A Brief History of Seven Killings

By: Marlon James

Narrated by: Robertson Dean, Cherise Boothe, Dwight Bacquie, Ryan Anderson, Johnathan McClain, Robert Younis, Thom Rivera

Winner, The Man Booker Prize, 2015

On December 3, 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica Concert, gunmen stormed his house, machine guns blazing. The attack nearly killed the Reggae superstar, his wife, and his manager, and injured several others. Marley would go on to perform at the free concert on December 5, but he left the country the next day, not to return for two years.

Deftly spanning decades and continents and peopled with a wide range of characters - assassins, journalists, drug dealers, and even ghosts - A Brief History of Seven Killings is the fictional exploration of that dangerous and unstable time and its bloody aftermath, from the streets and slums of Kingston in the 1970s, to the crack wars in 1980s New York, to a radically altered Jamaica in the 1990s. Brilliantly inventive and stunningly ambitious, this novel is a revealing modern epic that will secure Marlon James' place among the great literary talents of his generation.

©2014 Marlon James. Recorded by arrangement with Penguin Books. (P)2014 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Interesting, engaging and beautifully read.

This book seems to have been written to be performed as an audiobook. The use of multiple narrators brought the story vividly life. The book was artfully written from multiple perspectives, which just made the narrative more engaging. The beautifully performed Jamaican patois would have been difficult to read, but was beautiful to listen to, despite the wrenching and painful story. Highly recommended!

Out if many one people

The Jamaican diaspora should appreciate this work. I couldn't stop listening to this. Very well done.

Captivating!

The breadth of characters and issues as they move through time and place sucks you in. Great monologues and voices to match!

Amazing

It takes a while to get into it and past the patois, but a terrific book

Action Packed I was there on the Island !!!

I was right there... in the fight, the club the streets even the concert. I was so disappointed when it was over.

Each time.same.story told it's more confusing

If you only want the tourist version of Jamaica, this book isn't for you. Even in paradise life can be lousy.

Fabulous book! The readers are superlative!!!

Dramatic reading of an exciting story some of which is very funny. The movie will be irresistible. The writing is so visual one can imagine what Quentin Tarantino and crew would do with this. The book does provide a portrait of how crime, politics, and governments are intertwined.

Brilliant Brilliant Book!

My only criticism is that some of the "Jamaican" accents were not authentic. But otherwise, a very gripping story.

2.5 good narrators. needs voice actors....

most of the voice actors were bad with reading Patois or unbelievable in their nationality. a good story based on factual events. almost Erie.

I Couldn't Have Read This Without Audible

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Only if the friend is willing to do some work researching Jamaican history. It's a very challenging read.

What did you like best about this story?

I am interested in politics and different cultures

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Much of the book is written in patois so unless you are Jamaican, you'll probably need some help.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No....too long, would be impossible.