president, Jamaica Freedom League
-Richard Lansing, CIA director, 1973–1976
+* Richard Lansing, CIA director, 1973–1976
-Lindon Wolfsbricker, American ambassador to Yugoslavia
+* Lindon Wolfsbricker, American ambassador to Yugoslavia
-Admiral Warren Tunney, CIA director, 1977–1981
+* Admiral Warren Tunney, CIA director, 1977–1981
-Roger Theroux, field officer, CIA
+* Roger Theroux, field officer, CIA
-Miles Copeland, CIA station chief, Cairo
+* Miles Copeland, CIA station chief, Cairo
-Edgar Anatolyevich Cheporov, reporter, Novosti News Agency
+* Edgar Anatolyevich Cheporov, reporter, Novosti News Agency
-Freddy Lugo, operative, Alpha 66, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
+* Freddy Lugo, operative, Alpha 66, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
-Hernán Ricardo Lozano, operative, Alpha 66, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
+* Hernán Ricardo Lozano, operative, Alpha 66, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
-Orlando Bosch, operative Omega 7, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
+* Orlando Bosch, operative Omega 7, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
-Gael and Freddy, operatives, Omega 7, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
+* Gael and Freddy, operatives, Omega 7, United Revolutionary Organizations, AMBLOOD
-Sal Resnick, journalist, New York Times
+* Sal Resnick, journalist, New York Times
 '''Montego Bay, 1979'''
-Kim Clarke, unemployed
+* Kim Clarke, unemployed
-Charles/Chuck, engineer, Alcorp Bauxite
+* Charles/Chuck, engineer, Alcorp Bauxite
 '''Miami and New York, 1985–1991'''
-Storm Posse, Jamaican drug syndicate
+* Storm Posse, Jamaican drug syndicate
-Ranking Dons, rival Jamaican drug syndicate
+* Ranking Dons, rival Jamaican drug syndicate
-Eubie, head enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
+* Eubie, head enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
-A-Plus, associate of Tristan Phillips
+* A-Plus, associate of Tristan Phillips
-Pig Tails, enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
+* Pig Tails, enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
-Ren-Dog, enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
+* Ren-Dog, enforcer, Storm Posse, Queens/Bronx
-Omar, enforcer, Storm Posse, Manhattan/Brooklyn
+* Omar, enforcer, Storm Posse, Manhattan/Brooklyn
-Romeo, drug dealer, Storm Posse, Brooklyn
+* Romeo, drug dealer, Storm Posse, Brooklyn
-Tristan Phillips, inmate, Rikers, member of Ranking Dons
+* Tristan Phillips, inmate, Rikers, member of Ranking Dons
-John-John K, hit man, carjacker
+* John-John K, hit man, carjacker
-Paco, carjacker
+* Paco, carjacker
-Griselda Blanco, drug lord, Medellín cartel Miami operations
+* Griselda Blanco, drug lord, Medellín cartel Miami operations
-Baxter, enforcer for Griselda Blanco
+* Baxter, enforcer for Griselda Blanco
-The Hawaiian Shirts, enforcers for Griselda Blanco
+* The Hawaiian Shirts, enforcers for Griselda Blanco
-Kenneth Colthirst, New York resident, 5th Avenue
+* Kenneth Colthirst, New York resident, 5th Avenue
-Gaston Colthirst, his son
+* Gaston Colthirst, his son
-Gail Colthirst, his daughter-in-law
+* Gail Colthirst, his daughter-in-law
-Dorcas Palmer, caregiver
+* Dorcas Palmer, caregiver
-Millicent Segree, student nurse
+* Millicent Segree, student nurse
-Miss Betsy, manager, God Bless Employment Agency
+* Miss Betsy, manager, God Bless Employment Agency
-Monifah Thibodeaux, drug addict
+* Monifah Thibodeaux, drug addict
 ==Reception==

v t e Works by Marlon James
Literature	John Crow's Devil (2005) The Book of Night Women (2009) A Brief History of Seven Killings (2014) Black Leopard, Red Wolf (2019) Moon Witch, Spider King (2022)
Television	Get Millie Black (2024)

v t e Recipients of the Booker Prize
List of winners and nominated authors The Best of the Booker The Golden Man Booker International Booker Prize
1969–79	1969: P. H. Newby (Something to Answer For) 1970: Bernice Rubens (The Elected Member) 1970 Lost Prize: J. G. Farrell (Troubles) 1971: V. S. Naipaul (In a Free State) 1972: John Berger (G.) 1973: J. G. Farrell (The Siege of Krishnapur) 1974: Nadine Gordimer (The Conservationist) and Stanley Middleton (Holiday) 1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (Heat and Dust) 1976: David Storey (Saville) 1977: Paul Scott (Staying On) 1978: Iris Murdoch (The Sea, The Sea) 1979: Penelope Fitzgerald (Offshore)
1980s	1980: William Golding (Rites of Passage) 1981: Salman Rushdie (Midnight's Children) 1982: Thomas Keneally (Schindler's Ark) 1983: J. M. Coetzee (Life & Times of Michael K) 1984: Anita Brookner (Hotel du Lac) 1985: Keri Hulme (The Bone People) 1986: Kingsley Amis (The Old Devils) 1987: Penelope Lively (Moon Tiger) 1988: Peter Carey (Oscar and Lucinda) 1989: Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day)
1990s	1990: A. S. Byatt (Possession) 1991: Ben Okri (The Famished Road) 1992: Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient) and Barry Unsworth (Sacred Hunger) 1993: Roddy Doyle (Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha) 1994: James Kelman (How Late It Was, How Late) 1995: Pat Barker (The Ghost Road) 1996: Graham Swift (Last Orders) 1997: Arundhati Roy (The God of Small Things) 1998: Ian McEwan (Amsterdam) 1999: J. M. Coetzee (Disgrace)
2000s	2000: Margaret Atwood (The Blind Assassin) 2001: Peter Carey (True History of the Kelly Gang) 2002: Yann Martel (Life of Pi) 2003: DBC Pierre (Vernon God Little) 2004: Alan Hollinghurst (The Line of Beauty) 2005: John Banville (The Sea) 2006: Kiran Desai (The Inheritance of Loss) 2007: Anne Enright (The Gathering) 2008: Aravind Adiga (The White Tiger) 2009: Hilary Mantel (Wolf Hall)
2010s	2010: Howard Jacobson (The Finkler Question) 2011: Julian Barnes (The Sense of an Ending) 2012: Hilary Mantel (Bring Up the Bodies) 2013: Eleanor Catton (The Luminaries) 2014: Richard Flanagan (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) 2015: Marlon James (A Brief History of Seven Killings) 2016: Paul Beatty (The Sellout) 2017: George Saunders (Lincoln in the Bardo) 2018: Anna Burns (Milkman) 2019: Margaret Atwood (The Testaments) and Bernardine Evaristo (Girl, Woman, Other)
2020s	2020: Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain) 2021: Damon Galgut (The Promise) 2022: Shehan Karunatilaka (The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida) 2023: Paul Lynch (Prophet Song) 2024: Samantha Harvey (Orbital)